Pub Rants

Author Archive

Mitchell and Webb – Write this..or that..or maybe

by Kristin Nelson

STATUS: I have to leave here before 5 p.m. I’ve finished two contracts, reviewed royalty statements, and then started negotiating a new deal for a current client. Way better than yesterday!

What’s playing on the iPod right now? IT HAPPENS EVERYDAY by Carly Simon

I just had to share this youtube video. I’ve literally sent this to all my authors, all my agent friends, and to all my favorite editors. We strive not to do this when we give feedback. I don’t think we are always successful…

Serious beverage alert but it is work safe so enjoy.

I promise I’ll be back tomorrow with my letter to the editor about Jamie Ford.

Jamie Ford’s Query for HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET

by Kristin Nelson

STATUS: I’m not sure what I think about my day. I’m still here at the office going on 7 p.m., which is never the desired thing. I guess I’ll leave it at that.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? DREAMING by Blondie

As promised and with Jamie’s permission, here is the query he sent me for his manuscript which was originally entitled THE PANAMA HOTEL.

For me, that title didn’t really capture the essence of the manuscript so we spent a lot of time kicking around alternatives before we went out on submission. It was quite a process but after sharing several forerunner titles with a variety of reliable sources, we agreed to HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET.

One of the fun things about this submission is that many editors loved the title and couldn’t imagine the novel being called anything else.

That means we did a good job. Random House hasn’t mentioned changing it so as far as we know, this will be the title for the book.

Dear Ms. Nelson:

I must admit I hate Asian stereotypes. You know the ones. Good at math. Hardworking. We all look alike. Come to think of it, that last one might hold water. After all, my father once wore a button that read “I am Chinese,” while growing up in Seattle’s Chinatown during WWII. It was the only thing that separated him from the Japanese, at least in the eyes of his Caucasian neighbors.

Sad, but true. Which is probably why my novel has a little to do with that particular piece of history.

I was really caught by his personal connection to the history he plans to explore. I’ve never heard of the “I am Chinese” buttons, which is kind of fascinating.

Anyway, the working title is The Panama Hotel, and when people ask me what the heck it’s all about I usually tell them this:
“It’s the story of the Japanese internment in Seattle, seen through the eyes of a 12-year-old Chinese boy, who is sent to an all-white private school, where he falls in love with a 12-year-old Japanese girl.”

I’ve never seen a novel about a Chinese boy falling in love with a Japanese girl during such a volatile time period. I have to say that I was pretty much hooked by this story concept. Simple but there’s a lot of weight behind it. I did happen to know that the Chinese and the Japanese had long been at war before the advent of WWII so I knew of the general animosity between the countries–but I knew nothing of how that might have played out on American soil.

But it’s more complicated than that. It’s a bittersweet tale about racism, commitment and enduring hope––a noble romantic journey set in 1942, and later in 1986 when the belongings of 37 Japanese families were discovered in the basement of a condemned hotel.

At this point, I knew I was going to ask for sample pages but I have to admit that this paragraph made me pause. Dual narratives are tricky and extremely hard to pull off. I would only know if the author succeeded by asking for sample pages. I was struck by the belongings being discovered in an old hotel. This ends up being a true story and was part of what sparked Jamie to write the novel. I didn’t find out this info until later and I must say that if included, it could have added power to the query letter.

This historical fiction novel is based on my Glimmer Train story, I Am Chinese, which was a Top 25 Finalist in their Fall 2006 Short-Story Competition For New Writers. An excerpt was also published in the Picolata Review.

Nice. It always helps to know there has been some previous recognition.

Think Amy Tan, but with a sweeter aftertaste. I was already thinking Amy Tan but a male version…

Thank you for your consideration and time,
Jamie Ford

The Panama Hotel
Historical Fiction 86,000 words / 353 pages

About the author: James “Jamie” Ford grew up near Seattle’s Chinatown and is busy writing his next novel, Rabbit Years. In addition to his Glimmer Train accolades, he took 1st Place in the 2006 Clarity of Night Short Fiction Contest. Jamie is also an alumnus of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers.

Nice. Some more literary creds. I would have asked for sample pages without the mention though.

He hangs out at www.jamieford.com and has been known to eat jellyfish, sea cucumber and chicken feet on occasion.

This made me smile and that’s never a bad thing.

Now here’s what’s interesting. As I mentioned on a previous blog, an agent friend of mine received the same query and it didn’t spark his interest at all. Now he freely admits that he was in a time crunch at the time he received it. That can change our response. If he hadn’t been, he might have paid a little closer attention but for the most part, this query didn’t float his boat much.

And that just highlights the subjective tastes of agents.

Anatomy Of An Agency Agreement—Part Ten

by Kristin Nelson

STATUS: TGIF and it’s a half day for me as I head up into the mountains to attend a wedding this weekend.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? MY CHERIE AMOUR by Stevie Wonder

And now we have reached the exciting conclusion of agency agreements. I’m sure you’ve been on the edge of your seats.

That last two clauses officially wrap it up.

There is an arbitration clause—that states if there is an issue we both agree to have it settled by arbitration and last but not least, the entire agreement and assignment clause.

This clause states that this is our entire agreement (hence why it’s at the end). There is also an assignment clause, which both parties would need to get written permission to do–except in the event that my agency merges with another agency and then the assignment simply happens.

Then it’s time for signatures etc. and the final form that all clients have to fill out in lieu of a W9 (which we have to have on file by law).

That’s all folks.

Have a great weekend.

Anatomy Of An Agency Agreement—Part Nine

by Kristin Nelson

STATUS: It’s been a busy day and now I have drinks with a client who is in town and then later with an editor from New York who is also in town. I like to think they come all the way just to see me.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? ROXANNE by The Police

We are pretty close to tackling all the clauses–in my agreement anyway.

The next clause is Risk In All Negotiations. Basically, I say I can’t guarantee that I can sell the book or get the client an acceptable offer and a client can’t sue me for it.

I’m an agent, not a miracle worker and although it doesn’t happen often, I sometimes can’t sell a project. Shocked gasps I know. There is no agent on this planet who sells 100% of what he/she takes on.

The next clause talks about governing law. Since my agency is based in Denver, then the agreement adheres to the laws of Colorado.

The last two clauses tomorrow and then on to Jamie Ford’s query.

Anatomy Of An Agency Agreement—Part Eight

by Kristin Nelson

STATUS: Oops. I almost forgot to blog today. Seriously, I was all proud of getting just about everything done that I had hoped to. It slipped my mind until now.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? THE CRYING GAME by Culture Club

We haven’t talked about agency agreements in a while so let me jump back in with clause 10 which is entitled Term of Agreement.

I’m not one to have a client stay with me if they aren’t happy with the representation (and vice versa) so in my agency agreement, either party can terminate the relationship with a thirty day written notice.

However, the clause also states that my agency remains the agency of record for all contracts negotiated while the agreement was in force. We also get to continue to pursue any secondary rights sales for material on which we sold the primary rights (for the life of that primary agreement.)

I also have a clause that doesn’t allow a client to do a bait and switch by having me do all the work to land a publishing contract only to have a client terminate the agreement (yet accept the publishing contract) so as not to pay my 15% commission. Not cool. So there is language in this clause to protect the agency from unethical authors.

And yes, folks, unethical authors do exist. I have many stories I could share on that score but I won’t. I may rant but I do try to stay mostly positive.

Demon’s Lexicon: Letter To the Editor

by Kristin Nelson

STATUS: I lied yesterday. Today I’m finishing that contract if it’s the last thing I do…

What’s playing on the iPod right now? (I JUST) DIED IN YOUR ARMS by Cutting Crew

Now that we’ve had a chance to look at the query letter that Sarah sent to me, I thought it might be interesting to see the submission letter I emailed to editors for THE DEMON’S LEXICON. [Note: this is the main bones of the letter since I often tailor it to a specific editors etc.] Since Karen Wojtyla won the auction at S&S, I’ll use her name in the salutation.

Before I share the letter, here are some interesting tidbits about this manuscript and its submission.

1. This novel sold to an editor I had never worked with before. In fact, Karen didn’t know me as an agent at all. I had to ring her up and introduce myself so she wouldn’t think I was some lunatic who wanted to send her something. Now Karen is delighted I made that phone call. We are having lunch next time I’m in New York and that will be the first time we will meet in person.

My point? Agents don’t know every editor on the planet. Now we know a good majority but not all.

2. Here’s another fun tidbit. I knew the minute an editor had finished reading the manuscript because they just had to talk to me immediately about the ending. I received some late night emails and phone calls because of that. Editors couldn’t believe that they hadn’t seen it coming (even though I had warned them in the submission letter). It’s also the only submission I’ve done where I think every editor who loved it, read it twice before the auction unfolded. They had to see for themselves that all the clues were there and they could have figured it out.

And so without further ado, the letter:

Hello Karen,

Let me tell you why I love this novel. First, it’s a story of two brothers—Alan and Nick. Think for a minute. When’s the last time you read a YA urban fantasy that was about two brothers? I certainly haven’t seen one in a long time. But it’s also the story of a brother and sister—Jamie and Mae who get caught in the events unfolding around the Ryves brothers. In fact, their interconnecting lives become absolutely essential to the outcome. Here’s the other reason I love this novel, right at the minute I think I’m brilliant and I have the novel figured out, the author turns the whole story on its head. To say there is a twist would be an understatement. But if you go back and reread, you’ll see that all the subtle clues are there.

So what is THE DEMON’S LEXICON? It’s a story set in modern-day London. It’s about two brothers who are on the run with their mother because she was once the lover of a powerful magician and when she left him, she took an important charm amulet with her. When the eldest son gets marked by the magician’s demon, the family must stand and fight and only the strong yet mysterious bond between the brothers can save them.

The author, Sarah Rees Brennan, is Irish and currently lives in London. For a short stint, she lived in New York and became involved with a wide circle of writers and publishers who encouraged and supported her, including New York Times bestselling authors [Name removed] and [Name removed] (both have already agreed to read the advanced copy for a blurb) and Anna Genoese, a former editor at Tor. She has developed a wide audience through her popular blog, http://mistful.livejournal.com/, where she writes movie parodies, book reviews and some stories, and has around four thousand registered readers (she was also recently interviewed about her blog in The Washington Post). She participates in http://community.livejournal.com/fangs_fur_fey –an adult and YA urban fantasy writers’ community started by Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely). Currently, Sarah is completing a Creative Writing M.A. with her dissertation tutor Liz Jensen (shortlisted for the Guardian Fiction Prize for her book Ark Baby).

I’m super excited to share this novel with you, and I can’t wait to talk about the ending. So call or email me when you are finished and then I can gush all I want.

All Best,
Kristin

Query Talk: Demon’s Lexicon

by Kristin Nelson

STATUS: I’m finishing my review of this contract if it’s the last thing I do today.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? COME MONDAY by Jimmy Buffett

I have to say I found the discussion about this query very interesting. I have to remember that most of my blog readers don’t spend hundreds of hours reading thousands of query letters. (If you ever get the chance to intern at an agency, I think it would be a real eye-opening learning experience).

So let’s talk about this query and queries in general some more.

1. It’s more important for a query concept to be original than for a query to be perfect.

Sarah’s query for DL is far from perfect. I didn’t post in my blog as an example of that. I’ve read hundreds of “perfect” queries that didn’t have an original story to offer (at least as presented in the query).

Now, this isn’t to say that you shouldn’t spend your time getting a query letter critiqued and perfecting it to the best of your ability. I do think that helps the cause but for the most part, agents aren’t looking for perfection. We are looking for a story spark—something we haven’t seen before—and this is so hard to define because often we won’t know it until we see it. Then it’s compounded by the whole subjectivity issue. When I talk about Jamie’s query, I’ll go into a little more depth on that. His query worked for me but Jamie also sent that same query to an agent friend and it didn’t float his boat at all. Purely subjective.

But back to Sarah’s DL query. Do you know what in that letter caught my attention? It was her outline of the family dynamics unfolding (albeit set in a fantasy world). Seriously, that’s what snagged my interest. So often I get these really distant, lacking-in-emotion fantasy query letters about three folks who end up on a quest but there’s no sense (in the query) of any real, interpersonal relationship dynamics which forms the heart of any story—regardless of genre.

Nick’s mom had an affair with a dark magician and because of her, Nick and his brother have to spend their lives on the run, and Nick is embarrassed that his mother had the affair to begin with.

That strikes me as pretty accurate as to how a 16-year old would feel about it. That alone caught my attention. I actually didn’t care what the rest of the query letter said. Now I did keep reading to get more details (and the possible romantic triangle caught my eye as well) but ultimately I knew I was going to ask for sample pages because I had NEVER BEFORE SEEN this scenario in a fantasy query letter—despite the thousands I receive.

That’s it. Simple. No need to analyze whether the grammar was perfect. Heck, I make enough snafus on my own blog that I’m not one to judge. I’m pretty flexible because grammar errors can be easily fixed. Everything else about writing such as voice? Not so easy. In my mind, the author had captured that sense of teen angst about all relationships which feels authentic. If she manages to capture the same in the manuscript itself, then I know I’m in for a good read, which leads me to point two…

2. You can have the most perfect and original query letter in the world and if you can’t back that up with good sample pages, it doesn’t really matter how great the query letter is. Sarah’s query letter is just fine–not spectacular–but the sample pages were unputdownable from page one.

Don’t lose sight of that.

And here’s my last point of the day. I often think that writers want the holy grail of query letter writing. That if I do X (and just tell me exactly what X is) in the query letter, then I’ll get an agent and a book sale.

It doesn’t work that way. It’s an aligning of several factors and then having that all come together because the query caught the agent’s attention, the agent loved the sample pages, then the manuscript was strong, and then editors loved it and then once published, the readers loved it and then…

It’s magic.

Query For Demon’s Lexicon That Landed Me As The Agent

by Kristin Nelson

STATUS: TGIF and might get out of here before 6 p.m. …

What’s playing on the iPod right now? SAVE A PRAYER by Duran Duran

Since I just announced my two recent auctions, I thought it might be fun to share the original query letters with my blog readers.

First up is Sarah Rees Brennan and with her permission, the original query letter that was sent by email and that made us request 30 sample pages.

Dear Ms. Nelson and Ms. Megibow:

I am a big fan of Ms Nelson’s blog and the dedication and positive attitude obvious in every post. I would like you to consider THE DEMON’S LEXICON, my YA urban fantasy set in modern-day England. The manuscript is complete at 75, 000 words.

What can I say, I’m a sucker for flattery! Seriously, it’s a very straightforward introduction. All the necessary information is given.

What would be the first word to come to mind about the runaway romance between a beautiful, headstrong woman and a darkly fascinating magician?

For Nick, it’s ’embarrassing’, since said beautiful, headstrong woman was his mum. 16 year old Nick has been brought up on the run from the darkly fascinating magician after things really didn’t work out between him and Nick’s mother. He resents his mother for the predicament they’re in, and he was mostly raised by his older brother, Alan.

The answer wasn’t what I expected, and I love how she taps into exactly what a 16 year old would think about his mother and a romance. She has my full attention.

Nick has also been brought up knowing that there are certain people who have limited magical abilities. Some of them, the magicians, increase these magical abilities by summoning demons who give them more power – in return for the magicians giving them people to possess. The other magically gifted people have considerably less power and rely on magical trinkets and information, exchanged every month at a ‘goblin market.’ As the only people who know about the magicians and their victims, they do try to control things, but it’s an endeavour that is not going well.

This is a quick explanation of the world she has created. Notice it doesn’t take pages and pages. One brief paragraph. I expect the next paragraph to give me more of the conflict that is going to unfold with the character of Nick that she has introduced.

Nick, who can summon demons and is pretty handy with a sword, is mostly concerned with just getting by, but his life is greatly complicated by the advent of his brother’s latest crush. Not only is she a little too attractive for Nick’s peace of mind, but she has a boy in tow who bears the marks of demon possession. Added to that the fact that Nick has started to suspect that Alan, the only person in his life who he trusts, has been lying to him about a few very serious things, and not only Nick, but everybody else, are in for some surprises.

And here’s the conflict. I’m intrigued. Two brothers on the run. One is lying. Hum… I think I need to see more.

I have a popular online blog, some contacts in the writing and publishing world. I want to move ahead on this with an agent, and I also want an agent for the long term, for negotiation and guidance – in fact, everything it says on the tin – that is to say, your website.

I’m still wondering what a “tin” is and if it’s a Irish/British saying… but what the heck, I’m interested enough to read sample pages.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Yours,
Sarah Rees Brennan

On Monday, I’ll share with you the letter I wrote to the editors that started all the excitement about this very special novel. Until then…

I’m out.

What Not To Write About

by Kristin Nelson

STATUS: It’s almost 6:30 p.m. and I’m shaking my head as to why I didn’t accomplish more during the work day…

What’s playing on the iPod right now? EVERY MORNING by Sugar Ray

Media Bistro is a fountain of good stories lately. Despite the gory nature of this news clip, I just had to laugh. If you are a writer and you commit a crime, don’t write about it in your “novel.”

I mean, duh. This doesn’t even qualify as a decent rant because really, how stupid can some people be?

Polish Writer Convicted of Murder He Described in Novel (AP)Fishermen dragged the dead man’s body — hands bound behind his back and tied to a noose around his neck — from the cold waters of the Oder River in Poland in December 2000. Police struggled to dig up any clues until a tip five years later led them to a novel with an eerily similar murder — and its author, Krystian Bala, who suspected the victim of having an affair with his estranged wife.

Spam Me Baby One More Time

by Kristin Nelson

STATUS: Still working on a contract and reading some new client proposals. Fun.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? BEATS SO LONELY by Charlie Sexton

Must be the day for the spam kings. I read about this Blogger issue at Media Bistro.

Blogger Attacked by Hackers Posting Fake Entries (BBC)Google’s Blogger site is being used by malicious hackers who are posting fake entries to some blogs. The fake entries contain weblinks that lead to booby-trapped downloads that could infect a Windows PC. Infected computers are being hijacked by the gang behind the attacks and either mined for saleable data or used for other attacks.

I’m almost afraid to provide the link to the full article but if you want to take that chance, here it is.

Also, I had gotten an email from a client asking me to link to her at a site called QUECHUP. Good thing I didn’t have time to do anything about it this morning because it too is a spam scam.

I was chatting via email with an industry friend who had asked me to be linked with him via LinkedIn (which is a legitimate site). He warned me about QUECHUP. It turns out that what that outfit does is simply email everyone in a registrant’s address book automatically, without asking if they’d like to do that.

A quick email to the client verified that that was indeed true. And let me tell you, the email you get looks pretty real so watch out for it.

And last but not least, I have a public announcement for any LA authors who are interested in learning more about publicity etc. Several of my clients have worked with Bella Stander so I can recommend her. The line up looks pretty good as well.

BOOK PROMOTION 101
Los Angeles — September 29 The Orlando Hotel,
West 3rd St.9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Class limited to 8
Price: $495; includes lunch at La Terza restaurant plus 1-hour follow-up phone consultation.
Registration deadline: Sept. 10

Guest Speakers:
Sally Nemeth, author of The Heights, the Depths, and Everything In Between
Laurie Viera Rigler, author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
Jane Marla Robbins, reading coach, actress & author of Acting Techniques for Everyday Life
Kevin Smokler, editor of BOOKMARK NOW: Writing in Unreaderly Times; cofounder, BookTour.com

Guest Publicists:
Megan Underwood Beatie, West Coast publicity director, Goldberg McDuffie Communications
Kim Dower, Kim-from-L.A. Literary & Media Services

Bonus: Wine & cheese poolside chat with guest authors after the workshop.

TO REGISTERSend email to with subject LA Workshop. Please include the following information:
1) Your name.
2) How you heard about Book Promotion 101.
3) Your literary agent’s name.
4) Book title(s), publisher, publication date (include month if published 2006-07). 5) A one-sentence description of your most recent book.

Example: OLIVER TWIST (Penguin Classics, 1998). In 19th century London, a runaway orphan boy is taken in by a gang of young pickpockets directed by a scheming miser.

I will respond with payment directions & homework assignment.