Agent Nephele Tempest of the Knight Agency is hosting a pitch contest on her website. Here are more details from her blog:

I'M IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE Submissions Festival-Contest Deadline: Sunday, February 14th, at 11:59PM, Pacific Time. Click for rest of details and to enter!

Writing Series and Trilogies
From BookEnds, LLC: http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/2010/01/writing-series-and-trilogies.html

The question from a blog reader: "I have finished two books of what will be a trilogy and am wondering about the logistics of querying a trilogy. I recognize the first book needs to stand alone, and I plan on mentioning it is the first in a trilogy (that will at that point be… Continue

Win a scholarship to the Backspace Writers Conference & Agent-Author Seminar in NYC!

Per Agent Colleen Lindsay:

I am thrilled to announce that the good folks at Backspace (an incredible online writers community THAT YOU SHOULD JOIN IMMEDIATELY! GO! NOW!) have once again graciously agreed to donate two scholarships to their upcoming Backspace Writers Conference & Agent-Author Seminar, which will be held in New York City from May 27th through the 29th.

The Backspace Writers Confe… Continue

Amazon gives self-published a second life by Bob Minzesheimer USA Today
After Zetta Elliott couldn't interest publishers in her novel about a black-Latina teen who travels back in time to Civil War-era Brooklyn, she joined a growing number of writers and paid to publish it herself in 2008.

A Wish After Midnight sold about 500 copies — nearly covering her expenses, she says. More important, she says, her teen novel was praised on blogs and used in schools and libr

… Continue

PART I in this EXCLUSIVE series from pro-editor Teresa Kennedy!

Check in each Wednesday for the next installment in the series.

DON’T conceive of yourself or your book as being the “next” anybody. Despite what a lot of experts recommend, the hard truth is no one is going to be terrifically interested in your work if you’re pitching it as similar to books they’ve already read. When an editor or agent sees you comparing your work to some bestseller, chances are they’re thin

… Continue

YA is red hot: Tips from 3 top agents Posted: January 30th, 2010 by Alan Rinzler From The Book Deal Blog
Psst! Wanna write a scorcher for the booming YA market?

OK, here’s the secret: The first thing you need to do is create an authentic, quirky, true-to-life voice.… Continue

Hooks That Snag Great Book Deals
From The Book Deal Blog by Alan Rinzler

I can’t help smiling when I read a good hook. When it happens, it’s a rush, a little like falling in love.

The hook — those critical initial sentences of a query letter from an author, or the opening of the book proposal itself — are the first and most important words that agents and acquiring editors read.

Hooks that capture and delight us

If the hook doesn’t capture our attention, delight us with sparkling pros… Continue

The Official SCBWI NY Blog is Here! ALICE POPE leads SCBWI's "TEAM BLOG" for up-to-the minute conference countdowns and LIVE BLOGGING from the conference floor!

Click here to follow!

YALITCHAT members, this agent is building his client list, and he’s on the lookout for new writers!

Chris Richman of Upstart Crow gives his Wish List of Projects here:
http://yalitchat.ning.com/group/agentinsider

Chuck Sambuchino of The Guide to Literary Agents Editor's Blog gives his answers to these questions:




1. Can you re-query an agent after she/he rejects you?

You can, though I’d say you have about a 50/50 shot of getting your work read. Some agents seem to be more than open to reviewing a work if it’s been overhauled or undergone serious edits. Other agents, meanwhile, believe that a no is a no—period. So, in other words, you really don’t know, so you might as well just q… Continue