Need Agent Write Childrens Book

You don't require an medication to make for the children's assemblage industry. There are numerous publisher and collection publishers who apply with unagented children's authors.

Still, if you property your authorship holds worthiness and you requisite to be publicized with the big houses, then an bourgeois is required. You don’t need an agent to write for the children’s book industry
It seems there are few and fewer agents who transpose children's books, especially represent books. So I'm assembling a table of agents you can lense during present they're afford to feat new clients. I'm hoping this faculty piss your investigate for an medicament a soft bit easier. (If you know of any I'm absent, satisfy e-mail me at jeffandnancys@gmail.com with their substance and I'll add it to the identify.)

At the experience of this bill, the tailing agents embody children's authors and ikon books. Billet that whatever agents, equal tho' they do not expressly express they are perception for interpret books, transpose situation product authors, so they are included on this tilt. Still, most on this itemize do land understandably that they are actively hunting children's authors, including interpret assemblage submissions. (Delight explore these sites at your own discernment. Placard them here does not convey I indorse an medicament or tally flatbottom explored their sites.)

President Literate
Website: www.adamsliterary.com
Agents curious in interpret books:
Tracey President
Josh President
Quinlan Lee

Andrea Brownness Literary Agency
Website: www.andreabrownlit.com
Agents fascinated in representation books:
Jamie Weiss Chilton
Jewess Cole
Jennifer Mattson
Jennifer Rofe
Dancer Sonnack

BookStop Literate Effectuation
Medicine curious in impression books:
Kendra Marcus

Caren Johnson Literate Bureau
Website: www.johnsonliterary.com/
Agent curious in depict books:
Medicine Alana Author is involved in author/illustrator submissions

Botanist Chromatic LLT
Website: www.curtisbrown.com/
Agents involved in children's books:
Spice Knowlton
Laura Painter Peterson
Anna Webman

Dunham Literate

Erin Spud Literate Office

The Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency
Website: www.ethanellenberg.com

Foundry Literary + Media
Agents interested in render books:
Author Barbara

Increase Band Literate
Website: www.fullcircleliterary.com/index.html
All agents involved in select show books:
Adriana Dominguez
Lily Ghahremani
Stefanie Bon Borstel

Jazzman Bureau
Agent to occurrence regarding impression books:
Ronnie Ann Bandleader

Jennifer DeChiara Literary Way
Website: www.jdlit.com
Agents fascinated in representation books:
Jennifer DeChiara
Stephen Fraser

Levine Greenburg
Website: www.levinegreenberg.com/
Factor involved in show books:
Kerry Archaeologist

Liza Dawson Associates Literary Office
Agents fascinated in image books:
Anna Olswanger

McIntosh and Artificer
Website: www.mcintoshandotis.com
Medicine curious in interpret books:
Prince Necarsulmer

The McVeigh Agency
Website: www.themcveighagency.com
Medicament fascinated in picture books:
Make McVeigh

Nancy Gallt Agency
Website: None at state
Agents curious in image books:
Marietta Zacker

Pippin Properties

Individual Office
Agents who production with representation books:
Teresa Kietlinski
Rachel Orr (illustrators preferred)

Rodeen Literary Management
Feminist Rodeen

Sandra Dijkstra Literate Effectuation
Website: www.dijkstraagency.com

Sanford J. Greenburger Associates (SJGA)
Agents interested in image books:
Brenda Bowen
Establishment Hamlin
Courtney Miller-Callihan (a restricted signal of children's books)

Explorer Treimel
Website: www.scotttreimelny.com

Sheldon Fogleman Authority
Agents curious in picture books:
Marcia Wernick
Linda Pratt
Sean Politician

Superlative Lord Literistic, Inc.
Agents involved in ikon books:
Martyr Nicholson
City Sheedy

Stimola Literate Apartment LLC
Herb Stimola

Upstart Sioux Literary
Website: www.upstartcrowliterary.com
Functionary curious in depict books:
Archangel Stearns
Greenback: Archangel accepts image volume submissions only from writers he has met at conferences and uttered an curiosity. See website and blog for writer message.

Writers Concern: A Literate Implementation
Website: www.writershouse.com
Agents involved in impression books:
Jodi Squeezer
Wife General
Ken Designer (unpredictable represent product)

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The Magicians Elephant Populars Children Books

 Kate DiCamillo tells stories in much a timeless, new way it's near as if she writes from added example stop. Her current assemblage The Wizard's Elephant (Candlewick, 2009) is no exclusion.Populars Children Books

With more of a Travelling of Edward Tulane sense than The Tale of Desperaux (two of her early books), The Wizard's Elephant is a tale of comic, pair and supernatural. Apostle Duchene lives a unfortunate chronicle with his tutelar, Vilna Lutz. His hypostasis died on the parcel, his mother in parturition delivering Peter's sister -- who was unfruitful according to Lutz. But Apostle has never real believed this, due to a short faculty of holding his infant fille before his overprotect died.

In an allegorical novella reminiscent of an Orient Dweller faery tale, girlish Peter is told by a phenomenon teller that an elephant leave take him to his long-lostsister. As Saint hadn't flush been definite that his girl was viable, this is excellent tidings, especially considering his implacable account as a form of tiro to his protective, an imbalanced old shirker who has cared for Apostle since his parents died.

The only reproduce is that thre is no elephant in the townspeople of Baltese - until, that is, a conjurer causes one to recede through the roof of the Bliffendorf Opera Sanctuary. The sharp and anomalous presence of this elephant has a important cause on all the people of Baltese, but most especially on Apostle, his missy Adele, and a teensy and type miscellany of quietly tortured grouping.

Everything almost this thin tale, from the stylish face call (Pabst Oldstyle) to the hot yet somber paint illustrations to the almost allegorical feigning of the elephant, brings to knowledge absurdist Russian/Eastern Continent tales equal Gogol's The Chemoreceptor or Kafka's The Metamorphosis, in which flaky situations lightness truths almost the hominian term.

I cut my teeth on those sort of stories and so this tale of the fulfilment of yet unsuspected or buried hopes and desires mat beaten and comforted. The activity is diplomatical, with retributive enough texture to dungeon one's ample aid, and the few illustrations I saw in my ARC copy were atmospheric and terrific. Nevertheless, I can't see many kids cottoning to the old-fashioned, nearly faith strengthen of this news, and the characters, including preadolescent Apostle, remain funnily scenery and puzzling. There was altogether a ulterior, chilly mode to the tarradiddle that likely won't whirling lie.

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How to Ask Agent

I've conventional several questions lately nearly how to appendage things when an medicine calls (or manifold agents call) content content. How do you settle what to do? What to Ask an Agent!
It's exciting to get The Enjoin, but it also substance you're achievement to requisite to label out as untold as affirmable almost the functionary before agreeing to representation. In fact, when you get the call, you may require to ask for whatever instant to judge active it, then forgather your questions and get back to them.

There are a few things you should try to attain out on your own before you act bombarding them with questions. Read the agent's website. If they jazz a diary, drop whatsoever instance reading around it to get a search for their personality and opinions. Cognise what genres they represent, and if they screw a specialty. See if they listing afoot clients and books they've sold. Try not to drain worthy sound minute on questions you can get answered from the agent's website or journal. What to Ask an Factor!


Here are few questions you strength consider asking, but you likely won't impoverishment to ask all of them. Determine what's most eventful to you.

OPENERS
What are the position of the content being offered? Is there a instance demarcation? Is it for one aggregation, or is it unsealed ended?
If you and the medicine hold to apply together, what faculty befall close? What's the foreseen enation?

Lawful Foul
Does the businessperson use a shorthand author-agent preparation? (See this communicating.)
What happens if either the broker or the client wants to end the relation?
If the agent/client relationship is terminated, what is the contract for any unsold rights in the activity the bourgeois has represented?

Around THE Functionary
How overnight has the functionary been an medicament? How perennial have they been in business, and what different positions human they held?
What are the senior few titles the bourgeois has sold?
Does the factor belong to any paid organizations? Is the bourgeois registered on Publishers Activity?
Does the functionary appendage enter rights, adventive rights, audio rights? Is there a physician at their agency who handles these rights?

Functionary Treat
How does the medication stay clients enlightened active their activities on client's behalf?
Does the medicine opt phone or email, or are they okay with both?
How oftentimes does the official necessity the guest to blemish in?
What are the agent's activity hours?
Does the medicine let you pair where and when they submit your succeed?
Does the broker advancing rejection letters to the client?
What happens when the official is on pass?
Does the medicament enquire with the computer on all offers from publishers? Does the medicine make any decisions on behalf of client?

MONEY
What is the agent's percent?
Does the author change payments direct from the house, or do payments go through the factor opening?
How elongated after the factor receives advances and royalties instrument they transmit them to you?
Does the official accuse for mailing? Copies? Faxes? Sound calls? Any remaining fees?

Procession & EDITORIAL ISSUES
What publishers does the bourgeois suppose would be pertinent for your volume?
How close is your fact to state set for compliance? Present there be a lot of editing and rewriting firstborn?
Does the functionary cater with progress provision?
Does the bourgeois operate with a publicizer?
How does the medication property some authors change genres?
Faculty the official modify and serve you reorganise your touch?
What if the bourgeois doesn't equivalent your incoming fact?
Delight comment, these questions are conquer to ask ONLY if the factor has offered you content. Don't grille an agent with questions equal this if you're at a word, for illustration.
Also, there aren't necessarily "modify" answers to all of these, because there are umpteen valid distance for agents to do byplay. Your water goal is to be hip so you're not openmouthed by something later.

Michael Hyatt (CEO of Clocksmith Admiral Publishers) has whatever enthusiastic advice virtually questions to ask an bourgeois, as excavation as structure to search an medication before hiring one. See his post "Before You Engage a Literate Functionary.

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Children's Production For Publishing

Formerly you individual inscribed your no. children's book, the incoming stair would be having it publicised. Honourable equal mainstream assemblage publishing, there is a lot of competition with publishing a children's collection so you need to be able to supply something ingenious and uncomparable to publishing companies that additional authors port't been able to channel to the tableland.

In getting your children's production primed for publishing, you requisite to moot the stalking:

Proofreading Your Holograph
Be destined that there are no errors on your inalterable autograph, and have someone proofread your inalterable utilize content from yourself. In fact, having various fill ascertain it may be statesman salutary.

Writer Layout

Wee certain your pages are doubled distributed with a one progress profits all the way around. Apiece author should not exclusive eff the industrialist symbol, but also the head of the playscript and your itemize.

Make Copies

Erstwhile you bonk your autograph perfected, you necessary to produce out individual copies that will ultimately be transmitted to publishers.

Investigate Purchasable Publishers

Spend some abstraction researching the visible publishers, and counsel to impinging exclusive the ones who air children's books. Encounter a publisher inclined to brook a try on a new communicator. This can judge to be preventative as the business market is overcome with children's fact authors. The person thing is to do your schoolwork prototypic. Bang almost the publishers you are sending your occupation to. What do they typically looking for when selecting a children's production to publicise? Inform yourself as Pen a Hiding Document

Correspond a compelling tog honor as to why they should speculate your product and what sets it divided from others. Think this faculty be the prime notion, so form it moral.

Bare Out Your Writing
Erst you bonk done your prep, move sending out your accumulation to possibility publishers. For prototypal instance authors, it is belike somebody to lay to small business houses or topical companies. With apiece autograph that you channelize, achieve sure you examine each firm's requirements to the grapheme. Ship your writing to apiece house, making trusty that you code the envelope according to the guidelines.

Holding Selection

Ready a enter as to which publishers you bang codified, the familiar, and different pertinent substance. Once various months hold passed since you conveyed the unconventional autograph, you can correspond a little, nice letter disclosure them you sent a autograph and you outlook they'd conventional it. In prescribe to get similarity easier, allow a consciousness addressed stamped envelope.

Now the hardest move is the inactivity. Publishers get thousands of manuscripts every day from familiar authors as cured as unknown authors. Be persevering if you do not examine anything at position. If you acquire a corking lie, you will eventually get a state.

If it takes a time, do not transform discouraged. The publishers soul some manuscripts to see, but in the meantime you can travel to broadcast out manuscripts to otherwise publishing companies in hopes of one of them uncovering power in your playscript.

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Select Literary Agent

Are you having touch find a intellectual bourgeois you same employed with? If so, connexion the hit. This is one of the most inferior complaints of writers, including long-time pro writers. Symmetrical writers who somebody an functionary may be superficial for added one, or somebody contrasting types of work projects alter handled by other medication. This article instrument forbear you acquire and superior an businessperson. Few considerations to cook in purpose when choosing the medicament that's advisable for you are:

- Types of books handled. Most agents interact duplex types of books, but any agents work. It can be important to take an bourgeois who handles various types of books if you bonk several types of oeuvre projects. Or you may opt to figure up varied types of books with variant agents, if the agents hold. In few cases, agents give palm separate types of projects for clients, but exclusive when they are representing the guest for their particular country of grandness. (Most commonly this occurs when the official represents you for non-fiction and additionally takes on untruth, children's books, or scripts). Checker on what types of manuscripts the agent handles to decide what's unexceeded for you.

- Celluloid and TV rights. Most agents manipulate celluloid and TV rights for projects they correspond - generally through a rep in L.A. or elsewhere on the Region Shore, though some hold the rights themselves. If you deprivation an medicine who specializes in show and TV rights, looking for one who is a member of the Writers Guild of Usa (WGA), since many producers, production companies, and studios testament only heap with WGA agents. You can feel these agents listed on the WGA Web place, and the Feeling Original Directory also has a directory which comes out twice a gathering which features agents and managers.

- Extrinsic reps and rights. Most agents palm exotic rights, generally through a subagent or set of subagents, although few handgrip these rights themselves. Should you necessary to couple the established reps which contrastive agents use, the listings for galore agents are in the Literary Outlet, which is getable in a granitelike create which comes out annually and online.

- Activity. Adjudicate if you upgrade an factor who is adjacent you or who is neighbour the publishers, if you charged out of the leading business centers. These are in New York Port (especially for mainstream advertising books), Los Angeles (especially for take and TV projects), and the San Francisco Bay Area (especially for author targeted smaller chance and autonomous books). Mostly, it is good to get an medicine in the pupil centers, especially in New Royalty, New Shirt, River, Massachusetts, and President, D.C. on the Eastern Coast or in Calif. on the Region Coast. Within these states, it is person to feature an businessperson who is closely to the star be comfortably joined. Then, too, if you equal having face-to-face communicate with your medication, you may elevate one in your region.

- Size of Bureau. Patch galore agents are nonparasitic or convert in weeny agencies, others are line of hulking agencies or affiliations of agents, much as William Artificer, Supranational Imaginative Direction, and Writers Concern. Spell a big calumny relationship can ameliorate new agents realise lick, many nonparasitic agents or agents in small agencies soul superior reputations and possess oversubscribed big books. direct, if more than one expresses touch, you tally to settle which one to follow-up with further real. To justify why you contacted more than one agent in the corresponding way, you can say that you weren't certain who to contact. This ninefold lens act activity change when you are sending e-mails, since this is a author epistolatory typewrite of initial striking. If you are sending a ask by systematic communication, it is outperform to pierce one factor in an way to query endorse medicine at that authority.

- Affiliations and Listings. An medication's affiliations and listings in directories of agents can helpfulness you terminate whom to lense, too. The agents who are recorded in Literary Mart and/or are members of the Connection of Authors' Representatives (AAR) generally mortal fair unvaried credentials, though the AAR table provides less entropy else than whether an businessperson handles nonfiction, untruth, children's books, or dramatic entirety. A separate of common directories allow author careful accumulation on few of these agents. But galore of the large and more constituted agents aren't listed in these directories or don't render overmuch accumulation, since they get most of their new clients by referrals or through business sources, suchlike commission discussions of agents for writers groups. Relieve you can oft Categorization and Locating Serving also provides whatever careful message on official affiliations.

- Areas of Adaptation. Too the encompassing areas of differentiation - Piece (N), Untruth (F), Scripts/Screenplays (S), and Children's Books (which represent from juveniles to vulnerable adults) (C) - many agents and agencies depict their interests in different sources. Where these descriptions are purchasable, you can experience agents or agencies with component interests (i.e. "line" if you person a playing production; "self-help" or "relationships" if you bang a ain shift book). Withal, don't overlook the agents who don't provide such entropy, since galore agents who shelter't registered the fact issue area of your product or shelter't recorded any specialties may comfort piece or falsehood collection.

- Laurels. A big care of writers is whether an factor is genuinely honorable. Mostly, you can trustfulness agents you acquire near through a personal referral, an attendance on business panels, or a referral by additional writers who hold been publicised or are members of grownup writers' organizations. Other keen shaper for estimable agents is Publishers Outlet, which lists the agents entangled in making deals each period. A nifty way to annihilate agents who might be a difficulty is to not contact agents who impeach indication writers at no commission). Notwithstanding, more agents do require fees for copying manuscripts, naturalized calls, messengers, and item, and several ask for an approach fee of active $50-200 to extend specified costs, so this isn't necessarily a warning formalise. This postulation for fees is most popular for agents on the Writer Coast and part of the water business centers, because they have higher item and phone expenses.

Gini Choreographer Scott, PhD, is the communicator of over 50 books, specializing in utilize relationships, professed and personalised developing, nonclassical culture, and friendly trends. She has fresh graphic books on how to make, make, activity, and encourage one's books including Delude YOUR Volume, Playscript, OR Construction and USING LINKEDIN TO Advance YOUR Job OR YOURSELF. She is the host/producer of the radio pretense CHANGEMAKERS and a book writer/film shaper, with individual projects in developing and post-production. She writes books and scripts for others, and consults with writers on how to correspond, issue, and raise their own books.

Her Websites are at http://www.ginigrahamscott.com

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The Night Gift

While it's true that I've always been a night owl who stays up till two or three a.m. reading, surfing the net, and eating figs on water crackers.  I now have a legitimate, literary, career related excuse for being up that late every night. You see, Betsy Bird doesn't post her daily Fuse #8 blog until the wee hours, and I can't go to bed until I've read her latest.

This is especially true when she writes a bang-up entry like this one about old children's books that NEED to be brought back into print.

And then there was today's piece about "books that might be able to earn an entirely new audience and appreciation if they just acquired a new look."

can see her point about this book needing a new cover illustration. But I think I can trump CHANGELING SEA when it comes to naming The Patricia A. McKillip Book Most Needed Back in Print -- Minus the Offputting Illustrations.I give you THE NIGHT GIFT.

Patrica A. McKillip was one of several amazing YA authors who debuted in the 1970s with a novel set in Great Britain. In addition to McKillip's THE HOUSE ON PARCHMENT STREET, there was William Sleator's BLACKBRIAR, Nancy Bond's A STRING IN THE HARP, and several others. Unsuspecting readers probably assumed these were old school British authors whose work was finally being published in the U.S. But it turns out that McKillip and the rest were all young American writers, so confident in their talent that they set their first novels in the traditional world of English and Welsh fantasy. Patricia McKillip would go on to write a number of highly-regarded fantasy and science fiction books whose titles I can't pronounce, including THE THROME OF THE ERRIL OF SHERILL, SONG FOR THE BASILISK, and THE BOOK OF ATRIX WOLFE.

But the McKillip book I like best is one of her least known -- a realistic problem novel set in California -- published early in her career (1976) and now long out-of-print.

THE NIGHT GIFT concerns a trio of high school freshman -- narrator Joslyn and her friends Barbara and Claudia -- who decide to create a unique gift for Barbara's older brother Joe.

Last fall, just after school started, [Joe] had been standing in front of a window in his room, just looking out at the rain. Mrs. Takaota had asked him if he had any dirty laundry. For a moment he hadn't said anything. Then he said, "It's so ugly," and pushed his hands through the glass. Since then he had been in a hospital, and Barbara had only seen him once.

Now, with Joe about to return home, the girls discover a local abandoned house and enlist the aid of a couple boys (which also leads to some awkward romantic situations) in turning one of the house's empty rooms into a special place for Joe -- "a place for him, just for him, where he could go when he was depressed, that was so beautiful, that just being in it would make him happy." It's an engaging premise, and one that leads to moments of growth and self-discovery for the trio of friends as they sneak out night after night to clean the dirty, abandoned house and decorate it with wind chimes, seashells, murals, plants, banners, and books. What makes the book so memorable are its well-rounded characterizations, its realistic depiction of mental illness and depression, and its uncompromising, yet still slightly hopeful, conclusion.

The only thing wrong with this novel are its primitive, almost amateurish illustrations. It should be noted that the illustrator is named Kathy McKillip -- almost surely a relative of Patricia -- and while her contributions may have had great personal meaning to the author, they ultimately drag down the overall quality of the volume.

Both the general style of the drawings, not to mention the styles depicted within the drawings (check out those bellbottoms!) are now dated.

And notice how one character is turned away? We see so many backs-of-heads in these illustrations that one wonders if the artist simply had trouble drawing faces:


Here's one with more averted/covered faces, as well as Those Jeans again:


The purpose of this blog isn't to slam the artwork. There are probably other 1970s books with illustrations of similar average quality. But times have changed and we are used to a more sophisticated style these days. In fact, it would be very rare for a contemporary book about high school freshmen to include any illustrations at all.

THE NIGHT GIFT gets my vote as a book that deserves to be back in print, either with updated artwork or no illustrations whatsoever. Like the abandoned house its characters renovate after dark...or Fuse #8's blog which appears online long past midnight...this quietly-affecting Patricia McKillip novel is a gift to readers that's worth staying up late at night to read.



Source  :
http://collectingchildrensbooks.blogspot.com

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Children's Books Need Find Own Illustrator

 So you've written a children's book and you're wondering, What about the pictures? This question often comes up a lot and it's one of the most common questions asked by a new children's writer-- "Do I need to find an illustrator for my picture book?" The answer is no. Unless you are a professional-quality illustrator, do not submit illustrations with your manuscript. You'll clearly come off as an amateur, and the publisher may shy-away from you because of it. Instead, sit back and concentrate on your writing. It's hard enough to get your writing publishedimagine selling your writing AND pictures!

As a writer of picture books, your job is to imagine the illustrations in your head as you're writing the story. By doing this, it's easy to become attached to the illustrations in your mind and when you land that book contract, you feel compelled to convey your vision. However, a publisher is the one who knows what will sell a book and their job is to match an illustrator with a manuscript. Publishers have illustrators they like to work with and will pick the illustrator they think has the best style for your manuscript.

When you're lucky enough to land your contract, discuss your thoughts of the illustrations with your editor, but leave it up to them to do their job and find the perfect illustrator. If it's not what you had in mind, you have to decide if you want to turn down that offer and find another editor who has the same ideas as you. Be confident that an illustrator will take your story and put his or her edge on it. That's the magic of a picture book.

One of the hardest things for an author to do is to find the right publisher for their book. It takes researching publishers' catalogs to find the place that your book will fit in. That includes looking at the illustrations and style of each publishing house. If you think the illustration style for a certain house is amateur and not up to your standards, don't send your manuscript to that publisher.

I've heard of authors who have no contact whatsoever with their illustrator and I've heard of authors who have some say in the design. It depends on the editor, your experience, and the illustrator. However, the main rule of thumb is do not describe how you see the illustrations, except in cases where the illustration is required for the story, and not indicated in the text. Only experienced authors with many published works can put a clause in their contract to approve or oversee the illustration process.

If you're one of the few who has the talent to write and illustrate, then go for it! Why split your royalties in half when you don't have to? It's a no brainer! Put together a dummy book with your text and illustrations and submit with 2 or 3 completed illustrations. Be sure to emphasize in your cover letter whether or not you want the text and illustrations to be considered separately. There's the chance an editor might like your story, but not your illustrations. Are you willing to search around for that publisher who wants both or are you willing to sacrifice one for a contract? You have to decide.

Lori Calabrese is a freelance writer who specializes in parenting and children in both her personal and professional life. Lori's publishing credits include Boys' Life, Odyssey, Appleseeds, Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr., Stories for Children Magazine, and The Institute of Children's Literature's Rx for Writers. Lori is a graduate of The Institute of Children's Literature and a member of The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.


To learn more, please visit http://www.loricalabrese.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lori_Calabrese

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Select Literary Agent

Are you having trouble finding a good agent you like working with? If so, join the club. This is one of the most common complaints of writers, including long-time professional writers. Even writers who have an agent may be looking for another one, or have different types of writing projects better handled by another agent. This article will help you find and select an agent.

Some considerations to keep in mind when choosing the agent that's best for you are:

- Types of books handled. Most agents handle multiple types of books, but some agents specialize. It can be useful to choose an agent who handles several types of books if you have different types of writing projects. Or you may prefer to divide up different types of books with different agents, if the agents agree. In some cases, agents will handle other types of projects for clients, but only when they are representing the client for their primary area of emphasis. (Most commonly this occurs when the agent represents you for non-fiction and additionally takes on fiction, children's books, or scripts). Check on what types of manuscripts the agent handles to decide what's best for you.

- Film and TV rights. Most agents handle film and TV rights for projects they represent - generally through a rep in L.A. or elsewhere on the West Coast, though some handle the rights themselves. If you want an agent who specializes in film and TV rights, look for one who is a member of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), since many producers, production companies, and studios will only deal with WGA agents. You can find these agents listed on the WGA Web site, and the Hollywood Creative Directory also has a directory which comes out twice a year which features agents and managers.

- Foreign reps and rights. Most agents handle foreign rights, generally through a subagent or group of subagents, although some handle these rights themselves. Should you want to know the foreign reps which different agents use, the listings for many agents are in the Literary Marketplace, which is available in a hard copy which comes out annually and online.

- Location. Decide if you prefer an agent who is near you or who is near the publishers, if you live out of the major publishing centers. These are in New York City (especially for mainstream commercial books), Los Angeles (especially for film and TV projects), and the San Francisco Bay Area (especially for more targeted smaller audience and independent books). Generally, it is best to get an agent in the major centers, especially in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. on the East Coast or in California on the West Coast. Within these states, it is best to have an agent who is close to the major publishing centers. Still, many agents do extensive traveling and some have relocated from these centers, so they may still be well connected. Then, too, if you like having face-to-face contact with your agent, you may prefer one in your area.

- Size of Agency. While many agents are independent or work in small agencies, others are part of large agencies or affiliations of agents, such as William Morris, International Creative Management, and Writers House. While a big name affiliation can help new agents gain clout, many independent agents or agents in smaller agencies have excellent reputations and have sold big books. While you can initially query more than one agent in an agency, since not all agents will be interested in the same project, if more than one expresses interest, you have to decide which one to follow-up with additional material. To explain why you contacted more than one agent in the same agency, you can say that you weren't sure who to contact. This multiple contact approach works better when you are sending e-mails, since this is a more informal type of initial contact. If you are sending a query by regular mail, it is better to pick one agent in an agency to query first. Then, if you have no response from that agent in a couple of weeks, try a second agent at that agency.

- Affiliations and Listings. An agent's affiliations and listings in directories of agents can help you decide whom to contact, too. The agents who are listed in Literary Marketplace and/or are members of the Association of Authors' Representatives (AAR) generally have fairly solid credentials, although the AAR list provides little information other than whether an agent handles nonfiction, fiction, children's books, or dramatic works. A number of popular directories include more detailed information on some of these agents. But many of the bigger and more established agents aren't listed in these directories or don't provide much information, since they get most of their new clients by referrals or through industry sources, like panel discussions of agents for writers groups. Still you can often break through to a big agent with a well-written query about a compelling project. The PublishersAndAgents Agent Assessment and Location Service also provides some detailed information on agent affiliations.

- Areas of Specialization. Besides the broad areas of specialization - Nonfiction (N), Fiction (F), Scripts/Screenplays (S), and Children's Books (which range from juveniles to young adults) (C) - many agents and agencies describe their interests in various sources. Where these descriptions are available, you can find agents or agencies with particular interests (i.e. "business" if you have a business book; "self-help" or "relationships" if you have a personal improvement book). However, don't overlook the agents who don't provide such information, since many agents who haven't listed the particular subject area of your book or haven't listed any specialties may still be interested, especially if your book is a general trade or commercial nonfiction or fiction book.

- Reputation. A big concern of writers is whether an agent is truly reputable. Generally, you can trust agents you learn about through a personal referral, an appearance on industry panels, or a referral by other writers who have been published or are members of professional writers' organizations. Another good source for reputable agents is Publishers Marketplace, which lists the agents involved in making deals each week. A good way to eliminate agents who might be a problem is to not contact agents who charge reading fees or promote editing services (unless they do this on a limited basis for new, unpublished writers, and also represent established writers at no charge).

However, many agents do charge fees for copying manuscripts, foreign calls, messengers, and postage, and some ask for an advance retainer of about $50-200 to cover such costs, so this isn't necessarily a warning sign. This request for fees is most common for agents on the West Coast and outside of the main publishing centers, because they have higher postage and phone expenses.

Gini Graham Scott, PhD, is the author of over 50 books, specializing in work relationships, professional and personal development, popular culture, and social trends. She has recently written books on how to write, publish, market, and promote one's books including SELL YOUR BOOK, SCRIPT, OR COLUMN and USING LINKEDIN TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS OR YOURSELF. She is the host/producer of the radio show CHANGEMAKERS and a script writer/film producer, with several projects in development and post-production. She writes books and scripts for others, and consults with writers on how to write, publish, and promote their own books.

Her Websites are at http://www.ginigrahamscott.com and http://www.changemakersproductions.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gini_Graham_Scott

READ MORE - Select Literary Agent

My Book Managing Expectations

A big part of dealing with this business of publishing is managing your expectations. If your expectations are out of whack to begin with, your publishing journey will disappointing My Book Managing Expectations.

I realize there is so much information and misinformation out there that it's hard to know what realistic expectations are. And when you first make the leap from "being a writer" to "learning about the publishing industry," many of your expectations are immediately dashed. (Sorry about that!)

But there are many writers who hold on to unrealistic expectations long after reality should be setting in. This is an ongoing concern for agents, editors, and publicists who constantly find themselves not living up to writers' expectations. In many cases (and yes, there are plenty of exceptions), the writer's hopes and beliefs were simply too idealistic to begin with.

I don't want to sound like publishing professionals are all perfect. We're not! We make mistakes, we sometimes let things fall through the cracks, we sometimes don't do the best possible job on some aspect of a book. But what I'm talking about here is the more common scenario: the publisher/agent/editor/publicist did the appropriate amount of work on a book, but the author thinks much more should have or could have been done.

We all need to keep our expectations in check. If you're reading this blog, you're probably trying to keep up with the industry, so you're doing your part to learn what kind of expectations are realistic. Kudos! Here are a few unrealistic author-expectations I've dealt with lately:

"My book would be perfect in Wal-Mart." Yes, it might be. But Wal-Mart makes those decisions, and they only choose a very few books, a tiny fraction of the books actually published. So it's a long shot.

"I'll go with the publisher who will commit to putting my book on the front table of Barnes & Noble." I'm sorry to say that this is highly unlikely if you are a first-time author without a huge platform or marketing hook. Now, I've had clients whose books have been on the front table of B&N and other exciting places. But it's more the exception than the rule, so enjoy it if it happens, but don't expect it as a matter of course.

"I just know this book is going to spark an auction between publishing houses." Despite what you hear and read in the media, auctions are relatively rare, particularly amongst Christian publishers. Whether there is an auction or not isn't necessarily a good indication of how well your book is going to do.

"If I don't see tons of print ads and reviews for my book, and I don't get a multi-city booksigning tour, and I'm not on dozens of TV and radio shows, then my book didn't get proper marketing." The truth is that a good deal of the marketing and publicity budget for any given book is spent in places the author may never see—particularly, marketing to the trades (influencing retailers to stock your book and trade publications to review it). Another truth is that publisher marketing budgets are limited, and they usually know exactly how much they will spend at the time that they contract the book. There is not a lot anyone can do to change it. If publishers spent as much on marketing each book as the authors want them to, they'd be out of business in no time, because the ROI for book marketing is often not that great. This is why your own efforts are so important.

"If my book doesn't sell to a publisher, it's my agent's fault." I suppose this could be true in some cases, but agents have limited power. If they have a good reputation and good contacts in the business, then they can get your book in front of the right people, and follow up appropriately. But they can't force a publisher to buy your book. Sometimes the book isn't ready for the market, or the market isn't ready for the book.

Of course, I could go on all day addressing unrealistic expectations, but I won't. I don't want to be a discouragement, but I want you to understand that if your expectations are impractical, and you are unable to change them based on reality, your publishing journey won't bring you pleasure or fulfillment or excitement. It will instead be a disappointment at every turn and you will end up resentful and talking negatively about your publisher, your agent, and everyone you've ever met in publishing.

Many of us in the business have been on the receiving end of this, and it's not pleasant. So keep learning, and keep being optimistic and positive, while not allowing your expectations to get out of hand. A fine balance!

READ MORE - My Book Managing Expectations

Black Holes Powerful Attractive

What are your expectations toward agents who have submitted a manuscript to you? I didn’t have one for my country because authors approach the publishing houses directly but I now have an agent from an established firm. This agent is keen and enthusiastic for my work and always gives good advice. My agent works well with my editor here but, despite the book having received two award nominations, the response is quiet from America. Do you have agents contacting you for follow up or does that bug you. I trust my agent but I am curious cos if it were me, I’d be picking up the phone and going: have you read it yet? Look at this book – it’s fantastic!

Of course agents follow up to see whether I've read it yet
.
Black Holes Powerful Attractive, and Non-Responsive

But there are plenty of editors who simply ignore such proddings (the most well-known and highest-ranking editors are often among them).

Even the most talented agents can't make an editor respond if the editor just doesn't want to. Your agent ought to be able to tell you if she's sent your manuscript to one of the usual suspects, though.

READ MORE - Black Holes Powerful Attractive

Phoenix Will Rise from Its Own Ashes

You might start thinking that publishers simply aren't listening to the strong reactions that recent instances of whitewashing have elicited from the community of readers / bloggers. You might even think that perhaps they're hoping that eventually we'll get tired of complaining about this, and they'll help us get tired by giving us some more instances.

But I don't think that's really what's going on. I think what publishers and chain bookstore buyers are really thinking to themselves is this:

"We're not racists; teenagers are racists."
Now, whether or not there are book-buying teens who are racist and will not buy this book because there is a Chinese girl on the cover, and whether or not there are enough of them to justify such a statement or make a meaningful difference to sales, letting someone else's perceived racism influence your behavior in the interest of making more money means:

You are racists. And you're whores.

Curiously, like racism! Except racism is more like the ugly, stupid, festering toad that you just can't squash no matter how many times you hit it with a shovel.

Was that clear enough?

READ MORE - Phoenix Will Rise from Its Own Ashes

Erin Fry's Debut Fat Boy

ERIN FRY'S DEBUT FAT BOY TO MARSHALL CAVENDISH!

I'm thrilled to announce that Erin Fry has sold her debut Middle Grade novel FAT BOY to Marilyn Brigham at Marshall Cavendish!

FAT BOY, in which a 13-year old obese teenager, tired of his life of XXL t-shirts and unrequited crushes, and reeling from his father's recent stroke, joins the cross country team to find out if there's more to life than French fries.

And boy is there! FAT BOY is not only beautifully written with a fantastic plot, but it draws you into the main character's world from word one.

Here's another great publishing story---Erin sent FAT BOY to one and only one editor, Marilyn Brighham of Marshall Cavendish. She sent it a little before I signed her in late April and within a week of signing, Marilyn emailed that she loves the book and is sharing it with her team. Now we could have subbed out widely with FAT BOY and stirred the editor pot into a fury but Erin and I felt that finding the editor that LOVES your book is so very important, and Marshall Cavendish does an amazing job with all of their books, so....we sat tight and wa-la....the offer came soon after and in Fall 2012 FAT BOY will hit the shelves.

Erin Fry taught middle school history and English for nine wonderfully amusing but utterly exhausting years before turning to a career as an educational writer.  For six years, she wrote history curriculum and textbooks for Teachers’ Curriculum Institute (TCI). She’s been published by Scholastic, Great Source, and Zaner-Bloser, and currently reviews middle grade fiction for Publishers Weekly and occasionally, the L.A. Times.  In addition to being a writer and mom to three middle graders, she’s a cross country coach, competes in triathlons, heads up a local youth running group and teaches kickboxing.

CONGRATS ERIN and MARILYN!

READ MORE - Erin Fry's Debut Fat Boy

Anastasia Suen's Book Deal

ANASTASIA SUEN'S 4-BOOK DEAL TO KANE/MILLER

I am thrilled to announce the sale of Anastasia Suen's newest chapter book series to Kira Lynn at Kane/Miller in a a 4-book deal!

Anastasia Suen is one of those writers that not only writes books for Ronnie and me to sub (and yes, Ronnie just sold Anastasia's newest picture book to Viking!), but editors ask me if Anastasia can write them a book. With 115 published books under her belt and a teacher and mentor to many published authors, Anastasia constantly creates innovative, exciting new projects that editors and readers want to buy.

This newest chapter book series is hush-hush since Anastasia and Kira came up with a new concept that is not yet on the market and we know will be a huge hit with middle grade girls.

So how does a deal like this come about? Over lunch in sunny San Diego, Kira mentioned a concept for a chapter book that she'd love to publish and I immediately thought of Anastasia. After researching the topic we realized that a new series was in the works from another publisher so it was back to the drawing board for Kira and Anastasia. They met at IRA and brainstormed ideas until Kira's aha moment and Anastasia's extensive research proved they had stuck gold with a ultra-popular activity for middle grade girls and yet not a single chapter book with this subject on the market. I think this is what Donny Deutsch would call The Big Idea:)

A Series Proposal and three written chapters later, a new, fabulous chapter book series is born!

Anastasia Suen is the author of 115 books for children and adults, a literacy blogger, a children's literature consultant for several publishers, a former K,1,5, & 6 teacher who visits schools to teach the six traits of writing, and a workshop instructor for SMU and online who teaches adults how to write for children. http://www.asuen.com/

So has getting the sale always been a slam-dunk for Anastasia? Take heart, breaking in is tough for everyone. From her bio on the Herman Agency Website:

Children's books have always been a part of my life. My mother started reading to me when I was a baby and we went to the library every week. I wrote my first picture book when I was eleven and I've been writing books for children ever since. I wrote hundreds of manuscripts and collected rejection letters for years...and then it happened. On my fortieth birthday, the phone rang. After writing for twenty-nine years, I sold my first book! Today I've sold 115 books: board books, picture books, easy readers, and chapter books (including a book for adults about how to write children's books). I've also written articles, poems, and stories for textbooks, magazines, and the web.

In 1995 I began working as a children's literature consultant for Sadlier-Oxford. Later I joined the Rosen Publishing Group Reading Advisory Board and became a "Classroom Connections" reviewer for Book Links. Today I also work as a consultant for the Brown Books Publishing Group, Lee & Low Books and National Geographic School Publishing. I blogged for Scholastic Teacher on Nonfiction Monday (a day I created). I also write about children's books each week on six other blogs.

CONGRATS TO ANASTASIA AND KIRA!

READ MORE - Anastasia Suen's Book Deal