Tonight, #MSWL and #WDC16 (the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference) bring you a chat on pitching at conferences, how to use #MSWL–and how to find the right agent for you. Have questions about anything to do with publishing, agent compatibility, and giving your manuscript its best possible chance? Follow us on these hashtags tonight at 7 … Read more
by Jessica Reino Although I am a freelance editor with Pandamoon Publishing, which acquires adult fiction in a variety of genres, I am also a kidlit writer. As a writer, I have been in the query trenches and out on submission to publishing houses just like many of you probably are now. Tackling the query … Read more
Ladies and gentlemen, writers and agents, editors + readers: The next #MSWL day will be Thursday, June 30, 11-5 EST. We invite all agents and editors to tweet their wishes–to post links to their updated profiles–and to interact with each other (“Yes! Brilliant idea!” “Yes! Just like this, but with robots!”) on this day. As … Read more
MOLLY: Can you cast your mind back to the dark days of the query trenches and tell me about how you decided which agents to approach? When you thought about the kind of agent you wanted, what skills or experience or other qualities were most important to you? KAT: Ah, the trenches. Those were fun … Read more
by Sierra Godfrey Hello, Sierra here, the designer behind Manuscript Wish List® and one half of Atmosphere Websites (along with Mike Chen). I’m here to talk to you today about the way to present yourself on your website or blog. Present myself? you might be wondering. Well…I put on pants today, anyway. No, I’m referring to … Read more
by Andrea Somberg, Harvey Klinger Inc. I love receiving queries. There is such a wonderful sense of unlimited potential—perhaps this is the next manuscript I’ll fall in love with! Perhaps this will be my next bestseller! Of course, my excitement is somewhat tempered by the fact that I receive a lot of queries, and I can’t … Read more
by Jeanmarie Anaya I’m sure many (if not most) writers have similar career circumstances as me. That is, writing is not what puts bread on our tables. (If you’re lucky enough that it does, fantastic! I hope to be in our position one day! ) Running parallel with my writing career is my day job. … Read more
by KK Hendin, co-founder of #MSWL + #MSWL board member It took nine months to finish the first draft of the book I lovingly call The One That Almost Killed Me. Three months and counting of edits. Which means it’s time to start the process of querying. I have eight stories out in the world … Read more
CAROL: It looked like I was sitting in a coffee shop, but in reality I was deep in the query trenches with my debut contemporary romance COLOR ME CRAZY. It was my second time around with this manuscript. The small press it had been under contract with had recently imploded—luckily before publication—and I couldn’t believe … Read more
by Karmen Cook, The History Press I’d had a whirlwind three months following my graduation from Agnes Scott College. I was the school’s marketing and social media intern at the time, so I was able to live-tweet our graduation exercises! One month after graduation I flew halfway across the country to attend the Denver Publishing … Read more