In response to questions on KIDLIT411 (a Facebook group), I offered a free Zoom meeting today. About nine or ten writers participated and we spent about an hour together.
Getting ready for it–using a list of questions some had–I realized I’d done a live talk on a similar topic for SCBWI Oregon back in 2019. So, I took the PowerPoint from that, did some rearranging, and had a presentation.
My plan had been to record the Zoom meeting. I was almost done talking when I realized, I’d never pushed start record. Arghh. Next time I need a sign that says START RECORD right in front of me!
Since I can’t share the recording as planned, my husband reminded me I could convert the PPT presentation as a pdf. Wise man. Except it was too huge. He suggested we try google slides–it cut off some of my text. So, instead I chose outline view in PPT and copied the text of my slides and answered some extra questions I was asked:
ORGANIZING RESEARCH PROCESS
Keep track of those you are interested in!
- You can do…
- A Word document
- A Word table
- An Excel spreadsheet
- Each tab a different agent (editor) and paste all your info including links
- A pen and paper notebook
What info you may want to keep
- Contact Info
- Name
- Email or link to submission form
- usually forms are through agency—sometimes query manager
- Agency/Publisher
- website
- Personal blog link
- Twitter link
- Where you found them…
- What they want to see, such as …
- Query or cover letter
- Full manuscript, first ten pages, first 50 pages, first chapter
- Synopsis – one page, brief, or …
- Author bio
- Comp titles
- How they want it sent – email (attached or not–usually pasted in) or form (with link)
- Report time – and if no response, or not stated
WHERE TO START RESEARCHING AGENTS (EDITORS)
- My favorites…
- Manuscript Wishlist – https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/
- It’s searchable
- By name
- Category
- Genre
- Keywords
- Helpful Blog – you can subscribe
- It’s searchable
- Kathy Temean’s Writing and Illustrating blog – https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/
- Usually features one agent a month
- First page submission opportunities
- Place to share art, find out about contests, etc.
- You can subscribe!
- Manuscript Wishlist – https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/
- Other sites…
- http://frolickingthroughcyberspace.blogspot.com/p/monster-list-of-picture-book-agents.html
- Note: you can always just put “monster list of picture book agents” in your browser!
- https://www.writersdigest.com/getting-published/find-a-nonfiction-agent/new-agency-alerts OR https://www.writersdigest.com/getting-published/find-a-fiction-agent
- Note: search for “writer’s digest new agent alerts” in browser
- Live events – at least we used to do these!
- Webinars – SCBWI is a good resource
- Regional ones: https://www.scbwi.org/regional-webinars/
- Created by HQ – you MUST be a member and be logged in: https://www.scbwi.org, then click on the three lines in the upper right hand corner, and choose Digital Workshops.
- http://frolickingthroughcyberspace.blogspot.com/p/monster-list-of-picture-book-agents.html
WHEN I FIND AN AGENT (EDITOR) I’M INTERESTED IN…
- I check their agency website
- Twitter – unfortunately, you must have an account – https://twitter.com/
- I also use this to check to see if an agent is up-to-date on queries
- Google – search the internet for interviews/mentions/podcasts
- I read and listen to any of the above I find
- Ask myself questions:
- Are they representing what I want to sell?
- Do I like books they represent or that they say they like?
- Do I recognize any of their clients?
- Does their personality rub me the RIGHT way?
QUERY MANAGER
- Accessible from the agency website or Manuscript Wishlist or Twitter
- Let’s look at an example…
- https://querymanager.com/query/1067 Natascha Morris
- I review what info each agent wants
- PREPARE ALL YOUR INFO READY IN A WORD DOC SO YOU CAN COPY AND PASTE
- When ready click submit
- Make sure you re-enter email on confirmation screen or it doesn’t send
- I copy confirmation URL and paste into my file
- You won’t always receive an email response, but can check via your link
HOW I KEEP TRACK OF SUBMISSIONS
- I use a Word Table in a document per project – e.g. Title Queries
- I include potential agents to submit to
- I prepare my query letter or Query Manager info inside
- I note results
- I note agencies that don’t allow queries to more than one agent
- I use color-coding so I know whom I’m still waiting on
Questions?
- Favorite Podcasts?
- https://www.instituteforwriters.com/podcast/
- https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/blog/ sometimes has podcasts
- Someone else mentioned Jessica Faust and James McGowan at Book Ends Literary
- How much time do you spend writing versus doing writing business?
- It depends on what’s going on in my world. I don’t know how to quantify it either. When I’m burnt out on writing, I might go catch up reading newsletters, research agents, submitting. It varies week to week. I also do the latter when the in box gets too full! 😉
- Is there a list of good agents versus bad? No. It’s too subjective.
- What about Query Tracker? I’ve not used it. Developed my process before it existed.
I hope this is helpful to those who couldn’t attend.
If you’re on twitter, you’ve probably seen the hashtag #MSWL. If you’ve read the SCBWI Insight, you’re aware of it, too. Maybe you’re still wondering though how useful it is. Or maybe you have no idea what I’m talking about. In either case, keep reading.