The Great Agent Hunt

Writers have to wear several hats. First we have to master the storyteller's craft (a lifetime pursuit!) and then once we have a finished manuscript, we have to put on our marketing hat and sell it to someone.

If you want a writing career, IMO, you need to sell your work to an agent first.

And guess what? Top agents want to find new clients whose writing excites them. To do this, most of them have very informative websites, complete with pages dedicated to aspiring writers. My agent, Natasha Kern excels in this ~ www.natashakern.com (I particularly appreciate her assurance that "everything worth doing is worth doing badly at first.") She always gives me plenty to think about and sends my writing in new directions.

Do your homework and comb your target agent's website.

Some even have blogs:

The Knight Agency ~ Updated often, this blog features lots of the agency's clients as guests. Which tells me they encourage prospective clients to contact their current ones for a recommendation.

queryshark.blogspot.com
I learn by example. Agent Janet Reid posts lots of examples of what writers are doing right—and wrong. A very interactive site that encourages you to submit.

cba-ramblings.blogspot.com
Rachelle Gardner specializes in Christian/inspirational writing and has a great knack for blogging about practical, useful topics, such as query tips or book proposal advice.

nathanbransford.blogspot.com
Nathan Bransford shares what he knows publishing, which is quite a lot! He covers industry news as well as more narrow writerly issues.

pubrants.blogspot.com
Writers never have to wonder what an agent wants. Kristin Nelson’s Agenting 101 series is a must-read for every author ready to send a query.

This list is in no way exhaustive, but these are a few blogs and sites that I've found interesting.

Where are you on the writer's journey? Still working toward finishing your manuscript? Scouting out your first agent? Needing a change in your current representation? (Sadly, things sometimes don't work out as you hope and it's best for both parties to split.) Do you have any questions about the agency relationship? If I don't know the answer, I'll bet one of my regular commenters does!

PS. There's still time to enter my MERRY CHRISTMAS BALL CONTEST! Someone will win a $100 gift card on December 1st, just in time for Christmas. Will it be you?

Home Again!

RWA in DC was a great time, but it's grand to be home in Boston! I'm sorry I didn't post while I was there. The Marriott charged $12.95 a day for an internet connection, even for its wifi in the lobby and it was a matter of principle not to pay for something Holiday Inn Express includes for free. (Especially when you consider the ridiculous room rate we were charged by the Marriott! And I talked to a couple authors who paid the $12.95 for a connection but dropped it after one day because it was so spotty.)Anyway, I'll give you the rundown now.

I had countless fangirl moments--rubbing shoulders with the likes of Sherry Thomas, Tessa Dare, Madeline Hunter, Elizabeth Hoyt, Jo Beverley--all my favorites! I'm hoping to have several of them on as blog guests soon.

Meeting my new agent (Natasha Kern) and her assistant Becky was a real treat. Natasha is a real dynamo and I think we'll work well together.

I spent some time with the Lollies (Ladies of Leisure!) CL Wilson, Christie Craig, Jade Lee, Colleen Thompson (who was up for a RITA in a field crowded with all the big names in the romantic suspense genre and she fit right in with them!) Angie Fox, Cindy Holby, Bonnie Vanak, Natale Stenzel, Anna DeStefano, and newcomer Caroline Fyffe. I also had a lovely, tear-inducing chat with Diane Stacy (VP of Direct Sales for Dorchester) about life, love, books and everything in general. She remains one of my favorite people of all those I've met since I first published.

My humor workshop went off well. It really helped that my mom gave me something to start with. I was talking to her before I left and confessed that I was a little worried about giving the workshop because comedy is hard and I've seen humor workshops really fall flat. She said, "Nonsense! You have so much to share. Just go down there and elude confidence!" My workshop attendees thought that was a real hoot, typical motherly advice and a wonderful example of malapropism all at the same time! Thanks, Mom.

A big part of what made my conference special was getting to know my roommate, May Boonpitak. May is from Thailand and we first met a few years ago when MAIDENSONG (my debut Diana Groe title) came out. She'd read it and made a point of finding me at RT to tell me she loved it. She's a delightful person and it was fascinating to learn more about how people live in her country (She thinks Americans are mean to kick their kids out of the house when they reach adulthood. She shares a home with her parents, sister and nephew. No one ever has to live alone.) Anyway, I loved sharing my 'down time' with her.

And now I can't wait to start doing what my agent says is my Prime Directive. WRITE MY FINGERS OFF!

P.S.--Voting is still open for my STROKE OF GENIUS Name a Character Contest. Everyone who votes is entered into a drawing to win a WHOLE BOX OF BOOKS! Please help me name an important character in my current WIP by casting your vote today!

Who's Going to RWA Nationals?

I am, I am! (Hopping up and down and waving my hand over my head!) I leave for DC next Wednesday morning (by way of connecting in Cincinnati--don't ask! I gave up trying to figure airlines out a long time ago.) I'm looking forward to a number of great things.

First there's a booksellers & librarians mixer on Wednesday afternoon (provided I can slog from the airport to the hotel in time.) It's always fun to meet the people who I hope will put my books in the hands of a new reader. Then there's the Literacy Bookfair at 5:30. Thanks to the generosity of our publishers who DONATE the books so RWA gets all the profit for their charity, RWA is able to support literacy projects aimed at women all over the globe. I'll be there along with several hundred of my writer friends, signing and having fun!

At this RWA, I'll meet my new agent for the first time! (Sadly, my previous agent had to close her doors due to health issues.) But I recently signed with the fabulous Natasha Kern! We've had several very productive phone calls and she's already given me many things to think about. I'm looking forward to meeting her and her assistant, Becky in person.

On Friday, I'm giving my first ever RWA Nationals workshop: Neurotica: How Adding Humor Can Jumpstart Your Career like Crazy! (It'll be Friday the 17th, 2-3PM in the Maryland C room in case you're interested!) I've done workshops for RT, PNWA (Pacific Northwest Writers Association), New England Chapter RWA, Iowa Romance Novelists, Eastside RWA in Seattle, and Ozarks Romance Authors. But this is my first time at RWA, so I'm a little nervous about how it will go.

And last, but by no means least, I'm hoping to meet YOU! Please let me know if you'll be going to RWA in DC. I'd love to sit down and have a cup of coffee with you.