The Weekend Writer: How NOT To Personalize A Query Letter

There are countless numbers of articles out in the world on how to do countless numbers of things related to writing. Personally, I have become selective about which ones I read, because there really aren't countless numbers of ways to do things. But How Not To Personalize A Query Letter by Tiffany Hawk did catch my eye because of the NOT in the title.

Essentially what she's saying is don't personalize your letter in an illogical way that's not connected to a professional connection. For instance, sometime in the last year or two I submitted to an agent who has an apple orchard. It was all I could do not to say in my cover letter that I love apple orchards. I hope I didn't say that.

Also, don't do any of these things.

Hawk also has a 6-step strategy for finding literary agents that I think is very good. 

The Weekend Writer: An Agent Virtual Appearance And A Podcast

Are any of you Weekend Writers thinking about submitting to agents? Here are a couple of resources.

I used to be quite the fan of podcasts, listening to them while I binge cooked on weekends. After a while, I found it harder and harder to find podcasts that interested me, and I have the binge cooking thing under control now. Also, I found it difficult to get everything I should out of the podcasts while I was moving from baking center to stove to sink. And just sitting and listening to one? I need a compelling reason.

Well, while doing agent research last week, I discovered that this weekend is WriteonCon, an on-line childlit conference that offers, among other things, speakers doing video presentations. I "attended" WriteonCon in 2012 a few weeks after it was over. This year, by the way, there is a modest fee for attendance, which will allow you access to content either until the beginning of March or March 22, depending on what you pay.

There is also a little free content in the form of showcase events, which were available early. I sat and watched Working With Your Agent with Natascha Morris, who has been with the Bookends Agency nearly three years. There is a little sound problem with the first few minutes of this video, but stick with it. She has a number of interesting things to say, particularly if you are at the working with agent stage. Early on she talks about receiving editing letters from agents and how writers can deal with them. What she describes is exactly how I dealt with editing letters from editors.

Then I stumbled upon a Write the Book: Conversations on Craft podcast with Emily Forland of the Brandt &  Hochman Agency. This is an interview marked by the quality of the interviewer's questions. I realized when I'd nearly finished listening to this thing that I recognized Write the Book. It's a podcast out of Vermont (the Burlington area, I think) that I've listened to a few times back when I listened to podcasts. During this podcast an author was mentioned who I looked up and whose work I want to read, but now I can't remember his name! I don't have time to listen to this again.

Which is one of my problems with podcasts.

However, if you have time to listen to one, Write the Book is very good. And if you have time for an agent video, Natascha Morris's is very worthwhile.

An Agents/Editors/Writers' Day Next Month In Maine

Maine Lakes Resource Center

As of this morning, five spaces were left in the one-day Agents/Editors/Writers' Conference on Saturday, September 10 at the Maine Lakes Resource Center in Belgrade Lakes, Maine. While this is not a SCBWI sponsored event, SCBWI member Cathy McKelway organized it. She has recruited agents you may recognize from SCBWI functions this past year and editors from two New England publishers. Most of the spots she still has open are for YA critiques. However, one is for picture books.

Agents Attending:

Kaylee Davis, Dee Mura Literary
Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary
Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary
Rebecca Podos, Rees Agency

Editors Attending:

Melissa Kim, Islandport Press
Audrey Maynard, Tilbury House Publishers

If You're A Fiction Writer, You Should Be Able To Do This

I just stumbled upon17 Reasons Manuscripts are Rejected last week. I particularly liked No. 1 "The writer uses the phrase ‘fiction novel’" and No. 14 about tone and attitude. "Reid says she gets a lot of queries from writers who don’t like agents, and those writers are often open about their dislike. She suggests not revealing that you dislike agents."

I would love to see some of those queries.

Training Report: Finally got back to work on the 365 Story Project! Well, barely. It's a start, at least.

Evolution? Right In Front Of Me?

I've got to get an agent before they evolve into something else.

Link came by way of the NESCBWI listserv.

I'm Probably Too Witchy For This

So I continue to mull over the possibility of looking for an agent. I've even started doing a little research. I keep running into all kinds of stumbling blocks, though. For instance, yesterday I decided I couldn't approach a particular agency because I didn't like its website. Then I read about an agent who, while working for a publisher, had edited two books I didn't like. I've read that one good way to hunt for agents is to select books you like and see if you can find out who represented the author. I couldn't think of any books I've liked.

I started wondering if maybe I'm not nice enough to have an agent. It really seems to me that in order to find and keep one I'll have to be a lot nicer than I'm accustomed to being and for much longer periods of time.