The Novel Girls Welcome Agent MICHELLE GRAJKOWSKI!

Please join me in welcoming my amazing, wonderful, and fabulous literary agent Michelle Grajkowski from 3 Seas Literary Agency as our guest today.

From the moment Michelle Grajkowski first opened her doors to the 3 Seas Literary Agency in August of 2000, she has been living her dream. (What could be better than surrounding yourself with great authors and their exciting and imaginative books?)

Since then, she's successfully sold into major publishing houses that include Harlequin, NAL, Berkley, Dorchester, Kensington, Avon, Random House (both here and in the UK), Knopf, Andrews McMeel, Warner, St. Martins, and HarperCollins.

TM: What type of projects are you currently looking for?

MG: Thank you so much for asking me to guest blog today. I’m really happy to be here. :)

3 Seas represents primarily romance, women’s fiction and children’s books. So, anything that falls into those categories is fair game. I love straight contemporary romance, romantic suspense, historicals (especially American set historicals which are VERY hard to place, but I love trying!), paranormal romance and female focused fantasy. On the children’s side, I enjoy young adult and middle grade fiction. I only represent a select few picture books.

One area that I would love to expand in is nonfiction. I love books on women’s issues, parenting, money and business.

OK, so that’s the broad overview. More specifically, what am I looking for? I’m looking for amazing authors who make me feel when I’m reading their projects. Who make me forget that I’m reading. Who draw me so deep into their characters and their settings that I think they are real. When I’m reading a submission, I want to laugh, or cry. I want to be carried away.

In today’s tight market, it’s so important that author’s differentiate themselves from the pack. I love it when I find a project that is so well put together with a high concept angle that I just know will sell. It’s so much fun to market the author and to find the perfect home for their work.

TM: What's selling now?

MG: Paranormals are still hot, hot, hot! But, that being said, for new authors it’s becoming harder to break in. This is where that unique hook, that high concept idea comes into play.

I’ve also recently had editors ask for straight contemporary and historical romances. There has been such a huge market shift where the majority of the submissions received are paranormals. And, while paranormals are selling, this influx has left room for new authors in the contemporary and historical romance subgenres.

Two other segments of the market that continue to grow are female focused fantasy and urban fantasy.

And, middle grade and YA books are still hot!!

TM: In your opinion, has the current economic climate impacted sales?

MG: Right now, I think we’re in a good news/bad news phase of publishing. Let me explain…

One thing that I’ve heard through the grapevine is that initial orders (from the booksellers) have dropped slightly from the years past, but that after the initial conservative buys, the reorders are coming in and in the long run the sales numbers are balancing out. Until we see statements that cover the past year, though, it’s hard to get a good, clear picture.

And just last week, there have been lots of discussions on the distribution system. One distributor is having some major cash flow issues which could dramatically affect the distribution of books into primary markets. I’m hopeful, though, that the distributor will be able to iron everything out internally, or that another buyer will step in to help smooth over this process. As an agent, though, I’m in constant contact with the publishers to find out how this news is affecting our bottom lines.

And, even though the above two statements sound like potential doom-and-gloom scenarios, there are a few silver linings. For example, throughout history, during a recession, the publishing industry usually stays pretty stable. The reason? Books are cheap entertainment. Rather than spending $80+ to go see your favorite performer, for example, you can spend $7.99 to read your favorite author.

Also, because of the distribution issues, publishers are really focusing on new ways to capitalize in this tight market. And, what better way than to revamp how books reach their readers? This Christmas, one of the hottest gifts of the year was the Amazon Kindle, and Apple is doing all they can to keep up with the e-book market. Publishers are recognizing that our readers are changing. As technology continues to explode and becomes even more at our fingertips, for many readers, heading to the bookstore may become a thing of the past. Look at the record industry, for example. With ipods and MP3 players, the majority of the music purchases are done online with instant access to the music purchased. And, with teens being the major consumers in this market, chances are high that they will look for their book purchases the same way.

As with every successful industry, the key to growth is adaptation and change. And, the best news? The publishing industry appears to be doing just that. So, even though there are a few bumps in the road, I have a good feeling that publishing will continue to grow throughout these hard economic times.

TM: What is your favorite part about being an agent?

MG: Can I only have one???

I love, love, love agenting. It truly is my dream career, and I can’t imagine ever doing anything else. I love working with my authors, helping them develop their projects, celebrating their successes, selling their books, handling their business affairs. I love going to conferences and meeting with my clients and my editor friends. I love making trips into New York and eating my way through. I love going to RT and to Nationals, running around like a crazy person in between meetings and dancing my way through the publisher parties. I love finding new talent and making their first sales. I love reading, editing and critiquing. I love balancing and tracking royalty statements. I love that every day is different, and my to do list never quite turns out to be what I’m doing because little fires appear that I have to fix. I love problem solving and career planning. I love being there for my clients. I love that they are so much more than “clients” to me, I love that they are my friends. Man, I just love this job.

TM: What catches your attention in a query letter or sample pages?

MG: The most important thing you can include in your query letter is your hook. You need to figure out what makes your project special, what makes it different. What the high concept is behind your idea. And, then you need to lay that out for the agent in your query. We literally receive hundreds of queries every week. So, it’s crucial to make your story stand out.

In your sample chapters, polish them until they shine. Make sure every single word counts. Every word should move your story forward. Try to eliminate unnecessary backstory and characters in the opening chapters. Less is often more!! Finally, be sure that your dialogue is natural and unforced. And, avoid conversation. Remember, dialogue moves your story forward. Conversation is just idle chit chat. One last piece of advice -- your voice is everything.

TM: What are some of your favorite books?

MG: Any book by one of my clients!!!

But, all those withstanding. I love the classics like GONE WITH THE WIND And, in high school I was obsessed with I’LL TAKE MANHATTAN by Judith Krantz. Anything by Judith Krantz or Jude Deveraux works for me!! Also, I just read the SIZE 12 IS NOT FAT series by Meg Cabot. Awesome, awesome stuff! For an escape, I love to read anything YA. It keeps me young, and is so much fun!!

Thank you for dropping by and visiting us today, Michelle! I’m so proud to be one of your clients!

The Novel Girls Welcome Agent Holly Root!

Hey everyone!

Please join me in welcoming literary agent Holly Root of the Waxman Literary Agency! She's not only my agent, but fellow Novel Girl Lisa Patton's agent, too. And she's uber fabulous!

Holly began her publishing career as an editor in Nashville, TN before coming to New York and joining the William Morris Agency’s agent trainee program. She then moved to Trident Media Group, where she sold audio rights for the agency’s clients, including a number of New York Times bestselling authors, before joining The Waxman Literary Agency to represent her own list of authors.

ML: What are you currently looking for?

HR: Right now I have the most room on my list for YA, and narrative nonfiction. I'm always sniffing for a high-concept mystery. I would love to take on more big commercial women's fiction but I am having to be super, super picky about it too--must have a high concept that feels fresh and great writing; I have to say no to a lot of "lovely but quiet" projects because they're just tough to place.

ML:What's selling well now?

HR: YA & romance remain strong, nonfiction's perennial...Moreso than any one area that's "working," really, it is so much about having an incredibly clear, strong hook. Make it easy for the editors, the sales force, and the marketing team to all say "We know exactly what this book is and how to sell it."

ML: What's your favorite part about being an agent?

HR: Working with my clients. I am so lucky to work with authors who are just fabulous. Getting to read their work and make good things happen for them and then see that manuscript I loved in final book form on the shelves in the store--can't be beat. Although calling someone with good news (an offer, a marketing coup, etc.) ranks pretty high too, but part & parcel with "working with authors," so I'm still on point, right?

ML:What catches your attention in a query letter or sample pages?

HR: Voice and concept--when they're both there and both working, my Spidey-sense just goes off.

ML: What are some of your favorite books?

HR: Counting out my own authors, I'll read anything Scott Westerfeld writes, ditto for Marian Keyes. I, like everyone else alive, adored THE HUNGER GAMES. Over Christmas I picked up a YA novel called ARTICHOKE'S HEART by Suzanne Supplee, which is set about two towns over from where I grew up and was really lovely, and CHEER by Kate Torgovnick, which is a great nonfiction book that follows three competitive college cheer squads through one season--I highly recommend both!

Thanks so much for stopping by, Holly!

Quick and Relatively Painless

The truth is...I actually got an agent fairly quickly. The only problem was that my first agent and I didn't really mesh, and I unfortunately had to move on within a year of signing with her. Authors of children's lit don't typically go the agent route the first time around. Children's book publishers, unlike their adult counterparts, are more open to direct contact by writers and are willing to look at newbies. This was a great starting point for me. Once I had my book placed with a publisher, getting an agent was relatively easy. I originally submitted to five agents and three responded favorably. After careful consideration I picked the one I thought would be the best and signed with her. At the beginning she was great. She was attentive and prompt in all of our conversations and seemed fantastic, but over time she got harder to contact and wouldn't respond to my inquiries. It would take her many, many months to read new works. She just seemed to lack the polish that I was looking for. The hardest thing for me in deciding to drop her as an agent, was that I liked her, but in the end it came down to my career and where I wanted it to go and I was simply not satisfied.

After I notified her of my decision (she took it quite well,) I decided to look a little closer to home for my next agent. Though I loved the idea of having a New York agent (which my first agent was,) I decided that it might be better to get a Canadian agent that knows where I'm coming from and knows what I'm talking about when I mention things like "touque" and "a double double." So I contacted a very reputable agency and immediately got signed with the wonderful and very patient Lise Henderson. She is a great agent and does her best to meet the needs of all her writers. Aside from the business end of things, she is just plain nice...and that never hurts! So if you are looking for an agent here are few of my own personal tips in getting the right one.

1. Make sure you submit to the agent that is representing you kind of writing.

2. Do not send out blanket submissions. Personalize your cover letter and introduction and know something about the agency you are sending to.

3. When you make contact with an agent, tell them EXACTLY what you are looking for as a writer. Do you like them to keep their distance and only contact you when you contact them? Do you need to be prodded along? Do you need them to set deadlines for you? Let them know what you are looking for...afterall they are working for you.

4. DO NOT agree to pay for READING FEES. No reputable agency will ever charge you to read your manuscript.

5. If things don't work out with your agent don't feel obligated to stay. It's important that you find someone you are comfortable with and someone you can trust. Do though, make sure and read the fine print on your contract to find out what steps you need to go through before you can break the contract.

6. Look at the agent's client list and recent sales. Though you wouldn't think it, it can actually tell you a lot about them.

7. Remember that an agent with many, many clients will not always be able to give you the personal attention you would like. If you want someone who is going to know that your cat's name if Fluffy, then consider going with an agent with a short list of clients.

Very nearly a cautionary tale...

You know that Simpson's episode where Bart is reading a scouting manual titled "Don't Do What Donny Don't Does"? Heh. Substitute 'Lesley' for 'Donny Don't'.

First of all, don't take over a decade to write your first book.

Second, don't wait for a single, pretty obviously unmotivated, agent to read said book for almost a year without querying other agents.

Third, don't wait to start writing another book while you're waiting for agent responses.

Fourth... aw hell. I could go on and on about the pain and horror that was my first bout on the query-go-round. Suffice to say: not fun. I did pretty much everything wrong. Don't do that.

DO, however, listen to your boyfriend (or other relevant influential person in your life) when - on the occasion of sitting patiently while you whine for the umpteenth time about how 'no one wants to rep your precious baby' he finally snaps and says "Would ya shut up already and write another book?" (Or - y'know - loving words to that effect...)

DO write that other book (maybe don't make it - y'know - 7,000 pages in a down-market genre this time).

DO research appropriate agents and DO query widely.

Perhaps DON'T start said 'querying widely' until you've actually FINISHED writing the dang book. Which is what I did. Hence the 'very nearly cautionary tale'...

See, my past experience had indicated to me that agents were predisposed to take FOREVER to get back to querying writers. I figured - enh, send out a couple of queries now! You'll have weeks to finish up those... LAST. FOUR. CHAPTERS. Weeks, I tells ya!

Let's be clear on this point: I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS METHOD.

Because, of course, I had neglected to take into consideration the decrease in response time with a lot of agents who had moved to accepting e-queries. Yup - I'm an idiot. Im a LUCKY idiot. Because when, after receiving my (admittedly kickin') query, the MARVELOUS Jessica Regel at JVNLA responded only a day or two later with a gleaming 'please send the entire manuscript' (not 'please send the first 50 pages' - which is what I was counting on...) she didn't, at least, ask me to email them.

So. I responded with a hearty "absolutely! heck ya! I'll get that in the mail by the end of the week!" and then I panicked and didn't sleep very much for the next six or seven days. 'The end of the week' turned into 'the beginning of next week' as, baggy-eyed, quivering and wan, I trundled my MS to the post office, figuring that I'd pretty much blown my big chance with an agent I really really really wanted.

When Jessica called a week later to offer representation, I spent most of the conversation too preoccupied thanking my lucky stars to hear much of what she said. Although I WAS paying enough attention to know that she was awesome. The agent for me. The agent for my career. Smart, supportive, savvy, gets me, gets my writing...

And she came fully equipped with a sense of humor, thankfully.

I finally got around to mentioning my - heh - questionable querying methods to her last time I was in NYC (because Harper Collins was interviewing me for their website about the books Jessica sold them - not even the same one I queried her with but that's another story, entirely...). When I sheepishly finished my tale, she just looked at me and laughed. With me. Not at me. That's how awesome my agent is.

How to Acquire Enough Rejections to Wallpaper Your Kitchen (Or My Four-Year Quest for an Agent)

I first started looking for an agent back in 2002. Fresh out of grad school, armed with my new MFA and a shiny bound copy of the novel that was my MFA thesis, I didn’t think that finding an agent would be that hard. (I was wrong, of course!)

I bought the book, Guide to Literary Agents, made a list of about 50 agents and set out querying them over the course of the next year. In response, I received requests for some partial manuscripts and a few full manuscripts, but mostly I got form rejection letters. Of the few agents reading the full manuscript, three or four wrote back personal responses that all basically said the same thing: they loved my writing, but the book was too slow and was never going to sell. I was upset and frustrated, but the little voice inside my head also told me that maybe they were right.

At around the same time, I also lost my job as an adjunct professor due to budget cuts. It was too late in the year to look for another teaching job, so I decided, for a few months, to devote all my time and energy to writing a new novel. Two months later I had the first draft of what would eventually become The September Sisters.

I revised the book for a few more months, honed my query letter, and then I sent it to about 20 agents. Many of them requested to see at least part of the manuscript. One agent even e-mailed me while she was reading to tell me how much she loved the book. But a few weeks later, she e-mailed me again to let me know that she just wasn’t sure she could sell the book, and thus, did not offer to represent me. She was kind enough to offer some suggestions for revisions, as was one other agent who also rejected the full manuscript.

But I was frustrated, ready to give up, and for a while – nearly two years -- I did. I had a baby. I became lost in that world of caring for a newborn, devoid of sleep and adult conversation. I got another teaching job. I got my real estate license.

Then, in the summer of 2006, my husband asked if he could read a draft of my book. He’d never made it through an entire draft of my first novel, but this one he read quickly and insisted upon the fact that it was good. He started bugging me about looking for agents again. He even went through my Guide to Literary Agents and put together a new list of agents he thought I could send to. I reluctantly took out the draft, read through it again, and with fresh eyes, was able to make some revisions. And I decided that I would give finding an agent one more shot.

In the fall of 2006, I sent out around 20 more queries. Several agents requested a full manuscript. Two very nice agents even called me to tell me that they loved the book, but they didn’t offer to represent me. They offered to read the book again if I made some changes, but their suggestions were both different, and I wasn’t sure if they really reflected what I wanted for the book. I decided to query a few more agents that I’d heard good things about and then decide.

This is when I queried The Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. I came across their listing on the AgentQuery website, and I remembered that a professor of mine in grad school had told me they were a great agency. I e-mailed an agent there, and a few days later, she requested a few chapters. A few days after that, a different agent at the agency, Jessica Regel, wrote back to me. She said my material had been passed on to her, and she wanted to read the full manuscript. I sent that off, and within a week, Jessica offered to represent me. That first time I talked to her, I knew that she understood my book and me perfectly. And I was absolutely thrilled to accept her offer of representation.

Jessica’s belief in me and my work truly continues to awe me. And not only is she a fabulous agent, but also a lovely, patient, kind, and brilliant person.

So here’s to sticking with it, no matter how much rejection you get (and to the people who love us, who refuse to let us give up on ourselves!)

Jillian

Never Give Up

“I love it!”

The words I’d been dreaming of for years – and years. Time and again I’d fantasize about how it would happen. Then one Thursday night – somewhere around midnight – I got home from having drinks with a few friends from a screenwriting class, opened my computer and OH MY GOSH, there it was in my in-box. Holly Root from the Waxman Literary Agency wanted to be my agent!

The road to Holly was by no means smooth. Rugged is more like it and now that I think about it I might even call it treacherous. Especially when I consider the bumps and bruises to my poor heart. It’s very difficult to have someone reject your baby - after all it’s an extension of you – and when the rejections start piling in one can’t help but to backslide into thinking “my writing isn’t good enough.”

The types of rejections were varied. Some were flat out mean - “Sorry, not my type.” Others were sort of mean – “I didn’t fall in love with the characters.” Still others were what I call positive rejections - “Great story, you have talent but I’m afraid I have to pass.” The latter is just a very nice way of saying - “You didn’t make the cut.” If the agent really thought that I was all that great she would have signed me.

But take heart.

Persistence and a belief in oneself will pay off in the end. Never give up. I'll say it once more because I know what I'm talking about - never, ever give up. I'm living proof! I saved all my rejection letters. I don’t know why, really. Maybe I hoped deep down that I would become one of those Dr. Seuss stories. He got rejected something like 85 times. There’s a great book called The Writer’s Book of Hope that outlines the bumpy road to publication of almost every well-known writer, including Stephen King and John Grisham. If you’re hope is waning, please order it now and keep the faith!

Personally, Agent Query (www.agentquery.com) worked very well for me. I could type in my genre and all the agents representing Women’s Fiction would pop up. Then, like Maureen, I made a spreadsheet to track my partials, fulls and the many, many rejections. In the end I ended up with more than one offer of representation and that certainly helped to rebuild my confidence. But Holly Root was the clear choice for me and I’m so happy that she is the champion on my side of the court. Like she did for Maureen, Holly submitted my book over a period of 7 months or so and never gave up until she made the sale. I remember a particularly funny email she sent that said something like “Someone is going to buy this book out of sheer fear at the sight of me with the top of my head in flames!!!!!!!!!” I love her sense of humor.

It’s easy to look back now at all the rejections and laugh. But there is nothing funny about it at all when your every waking moment is spent weary from wanting, waiting - and waiting even more.

See you next Wednesday!
Lisa

Much Agent Love

I started my agent search in April of 2007. And much like all other writers, I was…terrified of screwing up. I’d heard all of the “Must Do,” “Never Do,” and “You’re An Idiot If You…” via Miss Snark (R.I.P.) Although much of it was common sense, I was still deathly afraid of making a small mistake since, in my mind, something as small as having the wrong date on a query letter meant instant rejection.

But, I put on my big-girl panties and forged ahead. I made a spreadsheet of close to 100 agents and started going down the list. Within my first batch of 25, I got 3 partials requested. Immediately, visions of a quick sale for multiple six-figures danced in head. (Yes, I know. Ha ha.)

And, of those 3 partials? All were turned down.

So, I cried. I threw things. I wished I could drink gallons of wine in my very pregnant state.

But, I gave it a few days and went back and re-read the emails. And buried in-between the “liked it but didn’t love it” and “going to have to pass” were some great suggestions. Suggestions that rang true the second I read them.

So, I made the changes and sent out another batch in May, and got another handful of partial/full requests. One of the agents I queried was Holly Root of Waxman Literary. Immediately after sending my query, she asked to see a partial. But, her email back to me was…different. It made me laugh. I was all, “Whoa! I didn’t know agents had a sense of humor!” :)

Then, two days later, a full request and a week later, an offer.

The second that 212 number popped up on my phone, I started flipping out. As I let it go to voicemail, I scrambled to compile a list of questions to ask her. But, of course, when I finally spoke to her, she was so charming and engaging on the phone that I don’t think I asked her any of those questions and most likely promised my first-born child to her.

And I knew I’d made the right choice when, a few months later, my book had gotten REALLY REALLY (Seriously, REALLY) close to selling but didn’t. And she stuck with me, with my book, and kept submitting until we got a “Yes! I loved it!” a full seven months after I signed with her.

So, yeah. Whenever I hear someone say they “don’t see the value in an agent,” I would like to transport them back in time and show them myself at this time last year, sleep-deprived with a newborn and praying my book would sell, reading Holly’s encouraging emails and keeping the faith.

Finding the RIGHT Agent

My agent call story is a little different than the other girls here at The Novel Girls (at least, I’m assuming), because I had an offer for my book from my publisher before I had an agent. I’d begun my agent search right after A Taste of Magic was complete, and because I’m an Internet junkie, I did a lot of research. A lot.

I read agent blogs. I looked up information about agents. I read authors blogs to see what they said about their agents. I talked to my writer friends about their agents. And then I researched some more. So I figured I had it all together. I began sending out queries, and received many requests for partials, some for fulls, and of course, plenty of rejections.

The rejection pile grew bigger pretty fast, because while I received lots of compliments on my writing, the story didn’t seem big enough, marketable enough, to many of the agents who’d read the material. Others didn’t like the first person perspective, and others thought the story too light for their tastes. And of course, in the mix of all the great personal rejections were the form rejection that really didn’t tell me anything.

So, at the same time this was happening, I attended a conference and pitched my book to Senior Editor Chris Keeslar from Dorchester Publishing. I’m not that great at pitches, so I’m still not sure what he heard that intrigued him, but he did ask for the partial. But, I didn’t send it in right away, because—well, I was looking for an agent.

A few months passed, along with more requests and more rejections. I didn’t get that depressed about the rejections until one in particular came in, and this specific one hit me hard.

The agent wrote me a letter that was more about what she loved about the book and less about why it was being rejected. It made me wonder if good writing wasn’t enough. If good storytelling wasn’t enough. It made me doubt my talent and my story.

Now understand, this wasn’t the agent’s fault—or the rejection itself—it was a combination of reading the same type of comments over and over. It’s one thing when you’re told the story needs this, or it needs that, but what I was hearing was “This is great! I love your writing! You’re superb at characterization! But I don’t think it will sell in today’s market, so I have to pass.”

Then, I received a phone call from the contest coordinator of a contest I’d entered. A Taste of Magic was a finalist in their contest, and the scene I finaled with was being sent to—Chris Keeslar at Dorchester Publishing. Yep, the very same editor who’d requested the partial I’d yet to send in. So I sent it in. Pretty much right away! No one ever said I wasn’t smart, lol.

There were still several agents who had my material I hadn’t heard back from, and one of them in particular I was really jazzed about. I’d submitted to her before, and had always received rejections back, but this story was different than anything I’d written before—so I hoped, and hoped, and hoped she’d want to take me on.

In addition, there was another agent who I’d never submitted to before, but had heard great things about, and I was also pretty hopeful about her. She has a blog, which I read often, and I liked what she had to say. So I kept my fingers crossed.

About two weeks after I mailed in the partial to Dorchester, they sent me a letter asking me for the full manuscript. I was on cloud nine! But then, you know, time passed (a lot of time) and I quit hearing from anyone. Agents still had my work, Chris still had the full, and I was busy working on another book.

Fast forward many months and on May 1, 2008, Chris called me. He wanted to buy my book. I was amazed, excited, in disbelief, and pretty much mumbled like an idiot. Luckily, he took my mumblings in stride, and we agreed I’d get back to him in a few days, after I contacted the agents who still had the book under submission.

Long story short (I know, too late!), I ended up with two offers of representation from two smart, savvy, and reputable agents. My choice was to accept the offer from Michelle Grajkowski at Three Seas Literary, and I haven’t looked back once. Our partnership has been terrific so far, and I know it will only get better.

And I learned that while the research I did was smart, because I learned a lot, what it came down to—for me—was trusting my instincts. In doing so, I ended up with the right agent for me. And I couldn’t be happier!

Now, for a little humor, check out this video my fellow Dorchester author, Christie Craig, put together with her friends and a few agents. It’s awesome!