My Opinion of Literary Agents

Jun17

Okay, so I hope I don’t get in trouble here. I”m going to tread lightly because the publishing community is not as big as you think it is and yes – editors and agents do talk and if you make a negative impression it can have a ripple effect!

Most authors would love a big publishing contract and an advance for the fabulous novel they have penned. Many of us know that either you need to get to a conference or send a ton of perfectly penned query letters.

So if you query an agent via email or snail mail, how are you going to know they are the right agent for you? I mean, sure, they need to love your work, but the fact is, at some point you may need to talk or even meet this exalted personage that would hold your career in his or her hands. Are you going to trust them based on a great blog?

Here’s my opinion having met some agents over the past year and having friendly (meaning I wasn’t pitching a book to them) conversations with them.

When you get an agent – YOU are hiring them. Yes, they have to decide to take the job and you need to make sure you hire someone who is going to do it well, but more important, I think, is: you need to like them. They need to support your goals and desires as an author.

Last year I pitched at some conferences and sure it would be nice to have an agent selling my remarkably brilliant books on my behalf. But I encountered the reality. Some agents are just not nice. Either that or it was a serious personality mismatch. Or maybe they were just having a REALLY bad day. One gave me a fake smile as she nodded her head and gave me her advice. It was obviously not a match for either of us. Another was worse. She wasted no time trashing my work (without reading a word of it) and telling me I would be better off self-pubbing because no one would want to buy it except in e-book form. (this was a non-fiction book proposal). The woman was snotty, condescending and my hackles (whatever those are) bristled with irritation.

Someone else contracted the book and I’m happy with that publisher. Up side – I don’t have to share my royalties with an agent.

I’ve met other agents who are not a fit for me with what they contract – but they are super people and if they did match up with what I write – I would be thrilled to work with them because they were genuine and interested in who I was as a person – aside from any book. I don’t expect an agent to be my best friend, but I would at least like them to “get” me and even, say, like me? I wouldn’t trust someone who couldn’t accept my quirky personality and that I couldn’t hold a civil conversation with.

Don’t let your pursuit of an agent lead you to jump where you don’t have some level of ease in relating with the individual. Sure, reputation is important, but this is a relationship that you hope will go on for quite some time and you are paying that person to work for you. If they don’t really like you, can you expect they will do their best for you?

Do you have an agent? What do you think is key about that relationship? Are you looking for one? What has been your experience with the process so far?

Jennifer (Book Review)

Jun14

I loved the O’Malley romantic suspense series by Dee Henderson and was excited to finally get to read the prequel to it all: Jennifer.

If you have not yet read the series, let me encourage you to start with this book. If you have read it, then go ahead and read Jennifer but be aware: It truly is a prequel. It does not weave in and out of the entire O’Malley series. I was a bit disappointed by this although for it being a novella I knew it was impossible for that to be a realistic expectation. Now I want to read the entire series all over again just to see her story in clearer detail.

Jennifer is a love story. It is the story of Jennifer’s falling in love with Tom and with Jesus, all before her dreadful diagnosis of cancer. Her love for her brothers and sisters too is clearly evident in this novella.

This is quite a departure for Dee Henderson who specializes in romantic suspense. There is none of the adrenaline rushing suspense of her other novels evident in this book. This is pure romance with a mix of tragedy thrown in. It shows Jennifer’s indomitable spirit that prevails throughout the O’Malley series as her passion is to use whatever time she has left seeing her adopted siblings come to a personal relationship with Christ.

If you want your heart twisted like a wet dishrag – read this story. It is filled with love and passion and I only wish it had been longer, although Jennifer’s story really is much longer as her physical presence threads through the first five out of six of the O’Malley series. Well done Dee, and thank you for being willing to put your hand to this lovely novella.

Going Postal (Flash Fiction)

Jun10

I was innocently planting flowers for my Grandmother. I had come to stay with her as she needed a little extra help. I saw him coming and stood to greet him.

I know, not quite the stuff that romance novels are made of. But every day except Sunday I tried to be outside right around the time of his delivery.

“It’s really hot, today. I have a glass of ice cold lemonade for you.”

He smiled as he exchanged the glass for a stack of letters. “Thank you. You are obviously not Mrs. Stoughton. You don’t look old enough to get AARP mailings.”

“No, I’m her granddaughter, Lucy. I’ve come to stay and help her out.”

“Nice to meet you, Lucy. I’m Simon.” He handed me back the empty glass with a smile.

Day after day, unless it was raining, I was out there puttering in the garden or relaxing and reading a book or ready to offer him a glass of something cold to drink.

Two months. Every day, every week I found myself watching for the tall, lean man with the muscular arms and legs to walk up to our mailbox. He always wore a smile and his blue eyes twinkled beneath blond hair that often sought to fall in his eyes.

“Hi, Lucy.

“Good afternoon, Simon, how is the route today?”

“Fine. You know, I learn a lot about the people on my route based on the mail they receive.”

“You do? Have you learned anything about me?”

He smiled and nodded. “I’ve noticed you never get letters from men.”

“True.”

“Which makes me wonder.”

“Wonder what?”

“Would you like to out to dinner with me Saturday night?” His smile was gone now and he was all seriousness.

“Is there a law stating you can’t date anyone on your mail route? I’m not going to have the United States Postal Service reporting me to the police?” I gave a little smirk.

He laughed. “No. Nothing of the sort. Sometimes we get assigned routes where family live too. Not a big deal at all.”

“Okay, Simon. It’s a date then.”

“I’ll pick you up at six?”

“Sounds good.”

“See ya, Lucy.” He left to continue his route as I engaged in my favorite pastime admiring the view as he walked away.

“Okay.” I could hardly wait till Saturday night.

Simon didn’t deliver the mail on Saturday. Some older man did. I was disappointed but also had more anticipation for the evening ahead.

Simon picked me up in a red Jeep which made me laugh since it was only a newer version of the one he drove on his job. The dinner was nice and the movie was great but the best part of the evening was when he brought me back home. He walked me to the door, sat with me on the porch and we talked for another two hours.

Then he kissed me. He may not have walked that route today – but he delivered tonight. It was the best male I had ever received.

Always the Baker Finally the Bride (Book Review)

Jun7

I have enjoyed Sandra D. Bricker’s Creations by Emma Rae series that take place at the Tanglewood Inn. In the final book, Always the Baker Finally the Bride, Emma Rae, the diabetic baker who has walked so many couples to their perfect day finally gets her chance, after several novels of her romance with hotel owner, to marry Jackson Drake.

First, let me stay that for humorous romance, Sandi Bricker stands up side by side with another favorite of mine, Janice Thompson. Both write about weddings and put a unique spin and voice that while similar in content in some ways, is refreshing and have me smiling my way through their novels.

Emma Rae finally has a ring on her finger and a date on the calendar for her wedding to Jackson but challenges abound on the way including the trauma of Jackson considering selling (gasp!) the Tanglewood! Add to that family issues, people who might not make it, Emma’s stress induced health issues, Jackson’s fear of losing her like he did his first wife, ultimately topped off by a wedding cake designer who can’t seem to come up with her own wedding cake! And then the big question: Will they get to live their dream of a year in Paris where Jackson writes the books he’s always wanted to write and Emma takes classes in baking? Throw in a lot of other fun disasters and you won’t be able to put this book down.

The drama never ceases but the love and the familial (blood and some not) relationships that make up this series have never shone brighter. This book is bigger than Emma and Jackson but the relationships they have made over the previous novels comes together beautifully here. In a world where life is lived on the internet rather than in person, this book shines a light on the importance of the relationships with the people around us. Sandi does this brilliantly and this book was definitely the icing on the cake for her series.

I’m sad the series is over. It would be fun to follow Emma and Jackson into their future adventures (along with the friends and family that are so integral to their lives) so, Sandi, if you read this, take the hint for what it’s worth, keep going! You have a winner here; and thank you for writing such a fun and entertaining series. I think I gained ten pounds just salivating over the luscious deserts described in here.

Writer Wednesday: Lisa Lickel

Jun5

This is a new feature I’m trying here on my blog. Not a promotion for a book but more a look at the inner life of an author so we can all be encouraged on our journey. Friend, mentor, author, editor and all around great gal, Lisa Lickel was kind enough to volunteer for the first edition of this feature!

When did you decide that you would be an author? Was it something you fell into, felt called to… ?

Hmm…decided. That’s a loaded question. And I did make a conscious decision about that after I took the Christian Writers Guild Apprentice Course while I was a church secretary. I had a subscription to Today’s Christian Woman magazine and Jerry Jenkins had an ad for the course in there. I felt drawn to it, and decided to try. Nothing ventured, as the saying goes. Although I knew that the dynamics at the church office had changed and I was about to be let go, I came home from work and told my husband that I was going to quit so I could write. I would give it 18 months. I had some work with the local newspapers and ten years later I’m still writing some articles, but have moved on to novels and novellas. A couple of years ago I thought I’d go back to work if God gave me the perfect job. He did, but it was one of those pretty on the outside, rotten on the inside jobs which made me see He already had the perfect work for me.

What’s with dragons?

I’ve always had a thing for medieval culture and when I read Thomas Costain’s books way back in junior high, there was a perfect dragon the book designer used in frontplate of one of the stories – I don’t remember which one, maybe the Black Rose. Anyway, I’ve been obsessed ever since and started drawing them and collecting miniature pewter ones. I think, like bumblebees, I like the idea of something impossible to explain, like how bumblebees are aerodynamically impossible on this planet.

What’s your pet peeve?

Misused apostrophes.

What was your most embarrassing moment as a writer?

Ouch…so far? Having one of my editing clients find some errors in a newly-released book (not from Prism). I cried for two days.

What has been your most difficult challenge as an author?

My most difficult challenge is understanding business protocols. I wasn’t raised in a business-oriented family or married into one, so I had no clue how to treat my writing as a business. Making money has never been something I thought about; I lived on the “show up for work and get paid” ideology—or the “if you build it they will come” principle. That’s not reality in the seek-the-most-return-on-investment business reality.

How do you process rejections and/or negative reviews?

I learned the secret to rejections, or denials from publishers/agents early from a Writer’s Digest article a woman wrote. Her goal was to get 100 rejections in one year. Not seeking to be rejected, but putting her best foot forward enough to receive at least that many, among the acceptances. My philosophy is, They can only say no, but they can’t say no if I don’t give them a chance.

What do you feel is the best success so far in your writing career?

I’ve enjoyed the readership and continued sales of Meander Scar, an unusual romance that was released in 2010. The book also won a Grace Award for excellence in Christian fiction.

What would be your top three pieces of advice to newer, up and coming authors?

Identify and write for a specific audience, flock with other authors and readers along the way for support, always grow your craft.

As a Christian author, what would you like your legacy to be?

Wow-legacy? I’d love to be remembered for having fun with characters and unusual plots that show readers that faith-based decisions can be a struggle, but they don’t have to be if we walk in this life, not live in it, with our eyes set on heaven.

What is your current work in process?

I have two projects going right now, one with a writer who’s in my client’s group. Tamera and I are co-writing a post WWII-era novel in which Alice, a widowed quilt shop owner in a little town in West Virginia, and Rick, a hard-bitten covert FBI agent uncover a terrorist sleeper cell and must work together to thwart the plot. I’m also working on a project idea that started four years ago, and I’ve finally returned to, about how people perceive each other, how far we’re able to trust. Lily runs from an apparently simple plan of insurance fraud, but gets lost. She’s found by Cameron, who was falsely accused of misconduct and left his position to hide out in the north woods of Wisconsin and write a biography of his civil-rights activist grandparents who had witnessed the murder of an innocent victim during some rioting. When more things go wrong, Lily and Cam gradually learn who’s after them, and the depth of the trouble they’re in. Behind every layer is another story.

Check out Lisa’s blog and her books here:

Lisa Lickel

Meow Mayhem

The Last Bequest, The Map Quilt, The Newspaper Code, coming in May

Healing Grace: a novel

It Had To Be You (Book Review)

May31

I have loved the Wedding by Bella series written by Janice Thompson and It Had to Be You did not disappoint (except that it means the series has ended? Say it ain’t so, Janice!).

Bella is planning her own wedding to her hunky cowboy while at the same time planning a wedding between her aunt and uncle (unrelated to each other) who have loved each other for years but didn’t acknowledge it until the previous book.

Every wedding has it’s challenges and this one does as well with fights and a swing band that magically can help heal relationships and the most oddly humorous assortment of characters you will ever meet, including a mobster and a parrot that sings Amazing Grace among other things! I don’t even know if I could survive a week in that household given the emotional upheavals and drama.

Overall of that is love. Bella learns a huge lesson about grace and learning to depend on others when her body finally tells her to stop. I mean, literally, it stops her in her tracks. I love DJ and his faithful patience and adoration and listening to his bride-to-be. I really do hope they have the happily ever after they were planning on, because after all, it’s not the wedding that’s the most important, but the marriage, and I think Bella finally got that at the end.

Kudos to you Janice for another laugh-out-loud Texas sized romp with Italian sized heart. I enjoyed my trip to your imaginary world (but wish it were real because it would be fun to visit!)

Making Cards

May27

Years ago I attended a Stampin’ Up! Party and learned how to do all kinds of fun and creative stuff with stamps. Cards are my favorite and it had been awhile since I’ve done this and with a depressingly long winter, even the first day I tried, I didn’t enjoy myself and wasn’t impressed with my efforts. After awhile though, I started to have fun again. I don’t often let myself play and this was play time. Here are some of the cards I made.

This first trio are done with colored pencils – by my daughter Joy (age 8).

This next set I had fun using browns, which is not a normal palette for me but was fun. Hey, there was till pink in there…

And then there were the happy, hoppy frogs… they were fun and I used watercolor pencils for those and some I even cut out and used pop-ups under so they “jump” out at you a little more.

But I wasn’t done… Some more masculine brown/green/gold but then more cheerful pinks and oranges and lime greens.

These were fun mixing textures and patterns.

I have plenty more that I made in about a week (I did about eighty cards). I don’t mail out cards as much as I used to, but now when I do they will be ones made by me and hopefully cherished a little more for the time and effort that went into making them along with putting them in an envelope with an old fashioned stamp and sending them snail mail.

Susan Baganz's Silygoos Blog

Sometimes silly, always authentic.