Query.Sign.Submit. with Lauren MacLeod

Lauren McCleod

Lauren represents middle grade and young adult fiction. She responds to all queries, but in case of overload, after about eight weeks it can be considered a no. There will be an auto response on your submission.

To connect with and learn more about Lauren . . .

The Strothman Agency
Twitter

literary agent and author  Now for Lauren’s insight on querying, signing with an agent, and going on submission!

QUERY

What WOWs you in a query?

Voice! Check out the query I got from Hélène Boudreau for REAL MERMAIDS DON’T WEAR TOE RINGS (available here) It has such an amazing voice.

I am also impressed with writers who have really good comparable books and/or super interesting “Think X meets Y”s. It shows the writer is also a reader, which I find very important.

Do you always read a query all the way through? If not, what would make you stop reading?

Nope. A lot of queries we get I can stop after the first few words—we don’t really do adult fiction anymore, and I don’t do picture or chapter books, so the moment I see that I can easily decline. I read more of query letters for genres we represent, but I stop and either decline or just skim if it loses my interest/seems cliché/the writing is weak/the word count is insane etc. If I didn’t, it would take more time than I have and I wouldn’t be able to be open to queries all the time. But thoughtful, voice-y well-written queries in my genres? Yes, I read every word and the sample pages, too.

How do you tackle your inbox? Do you go in order or jump around?

I try and do it once a week or every two weeks, because if I ignore it for longer not only does the sense of guilt start to gnaw at me, but it becomes an overwhelming monster of a task. We have a separate email for submissions, so it doesn’t get mixed up in my regular agency correspondence.

I start at the bottom of the inbox (oldest first!) and work my way up. I personally read every query, but out of the 150 or so emails I get a week I probably only have the urge to continue on to reading the sample pages of about 10ish queries. I usually only request one or two. I set the request bar higher when I’m super busy (for some reason it always works out that my clients all tend to send me mss around the same time) and lower when things slow down.

What does it take for you to offer representation?

It has to make me feel something. Sometimes I read things that are good—that I know are good—but if it didn’t make me laugh, or cry, or completely sweep me up in the story or linger in my mind after I’ve read it, I don’t take it on. I have to be incredibly selective because I devote so much time to my clients and their manuscripts, so I only take on something if I feel something for it.

I know it sounds like we agents aren’t listening to ourselves when we talk about how publishing is a business and then, in the same breath, talk about how we are looking for love in our slushpile, but when we take something on we are doing complex calculations based both on marketability/mss earning potential/time spent AND a “will I want to jump off a bridge if I have to read this ten times?” Which is why we look for love. Reading and giving notes on the same thing a dozen times is made immeasurably easier by also enjoying it/connecting with it on a personal level. (The best part of being an agent, as opposed to an editor, is you only have to do the books you want to do.)

SIGN

What is it like waiting to hear back from a writer you’ve offered representation?

Oh it is the worst! By the time I’ve offered representation, I’ve fallen totally in love with the manuscript and started thinking about what notes I will give and planning exactly how I’m going to pitch it and which editor is going to be lucky enough to see it. And then I have to wait a week hoping no other agents have the time to read my wonderful manuscript and compete with me.

Plus when agents turn down writers it is almost never personal—it is about the market and those complex calculations I mentioned before. But when a writer picks another agent? It is because they liked another agent more! It is devastating.

How editorial are you?

I would say I’m very editorial. I usually discuss my big picture notes with a potential client when I offer representation and then, once they have signed I will almost always read the manuscript again and give them a written editorial letter of Big stuff. After they revised I usually do a smaller line edit after that, before this goes to the publisher. Sometimes we will do another revision after we hear from a few editors. And a lot of my clients send me sold manuscripts (especially contracted second books) before the editor so I can give them a few light notes before they turn it in. I also get a lot of first halves/thirds of books from clients who want to make sure they are on the right track.

At what point would a client share new story ideas with you?

This totally depends on the client. Sometimes for their next book they will share a list of several ideas and we will talk about which makes the most sense as a next step before they even write a word. Sometimes I get asked to weigh in on first chunks. And sometimes a brand new finished manuscript I’ve only got a vague idea about will land in my inbox.

I love brainstorming with my clients because it is fun and they are all so freaking smart and creative, but they all know what they are doing and I’m happy to come into the process wherever they see fit.

SUBMIT

Do you forward editor feedback to writers?

I do, unless the client begs me not to! I give them a list of everyone who has been pitched/submitted to as the manuscript goes out and I let them know in real time as we get feedback/declines. The only thing I might keep under my hat is if an editor mentions being interested but wants to share the manuscript with a few colleagues before he or she decides to take it to an editorial meeting. I try not to get hopes too high too soon.

What do you suggest a writer does while out on submission?

Not think about being on submission! Hopefully my clients will take the opportunity to start a brand new project that they can get really excited about and pour all their energies into. The worst thing they can do is sit at home and worry about being on submission and try and “decode” any declines (or random tweets!) from editors, but if we are being honest I suspect probably 95% of all writers do at least a tiny bit of that. [I mean, I totally would! I’d also probably read every single bad goodreads review and take it personally. Which is why I am on my side of the desk—being a writer is so incredibly hard. I’m pretty sure I’d end up in the fetal position curled around a chocolate cake and a bottle of bourbon after my first week in my client’s shoes.]

But in a perfect world? A client would close the door on Book One (or Book Three, or Seventeen) while we are on submission and start a new one to give his or her all.

Is it okay for a client to check in if there hasn’t been any news in a while?

I am always happy to hear from my clients for any reason! I’d like to think I keep them pretty updated, and if there isn’t any news it is probably because there isn’t any news (publishing is SLOOOOOOW) but I am always happy to help subdue any fears. Plus I always like to hear what they are up to and about any books they have read or new ideas they might have had. I want (hope!) all my clients feel comfortable enough with me that they’d get in touch with me whenever they need to for whatever reason.

Thanks, Lauren!

See other Query. Sign. Submit. interviews
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Find out about agent-judged contests

Posted June 2014– Always check for current info and guidelines.

The Margin Project

School’s out and we cabookplateme up with a fun (and social) way to jump-start your kids’ summer reading- plus a special ARC giveaway (advanced reader copy) to get you started! It’s called The Margin Project and this is how it works:

First, print the bookplate to the left (a simple copy and paste into Word will work or “save as” and open it up in a photo editing program). Next, paste it to the inside cover of the book of your choice (scroll down to enter to win the books of our choice!) This designates the book as part of the project and means that any reader thereafter can doodle or write (clean!) notes in the margins as he or she reads. That part is a thrill in and of itself because we’re talking serious taboo behavior here.


But it gets better. Because now that first reader is photo 1going to pass it along to a friend who is ALSO going to add notes, in a different color pen (and probably giggle over the first reader’s notes) And on it goes. By the end, you might end up with something that looks like this ------>

 









To get you started, we’re giving away the following books (one each to four lucky winners!) Enter the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win. :)

photo

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About the Author :

Jen Malone is a middle grade and young adult author jenwho spent a year traveling the world solo (favorite spot: Nepal), met her husband on the highway, and went into labor on Stevie Nick's tour bus. She's repped by the fantabulous Holly Root at The Waxman Leavell Literary Agency and her debut AT YOUR SERVICE publishes with Simon & Schuster/Aladdin MIx in August 2014. 

Connect with Jen . . .
Website ~ Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

Teen Speak - Fandom

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Welcome to the world of Tumblr. In this magical (and downright crazy) place, fandoms exist. The most prominent in my experience have been Whovians, Sherlockians, Cumberbitches, Potterheads, Twihards, and Beliebers. (Though I’ve more likely than not missed a few popular ones. For example, I’m unaware of an overall fandom name for the Supernatural fandom, sadly.)

But fandoms are a huge entity, creating fan fiction and alternate universes (AUs, for future reference) and ships. I recently had to write a paper for my mythology class about cults in the new, modern world, and while researching fandoms, I found this pretty useful site: http://www.ainself.net/irony/get_medieval/fandomvocab.htm

Used in a sentence: “The Supernatural fandom teamed up with the Whovians and Sherlockians to take down the Beliebers.” (And they really did, believe it or not. There was a whole debacle after Jared Padelcki of Supernatural tweeted something about Justin Bieber. Go here to read more about it.)

I will have more posts about fandom speak, don’t you worry. If you have any specific words you want me to clarify, though, let me know in the comments!

About the Author :

Kate Kate Bucklein is a clumsy, nineteen-year-old writer of YA epic fantasy living in Northern Arizona, where they really do get snow and the occasional tumbleweed. She's a college sophomore working toward getting her degree in Global Affairs with an emphasis on Intelligence Analysis.

Connect with Kate:@KateBucklein

Cover Reveal (And Giveaway!)for Vicki Leigh’s CATCH ME WHEN I FALL



It’s cover reveal day for Vicki Leigh’s CATCH ME WHEN I FALL! Lots of awesome stuff going on, including a giveaway! But first, here's a special message from Vicki:




And here's what CATCH ME WHEN I FALL is all about:

Recruited at his death to be a Protector of the Night, seventeen-year-old Daniel Graham has spent two-hundred years fighting Nightmares and guarding humans from the clawed, red-eyed creatures that feed off people’s fears. Each night, he risks his eternal life, having given up his chance at an afterlife when he chose to become a Protector. That doesn’t stop a burnt-out Daniel from risking daring maneuvers during each battle. He’s become one of the best, but he wants nothing more than to stop.

Then he’s given an assignment to watch over sixteen-year-old Kayla Bartlett, a clinically depressed patient in a psychiatric ward. Nightmares love a human with a tortured past. Yet, when they take a deep interest in her, appearing in unprecedented numbers, the job becomes more dangerous than any Daniel’s ever experienced. He fights ruthlessly to keep the Nightmares from overwhelming his team and Kayla. Soon, Daniel finds himself watching over Kayla during the day, drawn to why she’s different, and what it is about her that attracts the Nightmares. And him.

A vicious attack on Kayla forces Daniel to break the first Law and reveal his identity. Driven by his growing feelings for her, he whisks her away to Rome where others like him can keep her safe. Under their roof, the Protectors discover what Kayla is and why someone who can manipulate Nightmares has her in his sights. But before they can make a move, the Protectors are betrayed and Kayla is kidnapped. Daniel will stop at nothing to save her. Even if it means giving up his immortality.

CATCH ME WHEN I FALL will be available on October 23, 2014 in both paperback and e-book formats from Curiosity Quills Press. For more information, visit the book’s Goodreads page.

Now, there can’t be a cover reveal without a giveaway, right? Lots of authors stopped by and donated some fantastic books to help Vicki celebrate. You don’t want to miss out on these! Here’s what you can win:

  • An e-copy of CATCH ME WHEN I FALL by Vicki Leigh
  • A submission package critique (query+synopsis+first chap) from Vicki Leigh
  • An e-copy of HEIRS OF WAR by Mara Valderran
  • Two query+first chapter critiques from YA author Emily Stanford
  • A full manuscript critique from YA author Emily Stanford
  • An e-copy of WITHOUT BLOODSHED by Matthew Graybosch
  • A paperback of DESTRUCTION by Sharon Bayliss
  • An e-copy of KIYA: HOPE OF THE PHARAOH by Katie Teller
  • One query+first chapter critique from YA author Katie Teller
  • An e-copy of DARKNESS WATCHING by Emma Adams
  • A copy of DESCENDANT by Nichole Giles
  • An e-copy package of EVER and EVADE by Jessa Russo
  • A signed copy of DIVIDE by Jessa Russo
  • A copy of UNHINGED by A.G. Howard

Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win! All prizes will be accompanied by a Dreamcatcher swag package from Vicki Leigh.

Thanks for stopping by!

About Vicki:

Adopted at three-days-old by a construction worker and a stay-at-home mom, Vicki Leigh grew up in a small suburb of Akron, Ohio where she learned to read by the age of four and considered being sent to her room for punishment as an opportunity to dive into another book. By the sixth grade, Vicki penned her first, full-length screenplay. If she couldn’t be a writer, Vicki would be a Hunter (think Dean and Sam Winchester) or a Jedi. Her favorite place on earth is Hogwarts (she refuses to believe it doesn’t exist), and her favorite dreams include solving cases alongside Sherlock Holmes.

Vicki is an editor for Curiosity Quills Press, a co-founder of The Writer Diaries, and is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

You can find Vicki at her website and blog and on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube, and Goodreads.


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