This June, I taught a query workshop at Lighthouse Writers Workshop’s Lit Fest. Afterward, one participant approached and asked me to read a response letter she had received (not from me). She wanted to know if it was a “standard” rejection letter. I read it aloud and was a little chagrined to discover just… MORE
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Q to the twitter and FB brain trust: Why in the world am I receiving queries addressed to Kristen Callihan? When it first started happening, we all laughed and brushed it off as someone simply misreading the site and since Kristen’s client bio pops up first on the client page,… MORE
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Q: Why does the opening character awakening scene of the HUNGER GAMES work when 99.9% of slush pile opening pages do not? Wowza. With over 7000 people reached on Facebook and untold number of Twitter shares, I obviously hit some kind of nerve. We should entitle these last two Pub… MORE
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OBSERVATION: Beginning your novel with the main protagonist waking up in bed will have agents passing on the material 99.9% of the time. Here’s why: It’s an opening we see way too often (not sure why) and 99% of the time, this opening simply is not the best place to launch your story.… MORE
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On Wednesday, May 20, I was delighted to be in town for one of the Association of Authors’ Representatives‘ (AAR) monthly educational meetings, which are designed specifically for literary agents. Such a rare treat, since I’m not based in New York. May’s topic was subscription services (i.e. Scribd and Oyster) and whether… MORE