May 2013
2 posts
More Conference Dates for 2013...
I have some new updates to share from my 2013 calendar. (Please see my complete calendar for all conference/event dates). If you’d like to meet me in person, check out one of these great events! I’ll be on faculty at the following….
* Willamette Writers Conference, Aug. 2-4, Portland, OR
I’ll be doing one-on-one, as well as group consultations, daily. I’ll also be...
April 2013
1 post
mildredvonmillie asked: How would you suggest someone go about querying a series? Specifically a trilogy? If I have the manuscript for the first book finished, the second book planned out in detail and a good idea of the third (and know exactly how the whole thing will end), is that adequate? and should I mention this in my letter, or only if more information is requested? Thanks!
March 2013
2 posts
Check out my guest post on DearEditor.com! →
I answer a question about submitting a picture book dummy to agents and editors simultaneously. I advise finding an agent first and give 3 reasons why….
February 2013
1 post
September 2012
1 post
Anonymous asked: What is your usual timeframe for responses on requested material? And when, if ever, is it ok to request an update?
Anonymous asked: Your agency has a "no answer means no" policy, but why don't you post the status on queries to you on your twitter or tumblr every month or so, I think this will help writers a lot and save them to wait for 8 weeks to know your reply.
August 2012
6 posts
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Anonymous asked: Can you pitch a novel as multicultural if only the secondary characters are from a diverse background and their culture is incorporated in the plot, but not the protagonist?
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New Conference Dates!
Here’s the latest updates to my conference schedule for 2012-2013 (go here for my full schedule):
SCBWI-Orange County, Editor’s Day, Sep. 22, 2012
My agency is a huge supporter of SCBWI, and I do as many local events as I can. This will be my 2nd Editor’s Day and I can’t wait! I’ll be holding one-on-one pitch sessions.
Writer’s Digest West Conference, Pitch...
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New Contest Alert: Calling all MG authors! →
I’m judging a MG-only contest for WD. The contest is live for 2-weeks, through 8/27. The three lucky winners will win a critique from me!
July 2012
2 posts
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My first deal announced in PW! →
Katy S. Duffield’s Aliens Get the Sniffles Too!, a picture book about a little alien who gets a cold – and his parents and dog go to the ends of the universe to make him feel better, to Karen Lotz at Candlewick.
May 2012
1 post
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April 2012
2 posts
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New Conference Dates for 2012
This weekend I’ll be at the Las Vegas Writers Conference. There I’ll hold one-on-one pitch sessions, speak on an Agents Panel, and will conduct a session called “Dos and Don’ts of Writing a Query Letter”.
I’m also looking forward to attending the Willamette Writers Conference for the first time this year, Aug. 3-5. I’ll conduct one-on-one and group...
Anonymous asked: I know it's not an agenting question, but how do you pronounce your last name?
March 2012
1 post
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"Kite Tales" Spring 2012 issue, the newsletter for... →
Check out my article on page 21 where I share some query Do’s and Don’ts and info on the types of projects I’d love to find right now.
February 2012
2 posts
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10 Novels That Will Sharpen Your Mind →
Great feature—many of my favorites are here. Also, it’s just fun how you have to click each book on the bookshelf for more info.
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Notes from SDSU Writers' Conference 2012
This past weekend was the 28th Annual SDSU Writers’ Conference. I was on faculty and did Advance Reading Appointments and Consultation Appointments. This is the second year I attended, and as expected, I had a fantastic time. It was exhausting, but getting to meet and reconnect with fellow agents, editors, and other pub professionals, and chat up talented authors, made it SO worth it.
In...
January 2012
3 posts
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Dystopian nonfiction! (eh, sort of) →
Penguin acquires a pop science book that “posits how society could rebuild itself in the wake of a worldwide apocalypse”. I can not wait for this one!
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"What Occupy Can Learn from THE HUNGER GAMES" -... →
This is just a great article on dystopian fiction. Did you know I LOVE dystopian fiction?!
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December 2011
9 posts
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Anonymous asked: Would you consider older YA? With 19-21 yo protagonists? Thanks!
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“I’m struck by whether literary seductions are even possible in the digital...”
– Literary Seductions (via jonyang)
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W. W. Norton: Jane Austen fires shot in Literary... →
wwnorton:
My dear Sir:
You are very kind in your hints as to the sort of composition which might recommend me at present, and I am fully sensible that an Historical Romance, founded on the House of Saxe-Couborg, might be much more to the purpose of Profit or Popularity than such pictures of domestic Life…
November 2011
2 posts
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HELLO Mr. Gatsby!
scribnerbooks:
iheartclassics:
We can’t get enough of these photos from the set of Gatsby 3-D!
In the flesh.
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My Query Response Policy...
There’s been a lot of chatter of late about the no-response-means-a-rejection submission policy of many agencies. I’m not going to add to the debate (I see both sides and I think it’s a little silly that agents are even catching flak for this—we all have our policies stated on websites, so authors have the option of only querying agencies who’s policies they’re...
October 2011
8 posts
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Find the word count of most any children's book →
Search for most any children’s book then click on the title for full info, including the word count.
Whenever I’m asked how long a book should be, or how long is too long, I say it depends on what you’re writing. While there’s always exceptions, there are indeed conventions for length that vary according to genre/target audience that authors would do well to adhere to. To...
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You Don't Need Sex to Be Sexy in YA
…Just look to Scott Westerfeld’s UGLIES. This scene has no kissing or intimate touching— just a hoverboard—but oh, it’s hot:
Riding double was something Tally had never done before and she found herself glad she was with David and not just anyone. She stood in front of him, bodies touching, her arms out, his hands around her waist. They negotiated the turns without...
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“I believe that words uttered in passion contain a greater living truth than do...”
– Natsume Sōseki (via bookmania)
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“If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in...”
– Oscar Wilde (via bookmania)
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Weekend Query Response Stats
Big announcement: My submissions inbox is…clear! With prepping for SCBWI Editor’s Day last weekend and subbing a project this past week, I’ve been getting woefully behind on work reading. Well, determined, I hunkered down this weekend and read ALL queries directed to me (note: if your query was sent to the agency and not specifically to me, it may not have been read yet), and...
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September 2011
5 posts
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Two New Conference Dates for 2012!
I’ll be on faculty at these upcoming 2012 conferences, I hope to see some of you there!
San Diego State University Writers Conference, Jan. 27-29
I’ll be taking Advance Reading Appointments, Consultation Appointments, and presenting on a topic TBD.
SCBWI San Diego Agents Day, Feb. 11
More info and web link coming.
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“…[M]aking a gay character straight is a line in the sand which I will not...”
– YA authors asked to ‘straighten’ gay characters [Via] (via derasso)
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you...”
– Mark Twain
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lyndseylewellen asked: Sara, even though all these elements work together, what is the one thing that keeps you into the story the most, voice, plot, characters, etc? And when do you know the novel is right for your list?
August 2011
17 posts
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Have a Question for Me?
As indicated by my newly added Ask page, I’m now open for questions! I’m happy to answer anything about queries, writing, agents, or publishing. Note that I will only answer general questions—please don’t ask for specific feedback or a manuscript critique (save these for a conference—check my Calendar to see which ones I’ll be attending).
Please also be aware...
