How to Spend Ten Minutes With An Agent

by Julie Kingsley Have you ever floundered during a pitch session? Panicked at the idea of running into an agent at the snack table? (Quick! What’s the book about? Uhhhhh…) Does the whole idea of talking about your work make you so nervous that your insides quiver and your hands shake? This is normal.  You’ve … Read more

Why iZombie Would Make the Perfect Book

by Kylie Brien, editor at Skyhorse Publishing Sure, it started as a graphic novel, and is sort of . . . maybe . . . technically a book already—but the show has taken on a life of its own. The television series, created by Rob Thomas, has a completely different feel than the graphic novel … Read more

I Never Liked to Read Until Freak Came Along

by Kira Watson, Emma Sweeney Agency I hated reading, because, as my youngest brother so eloquently asked our mother, “Why do we have to read. It’s just words on paper?” Back then thirty minutes with a book was a punishment–cruel and unusual. To make the time pass–and not spend any of it reading–I would count … Read more

How to Handle Rejection

by Caitlin O’Connell We face a lot of rejection in life. As people pursuing creative fields, we face even more. We writers can expect dozens, if not hundreds, of rejections over the course of our careers, from agent rejections to editor rejections to bad reviews. But just because we know to expect them doesn’t mean … Read more

A #MSWL Agent-Author Connection: How We Found Each Other and How You Can Do the Same

by Kristin Rockaway and Jennifer Johnson-Blalock Kristin Rockaway’s debut novel, THE WILD WOMAN’S GUIDE TO TRAVELING THE WORLD, is a smart, sexy, fun work of commercial women’s fiction that will be published by Center Street in June 2017. Kristin first queried Jennifer in June of 2015—here’s how our connection was made. KRISTIN: Before I queried … Read more

The Ideal Client: A Literary Agent’s Wish List

by Mary C. Moore Hopefully you are using this amazingly helpful site to find agents whose tastes align with your writing. And although your writing is by far the most important aspect of your submission, secondary, and almost as important, is how you present yourself as a potential client. Given this site is dedicated to … Read more

Are You Really Ready to Query?

by Elizabeth May, Kensington Books How do you know if you’re ready to begin the querying process? It’s an exciting time for a writer and one that many rush into. So I put together a list of things to consider before you begin the journey that is sending out your novel for consideration. So here … Read more

#MSWL and Taking Risks    

by Colleen Halverson “Have fun,” my husband called after me. “And don’t drink too much!” I snorted and grabbed my keys on the counter before stumbling out the door. A wave of heat blasted in my face, the temperature unseasonably warm for late September in Wisconsin. A line of perspiration beaded on my forehead, and … Read more