This episode was recorded live in front of our Facebook group. Join for free events, support, community and more: https://manuscriptacademy.com/facebook We talk with Em about her time in subrights, focusing on co-editions (and what that means), how predictions about ebooks were far from accurate, and what we should do about New Adult (and the very idea genre in a world with digital shelves). We also discuss new developments in science fiction (and the type she’s looking for now), D&D, video ...
Nov 24, 2020•41 min
We loved recording this episode. Amyra touches on the very most vital parts of creativity—and still manages, even after all her success as an artist, musician, activist, and more--to have the perfect advice for beginning writers on what matters most. She talks about how to value your work—even when you don’t have a lot of spare time; how to communicate with your team (whether friends, agents, editors, or otherwise) to get what you need to support your art—and why, with creative projects, you sho...
Nov 13, 2020•44 min
Hey Everyone! We know there’s a lot going on in the world this week, and we hope you’re doing well. We’re doing our best to create a kind, cozy community for you, so have support going into these winter months. Here’s what’s happening this month: Tuesday, November 10, we have a live queries and pages panel with agent Kiana Nguyen at the Donald Maass Literary Agency. If you haven’t met her, she’s delightful, and has wonderful insights into your pages. You can learn more at https://manuscriptacade...
Nov 08, 2020•2 min
We are so happy to join Kelly Thomas, agent at Serendipity Literary, to talk about what happens on the agent side of the desk—how agents get hired, how much determination is involved, and what it’s like to enter the industry at 40. Plus, as a writer herself, Kelly has extra insight into what goes through agents' minds when writing rejections--and how that affects her process now. We also talk about: 9:07 How job application advice also applies to queries 10:06 How Kelly writes her rejections 12:...
Nov 07, 2020•42 min
We are so happy to join Megan Barnard on a journey through her inbox. Listen as she describes ten real queries, her thoughts on each one, and what they mean for you in your querying process. Plus, hear about her tips, how she got into agenting, and her best practices for getting an agent's attention. Megan joined The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency as an Associate Literary Agent in 2020, after interning for nearly three years at several top literary agencies, including P.S. Literary Agency an...
Oct 30, 2020•29 min
We are so excited to share our 100th podcast episode! This was our very first Zoom event, our first live podcast recording with guests in the room with us--and we were thrilled to welcome more than 100 of you. We are so happy to welcome: Kayla Lightner, Ayesha Pande Literary Saba Sulaiman, Talcott-Notch Literary Fiona Kenshole, Transatlantic Agency Marilyn Atlas, Book-To-Film Producer We discussed what each agent would like to find in her inbox, how to know when you've queried enough people (and...
Oct 22, 2020•1 hr 43 min
(Note: Apologies for Jessica's sound! This is what happens when we try to use Bluetooth earbuds.) In this episode, we talk about the challenges and insights that come with being a writer/editor, the complexities of the submission process, and how the phrase “editors no longer edit” just isn’t true (but there's plenty you can do to make the process easier for everyone). We also discuss author-agent relationships, what it takes to be an editor in NYC, and the fact that there is no one perfect vers...
Oct 22, 2020•46 min
Hey friends, we have a really exciting week, it’s September, and school is in session—so we thought we’d give you announcements just like when your vice principal would get on the PA each morning and say goooooo sports! So here’s what’s happening this week: Tonight, September 21, 2020, at 8 pm Eastern is the official deadline for our 100th podcast episode. As many of you know, on Thursday, September 24, at 8 pm Eastern, we’re all getting together in one giant Zoom for a panel of expert help and ...
Sep 21, 2020•2 min
Watch the live recording of this event here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/kat Are you tired of Zoom happy hours? Missing real, creative, spontaneous connection? Us too. Author Kat Vellos is here to help! Kat says: Welcome, friend! If you know anything about me, you know that I’d rather be greeting you with a giant bear hug… in a cozy room full of artsy conversation-provoking installations…with a table of cheese-based snacks in the corner. Instead, we meet here, in this small box made of metal, ...
Sep 19, 2020•1 hr 12 min
View our promo video + learn more here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-100 It’s been such an amazing journey speaking with agents, editors, authors, and publishing professionals about the things that mean the most to them-–life, work, creativity, and community. To celebrate our 100th episode, we wanted to do something new, special, interactive, and fun. Thursday, September 24, 8:00pm Eastern, we are launching a brand new live-recording series. Agents Kayla Lightner, Saba Sulaiman, Fiona K...
Sep 14, 2020•2 min
We are so happy to bring you this episode with Jessica Watterson, agent at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. We talk about plotting, tension, and exercises for making sure that each chapter moves your work forward. We also discuss revise and resubmits (and what agents look for in requested changes), how agents write pitch letters (and sometimes test them on their families), and whether agents go on editorial power trips (not…usually, but we’ll expand on that). Then, we move on to the rare occ...
Sep 10, 2020•45 min
We talk with Linda Camacho, agent at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency, about your character’s desire line—how it’s useful for both clarity and storytelling—and the deeper wish behind the ostensible goal. (For example: Ralphie in A Christmas Story wants a BB gun, but what he *really* wants is to be perceived as an adult.) We also discuss how to work with plotters, pantsers and plantsers—and how, no matter what you’re writing, you can keep a reader’s attention. Linda Camacho graduated from Corne...
Aug 28, 2020•40 min
JOIN US Tuesday, August 11, 8pm Eastern for a FREE event with Cameron. Sign up here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/cam New in our series with literary agents and debut authors, we chat with Writer’s House agent Allie Levick, and her client Cameron Kelly Rosenblum, author of the Kirkus starred young adult novel, The Stepping Off Place. This novel is described by Booklist as, “Beautifully written examination not only of the sadness of grief, but the uncertainty it can bestow upon everything, from ...
Aug 07, 2020•39 min
We’re so pleased to welcome our first-ever historical fiction writer to the Manuscript Academy Podcast. Finola Austin is the author of Brontë’s Mistress, a story that Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter, calls “A beautifully written, highly seductive debut…The chemistry between Branwell and Lydia positively crackles on the page." Joining Finola is her agent Danielle Egan-Miller, president of Brown & Miller Literary Associates. A mighty team, th...
Aug 04, 2020•51 min
In this special episode, we talk with agent Gordon Warnock and author Jorjeana Marie about how to reignite your creativity, learn to trust yourself, and stay inspired along the way. We learn how they met (in the slush pile!), why people are pressured to choose just one creative passion (and what you should do about it), and (perhaps most important) how to bring back the joy of creation to your work. Jorjeana Marie is a storyteller. Whether it’s as a writer for Disney’s “Mickey and the Roadster R...
Jul 31, 2020•51 min
We are so pleased to welcome Fiona Kenshole, senior agent at Transatlantic Agency, to discuss all things children’s books. If you’re writing picture books, early readers, chapter books or middle grade, this episode is for you. We talk about how children’s publishing is different from adult publishing, the elements each age group needs, building tension, creating voice, and writing about power and autonomy as seen from a child’s perspective. We also talk about image notes (and why they’re so cont...
Jul 23, 2020•43 min
We talk about how two agents can have completely different comps for the same book (and both can be correct), how high concept works have their own stealth press packet (you've probably unwittingly taken part in their marketing), and tips for writers pitching in the pandemic (hint: it's not as bad as you think). We also talk about starting in action (versus peak action), how YA needs two layers (your unique concept + typical teen emotional life), and how we can create a strong character from tin...
Jul 19, 2020•47 min
This week we speak with author and teacher Lani Forbes about her YA fantasy novel, The Seventh Sun, and her agent, Samantha Wekstein at Thompson Literary Agency. Samantha represents a wide range of authors from picture books up through adult. We talk about how they knew they were the right fit--how they work together on edits--and how Samantha actually stayed up all night to read this book by the offer deadline. (#Dedication.) Then the main part of the episode—worldbuilding! 9:48: How Lani appro...
Jun 29, 2020•49 min
Black Lives Matter. A note from Jessica: Here at The Manuscript Academy, we're all about real, authentic conversations that accomplish something important. Here are some resources to help you get started on becoming a better ally--how to support your friends, have difficult conversations with your relatives, and learn more about the cultural moment happening right now. (It's our hope that history books will remember this as the moment it all, finally, got better.) This is all a long, ongoing pro...
Jun 19, 2020•37 min
In this very special episode—our first live-streamed Q&A—we talk about agent Alyssa Jennette's unusual entry to publishing, the tips she has for writers, and her answers, in the moment, to your most burning publishing questions. We cover her requirements for queries, whether agents have secret meetings, when agents fire clients, advice for graphic novelists and picture book writers, and much, much more. Want to join us for the next live recording? Or view this as a video? Head to ManuscriptA...
Jun 16, 2020•53 min
This week’s episode is all about comparative and competitive titles—what they are, how they work, and the most common writer mistakes. We talk about the books that are off-limits for comps, how to figure out if a book you’re considering is the right size (based off of information that is easily searchable), and how comps are just like the human “algorithms” you use every day to help your friends read, learn, and cook. We also talk about non-traditional (and more accessible!) definitions of platf...
Jun 11, 2020•37 min
In this episode, Macmillan editor Rachel Diebel walks us through how acquisitions work at Macmillan, why the numbers aren’t always the determining factor (and what “the numbers” means), and submission guidelines (and what you should think if you are on submission for months). We also discuss imprints within imprints, publishing in quarantine, and her least favorite thing about the industry. Rachel is an editor at Feiwel & Friends (an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group), acquiri...
May 29, 2020•29 min
In this uplifting, inspiring episode, we talk about how Molly McCaffery received more than 100 rejections, shelved more than three books–-and then landed top agent John Cusick. We talk about her journey, how she learned to successfully pivot, and the querying tips you can only learn after sending out that much work and spending that much time in the query trenches. We also talk about how to put your reader first (one of the top things John looks in a client), what Molly thinks about MFA’s versus...
May 18, 2020•34 min
We are so happy to bring you this conversation with Stephanie Winter, an agent at P.S. Literary. We talk about how agents read differently than most book buyers, the logistics of selling a series, and what word counts scare us (and what we do about it). Plus, how rejection is kind of like a video game, what agents are *really* thinking during live pitch meetings—and how we envision a “be an agent for a day” program. And, perhaps most exciting, Stephanie discusses what makes great for voice in a ...
May 06, 2020•43 min
We talk with writer-turned-agent Lauren Spieller about publishing in quarantine, long-term industry hope, and what this means for you (and your book) right now. We also discuss book scouting, selling books abroad, and whether writers should move to New York (NO!). We discuss what you actually need for a successful writing career, how Lauren had a brilliant idea for getting into the industry, and what she would change about publishing if she could. Also, much to Julie’s amusement, we grapple with...
Apr 16, 2020•34 min
We talk with Kayla Lightner, agent at Ayesha Pande Literary, about how agents are trained to go through their inboxes—the role of subjectivity—and the benefits of a very specific #MSWL. We discuss the energy of querying—how that’s conveyed to new publishing hires—and what this means for you, your work, and your chances in publishing. Comps, also, come up as useful not only to your pitch, but also as an editorial tool to convey specific direction. And we talk about why people in publishing are di...
Apr 14, 2020•48 min
Welcome to a #MSWL podcast first--a married publishing couple describing literary life, work, and how to make the most of both. We discuss what they'd love to see in their inboxes (and how their tastes vary), the crazy coincidences of their love story (they both went to Paris, worked at Scholastic, and lived in the same town before meeting), and how they both started their careers as the unsung heroes of the publishing world, in sales and production. Naturally, we talk about how these department...
Apr 09, 2020•47 min
We talk about how to submit during quarantine (Should you? Is publishing shut down? Is it really going as well as everyone says?), the importance of platform (and how selling nonfiction is different), and the emotional toll of rejections (and how agents feel about them). We also talk about how to make your writing seem effortless, what NYC life is like for new agents (hint: lots of bagels) and Amy’s new pitch panel, March 31. Learn more about that here: http://live.manuscriptacademy.com/amy/ Boo...
Mar 27, 2020•32 min
We are so pleased to speak with writer and editor Vivian Lee about the importance of literary community, what it was like for her to work in publishing at Little A/Amazon, and how our industry has changed over the past decade. We also discuss California Pizza Kitchen, fusion cuisine, and the immigrant experience--finding the perfect Mother's Day present for the mother who traveled 7,000 miles for you--and how Vivian's writing and editing processes start with specific ideas and images and branch ...
Mar 25, 2020•32 min
We speak with agent, author, and stand-up comedian (yes, really!) Barbara Poelle about the Venn diagram of editorial needs, not swearing before 10 a.m., and how breaking all the rules worked out spectacularly well for one of her clients. Barbara’s new book, Funny You Should Ask: Mostly Serious Answers to Mostly Serious Questions About the Book Publishing Industry, is half love letter and half guidebook for the publishing industry. What to Submit to Barbara: Barbara is looking for high octane thr...
Mar 12, 2020•25 min
