The Manuscript Academy

Hello friends! It is time for our annual holiday party. This year, we’re featuring agent and editor guests, fun ways to find new critique partners and friends, and a choose your own adventure format to build the best holiday party for you. Everything is free, online of course, and designed to be the kind of fun usually only possible in a year that is not on fire. There will be prizes, surprises, readings, hilarity, community and more. Plus, we get to playfully annoy some of our agent guests with a live game, which we can’t wait for. (All I will say now is that it’s not a dunk tank, because we couldn’t figure out how to do that on zoom. Plus we like them. And want them to have fun too.) Want to learn more? Head to ManuscriptAcademy.com/party to RSVP and get on the list. It all starts this Wednesday, December 16, at 8pm Eastern. Hope to see you there!

We are so happy to welcome Esther Cajahuaringa, an editor at Hachette Book Group. This is the first in a series of live-recorded Q&A’s with agents and editors. Are you interested in attending events like this? Learn more about our member lounge here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/member-lounge 8:05 Why can't one publishing house can’t have two similar books at the same time? 9:41 How do the seasons work in publishing? 10:58 When are book tours a thing? 12:28 When can authors submit directly to you, or to publishers? Do publishers ever help authors find agents? 14:30: What does Little, Brown publish? 16:10: A little love for sales and marketing. 17:02: Do you recommend hiring copy editors? What do they do at a publishing house, and with illustrations? 21:22 How perfect should a manuscript be before it goes to an agent or an editor? 23:50 What’s a success story you can tell us? (Plus a story about working with Mo Willems.) 27:21: If you’re an author-illustrator, how much do you have to worry about page layout before you submit your picture book dummy? How does that work? 29:27 What’s on Little, Brown’s wish list? 31:37 You mentioned taking a middle grade novel and turning it into an early reader. Can you tell us what went into that decision, and the difference between the two? 35:11 What’s something you’ve changed your mind about in your time in the industry? 37:07: More on laying out illustrations. 37:26: Any tips for writing books about kids in foster care, and books about the emotional well-being of children? What’s the line between commercial and educational? 38:50 Tell is about the first time you saw one of your books for sale. 40:25: What’s something you wish writers knew about our side of the desk? 41:55: How important is conflict in picture books? What about in a lyrical picture book? What's the difference between conflict and tension? 43:46: What’s your number one tip for writers? Esther Cajahuaringa is an editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. As a former educator and non-profit organizer, Esther draws upon her experiences working directly with kids when thinking about today’s readers. She has worked with Joe Cepeda, David Goodner, Jyoti Rajan Gopal, Rhode Montijo, Andrea Tsurumi, and Mo Willems to name a few. She’s avidly seeking picture books and graphic novels. She has her master’s degree in Curriculum & Teaching with an emphasis in literacy from Teachers College, Columbia University. Originally from Southern California, she’s made the East Coast home for the last seven years. Esther is a daughter of immigrant parents and truly believes in the power of storytelling, because it changed her world. You can find her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/cajameansbox.

We are so happy to welcome Rebecca Raskin, an editor at HarperCollins, to our podcast. Rebecca started her career at Kensington Books, where she worked on genre fiction (including cozy mysteries, which we’ll talk about later in the episode!) and now works primarily on nonfiction. We talk about how Rebecca loves “quiet” novels (and whether there’s a market for them), the large team behind every book (and the department that never gets enough recognition), and how editors sustain 2-3 years of enthusiasm for your book. We also discuss: 11:37 Does an editor’s relationship with the author affect the book? 13:02 Tips for how to get along with your editor, and the editor-author relationship 15:26 Cozy mysteries, how to pitch them, and what happens (for anyone) if you use the wrong genre in your query 19:20: Why typos aren’t nearly as big a deal as you probably think (and what actually causes rejections) 20:03 How Rebecca sometimes chooses to work on books that aren’t ready yet, and works with the author and agent to make them happen 28:10 The best advice she was ever given You can follow Rebecca on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/rj_raskin You can join our supportive Facebook group here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/facebook And the Dewey Decimal Rap that Julie mentioned is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHiUQb5xg7A

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 games, and torturing plants. And whether you should have an artist along for the ride with your graphic novel submission—plus other tips for success. We talk about how agents neither can nor want to represent everyone—and how this mentality can help you keep going with your submissions. Plus, insights from the editorial process, why fit has to be so good—and what happens when an agent and editor disagree on your edits. You can find her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mmmlysaght.

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 should always start before you’re ready. Amyra León is an author, musician, playwright, and activist. Her work transcends genre and medium, and focuses on Black liberation, politics, and communal healing. She believes that the art of listening and honest conversation are the primary tools for lasting change. Her aim is to empower communities to believe in the significance of their individual stories. The conversation has just begun. León takes readers on a poetic journey through her childhood in Harlem, as she navigates the intricacies of foster care, mourning, self-love, and resilience, inviting us all to dream with abandon–and to recognize the privilege it is to dream at all. Amyra’s latest work is called CONCRETE KIDS. This beautiful book written in free verse is an exploration of love and loss, melody and bloodshed. Learn more here: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/61218…ukashevsky/ You can find her music--which goes very well with her book!--here: www.amyraleon.com/

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://manuscriptacademy.com/kiana-nguyen-panel. We’re also creating a number of events in our new member lounge, which is pretty much what happens if you take your favorite creative coffeeshop, add a bunch of talented writers from all over the world, and work together with special guests to get the most out of your writing time. https://manuscriptacademy.com/member-lounge This means small events in a cozy, no-pressure setting. Here are the member lounge events for this month: November 17 is a new experiment for us—a sort of Dr. Phil-esque event where you can send us your “What do I do now?” publishing questions and, together, we find your best submission strategy. November 19, we have a live podcast recording and Q&A with agent Larissa Melo Pienkowski. We just did one of these last month, and it felt like a living room party Q&A. It’s a great way to have a real, interactive conversation and get your questions answered. And November 12, 18 and 30, you can join us for our Write Together events, where you can work alongside other writers for support and positive peer pressure, and then meet for small-group networking. And last but certainly not least, coming up on the podcast we have interviews with Serendipity Literary agent Kelly Thomas, HarperCollins editor Rebecca Raskin, and Activist, musician, playwright, and Penguin author Amyra León. As always, you can see our full calendar of events at https://manuscriptacademy.com/calendar, and learn more about our member lounge at https://manuscriptacademy.com/member-lounge. Again, take good care of yourselves.

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 12:48 What it’s like to be a writer inside publishing, and the empathy gap between agents and writers 16:08 What Kelly’s looking for in her inbox 27:06 The different times in the process that you might hear back on your projects Kelly Thomas brings 15 years of sales and business expertise to the literary world as a champion for writers. Kelly is a certified copy editor who has a Bachelor's degree in English (Literature) from Pace University. Prior to joining Serendipity, she provided manuscript analysis for the D4EO literary agency. Kelly is a published poet with publications in 'Tales for the Disenchanted' (2008) and 'Penumbra Art & Literature' (2015). She serves as a freelance editor and ghost writer in her free time. Kelly is a ferocious reader, lover of books, and has a passion for writing.  Indeed a writer at heart, no matter the form (essays, articles, blogs, poems, short stories, marketing literature, resumes, or manuscripts), she will quickly put pen to page.   Kelly is eager to build her client roster and is actively seeking the next bestselling author! Kelly is most interested in nonfiction (narrative nonfiction, memoirs, true crime), and adult fiction (psychological thrillers, mysteries, suspense, comedies).  She enjoys fast-paced, plot-driven fiction with twists, turns, and jaw-dropping moments. She is drawn to stories about leadership, overcoming adversity, and beating the odds. Stories that are told from a unique psychological vantage point are always of interest. The truth is often stranger than fiction, so Kelly is actively looking for the next great true crime manuscript with a murderous and methodical plot.

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 and Folio Literary Management. She has worked as an editor and copywriter and has a BA in English (with a concentration in Creative Writing) from Hollins University. She represents a wide variety of adult fiction with a focus on historical, upmarket, bookclub, literary, women’s fiction, thriller, and historical fantasy. She also represents narrative nonfiction including memoir, nature writing, and food writing. She loves anything lyrical and character-driven.

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 when to pivot), rejections on Christmas Eve (and what they mean), how best to focus on your main character in women's fiction, how to write age-appropriate fiction (and properly age your protagonist) for children, how to balance humor and fantasy elements, how to know if it's your query or your pages that are getting you rejected...and much, much more.  On a personal note, we are amazed that we made it through 100 episodes! Thank you for joining us, and for bringing us along with you on your walks, commutes, and even mountain biking trips. We wouldn’t be here without you, and we appreciate you. Hope this finds you well in this incredibly unusual year.  Timestamps: 5:43: Panelist introductions and what they’d love to find in their inboxes 20:59: Kayla Lightner’s pick: Memoir, with panel focus on imagery, beautiful language, and a Christmas Eve rejection (and what it means) 35:44: Saba Sulaiman’s pick: Picture book, with panel emphasis on comp titles, how to use image notes, when to reveal that an author is writing about their own experience. 57:03: Marilyn Atlas’s pick: Women’s fiction, with panel emphasis on how to pitch a work by focusing on the main character (versus her boyfriend), share (or not share) that there’s a spiritual element, and when you know you’ve had a large enough querying sample size. 1:11:46: Fiona Kenshole’s pick: YA fantasy, with panel emphasis on choosing an age group (MG versus YA), balancing humor and fantasy elements, and what to do about prologues (and a trick about how to avoid the question and make it work). 1:37:03: If you’re getting form rejections, how do you know if it’s the query letter or first page that’s a problem? 1:39:15: What’s the best query letter format? 1:40:10: What protagonist ages are appropriate for Middle Grade vs. YA?

(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 version of a manuscript. Mara Delgado Sánchez joined St. Martin’s Publishing Group in 2018. Originally from Puerto Rico, she holds a BA in English-Literature from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez and an MFA in Creative Writing from Rosemont College. Mara is interested in young adult fiction, particularly in all kinds of fantasy, magical realism, and light, fluffy contemporary. She’s looking for commercial stories with voice that drips off the page, characters she’ll want to follow to the end of the world, emotional resonance, tight plotting and dynamic relationships. She’s an advocate of #ownvoices stories, and would love to see stories from marginalized writers. In adult, she’s looking for crossover fantasy, romantic comedies, millennial women’s fiction, and category romance.

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 Q&A. Tickets are free, but you need to nominate a friend (or receive a nomination) to get on the list. The panelists will choose nominator/nominee pairs, and bring them onto the Zoom stage for support and feedback for not just their queries, but their whole writing journeys. You can learn more, and submit your work at manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-100. And yes, if you submit your work after tonight at 8 pm, you can still be chosen—but your chances decrease because our panel will be locking in their choices Wednesday at 8 pm. You can hope for procrastination on their part, or give yourself the best odds and submit now. Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 8:30 pm Eastern, is a live class with agent Jessica Watterson called What The Hook. You’ll learn not only what a hook is and how it helps you sell your book, but we’ll have a small hook feedback session at the end, and get through as many of these as possible. You can get your ticket at ManuscriptAcademy.com/what-the-hook. And the last thing is that our live-recorded event with Kat Vellos is now live! You can view the video at ManuscriptAcademy.com/Kat. Have a great week, everyone!

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, glass and touchscreens. Because COVID. If you’re here because you want to build bridges of meaningful connection to others, you’re in the right place. Lemme help you with that. In this talk, we’ll delve into issues of community, loneliness, belonging, technology, and how to find the real connections that make the creative life satisfying and meaningful. Kat Vellos is an author, speaker, and expert community builder from the San Francisco Bay Area. Kat is the author of We Should Get Together: The Secret to Cultivating Better Friendships, the founder of Bay Area Black Designers and Better than Small Talk, and has two decades of experience creating powerful, positive communities where people find belonging and authentic connection. In this talk, we’ll delve into issues of community, loneliness, belonging, diversity, technology, and how to find the real connections that make the creative life satisfying and meaningful. She’s spoken at Design for America, LinkedIn, General Assembly, Impact Hub, Social Good Tech Week, Young Women Empowered, and many, many more. Hope you can join us! All best wishes, Jessica and Julie

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 Kenshole and producer Marilyn Atlas will be our panel of experts, and give feedback on YOUR work. The event is FREE but requires some homework (about 10 minutes). View our promo video, learn more + sign up here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-100

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 occasions when agents give notes in rejection letters, how agents process responses on the projects they send out, and—perhaps most exciting—how one call with an agent friend (and her feedback) turned a project from months of rejections to a deal within a week. Also, for fun, we discuss the mischief we’ve gotten into as agents as conferences. Then we wrap up with talking about Jessica's upcoming class, What The Hook?, which will be September 22, 8:30 pm Eastern. Sign up here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/what-the-hook. You can find Jessica on Twitter at @JessWatterson.

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 Cornell with a B.S. in Communication and has held various positions at Penguin Random House, Dorchester, Simon and Schuster, Writers House, and Prospect Agency. She’s done everything from foreign rights to editorial to marketing to operations, and received her MFA in writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Now at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency, Linda is looking for MG, YA, and adult fiction across all genres (especially upmarket, women’s fiction/romance, and literary horror); she’s also seeking select picture book and graphic novel writer-illustrators. You can find her at: https://twitter.com/lindarandom https://manuscriptacademy.com/linda-camacho