The Mentors of Nightmare on Query Street 2014

Below is a list of writers who were AWESOME enough to donate their time to help compete strangers achieve a dreams that they have accomplished themselves. It truly takes a special kind of person to do that, so I ask that anyone and everyone participating in Nightmare on Query Street take a moment to thank, follow, or shout out a few of our mentors (and agents), because without them, none of this would be possible. Michelle, SC, and I may put these contests together, but it is out AMAZING volunteers that truly make the magic happen.

The mentor round will take place behind the scenes this year from October 22-25th. Mentees and mentors will correspond through email with SC, Mike, and I acting as go-between.

Now, I present to you...

The Wonderful Mentors Of Nightmare on Query Street 2014!

 

Holly Jennings is a member of SF Canada and writes from her home in Tecumseh, Ontario. Her short work has been published in Daily Science Fiction, AE Sci-Fi Canada, and the Clarion Writer's Craft blog. She now writes new adult speculative novels about being eighteen and lost in fantasy worlds or sci-fi futures. For more, check out her website atwww.hnjennings.com or follow her as she attempts to understand Twitter @HollyN_Jennings

 

Laura Heffernan is a California-born women's fiction writer, represented by Jen Karsbaek at Foreword Literary. One Saturday morning when she was four or five, Laura sat down at the family's Commodore 64 and typed out her first short story. She's written both fiction and non-fiction ever since.

In her spare time, Laura likes travel, baking, board games, and new experiences. She lives in the northeast, freezing like the true California girl she is, with her amazing husband and two furry little beasts. Her fuzzy sock collection is becoming impressive. Check out her website and follow her on Twitter @LH_Writes.
 

Betsy Aldredge is a former magazine editor turned museum professional and YA/NA writer. This summer, Betsy and her co-author, Carrie DuBois-Shaw, were named Grand Champions of Query Kombat 2014 for their YA Contemporary Romance, Sasquatch, Love, and Other Imaginary Things. The entry, nicknamed “Shalom Sasquatch,” earned them 10 requests from agents and led to signing with the wonderful Christa Heschke at McIntosh and Otis. Betsy lives and works in New York. Check out her blog and follow her on Twitter @betsyaldredge

Sarah Glenn Marsh is a YA fantasy author represented by Christa Heschke of McIntosh & Otis Literary. She lives in Virginia with her husband and four rescued greyhounds. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s baking, painting, traveling, or fervently wishing for another season of Firefly. You can check out her blog and follow her on Twitter @SG_Marsh.

Caitlin Sinead is represented by Andrea Somberg. Her debut New Adult novel, Heartsick, comes out on February 16, 2015 with Carina Press. She earned a master's degree in writing from Johns Hopkins University and her short stories have appeared in multiple literary journals. In her writing, she enjoys mashing the fluffy aspects of life right up against the not-so-fluffy aspects, while sneaking in fun words she wished more people used (e.g., nincompoop, ragamuffin, and peccadillo, to name a few). You can check out her website and follow her on Twitter @CaitlinSineadJ

 

Before Tracy Townsend became an English teacher at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, she earned degrees in Creative Writing and Rhetoric studying in the American midwest and the Republic of Ireland. She flirted briefly with careers as an assistant martial arts instructor, a Wal-Mart associate, and a janitor before realizing the only thing that gave her as much pleasure as writing was teaching others how to do it, too. Her super-powers include the ability to feed a house full of unexpected guests with nothing more than a box of macaroni, a tomato, and a package of cold cuts. She is renowned for her steely gaze and quintessentially Irish penchant for self-deprecation. When not elbow-deep in speculative fiction, she can be found in the nearest garden, kitchen, or book store - or asleep on her kids' bedroom floor. She's represented by Bridget Smith of Dunham Lit., who is both classier and more mature than she could ever hope to be. You can find her on Goodreads and follow her on Twitter @TheStorymatic

Aside from exploring magical places, investigating unexplained occurrences, and time traveling, Wendy Nikel enjoys a fairly quiet life with her family in Utah. She has a BA in elementary education, which she currently puts to use in homeschooling her two very imaginative sons. Among her favorite things: black coffee, chai tea, photography, board games, bookstores, and road trips. Wendy is represented by Natalie Lakosil of the Bradford Literary Agency. You can check out her website and Facebook, as well as follow her on Twitter @wendynikel

CZ Ketchem writes young adult contemporary fiction when she’s not writing college recommendation letters during her day job as a high school counselor. She loves the little moments in life that help someone discover who they’re meant to become – whether it’s her students or her characters.

CZ holds a B.S. in Psychology and an M.Ed. in Counseling. She is a voracious reader, eats too many cupcakes, loves to travel, and hopes to one day be bi-coastal – the east coast of the US and the east coast of Scotland. She lives just outside Washington DC with her husband and the world’s most rambunctious four-year-old. CZ is represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary. You can check out her website or follow her on Twitter @CZKetchem

Lara Rectenwald is a graduate of Baldwin Wallace University. She writes adult historical fiction. When she's not writing, Lara records audio books for ACX. She lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and two cats, Chicken and Duck.

Lara is represented by Brianne Johnson of Writers House. Follow her on twitter @lararectenwald.

Kristen Scheer has a B.A. in Political Communications and Legal Thought, and a J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law. In law school, she spent a year interning under an international corporation’s in-house counsel, which led her to write LEGAL MOXIE, pitched as The Pelican Brief for teens. A YA contemporary legal thriller, LEGAL MOXIE is Kristen’s debut novel. Kristen is represented by Laura Bradford with the Bradford Literary Agency, and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Kristen lives in Oklahoma with her husband and two children, and is working on her next novel.

Find Kristen on Twitter @Kristen_Scheer, and talk to her about writer-y stuff, Supernatural, dirty jokes, and/or anything involving baby animals. 

 

 

Gamer and librarian Max Wirestone writes geek-themed mysteries and is represented by Caitlin Blasdell of Liza Dawson Associates. When not rescuing his precious Japanese-imported game soundtracks from his toddler, he is usually writing. Or playing Mario Kart. But probably writing. Catch up with him at maxwirestone.com.

Carrie DuBois-Shaw is a YA writer and playwright. This summer, Carrie and her co-author, Betsy Aldredge, were named Grand Champions of Query Kombat 2014 for their YA Contemporary Romance, Sasquatch, Love, and Other Imaginary Things. The entry, nicknamed “Shalom Sasquatch,” earned them 10 requests from agents and led to signing with the wonderful Christa Heschke at McIntosh and Otis. Carrie recently relocated from New York City to San Francisco. Check out her blog and follow her on Twitter @carriedubois

Katherine Locke lives and writes in Philadelphia where she's ruled by her feline overlords and her addiction to chai lattes. She graduated from Allegheny College, a college that actually did change her life, and she'd do it all over again if she had the chance. Except she wouldn't take microeconomics again, even if you paid her. When she's not writing, she's reading and when she's not reading, she's tweeting about reading and writing. She likes heroes with boyish charm and heroines with dirty mouths. She writes romance, New Adult, and Young Adult novels. Her debut novel, SERENADE, is forthcoming spring 2015 from Carina Press. She is represented by Louise Fury of The Bent Agency. You're most likely to find her on Twitter @bibliogato or blogging at www.KatherineLockeBooks.com

Lisa Koosis is a prize-winning short story writer whose work has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Family Circle, Abyss & Apex, the British-Fantasy-Award-winning Murky Depths, and Blade Red Press’s Dark Pages anthology, which was shortlisted for the Australian Shadows Award. Lisa is a contest success story, having found her agent after entering The Writer's Voice. She is represented by the amazing Brianne Johnson of Writers House. You can find Lisa at http://writingonthinice.blogspot.com/ or on Twitter at @MidnightZoo.

Cale Dietrich is the writer of the upcoming novel LOVE INTEREST. He hails from a small picturesque town in Australia, and now lives in the coastal city of Brisbane. His hobbies include reading any YA books he can get his hands on, binge-watching TV, and spending way too much time on Tumblr. Seriously, if he didn't have a Tumblr he probably would've written like fifty books by now. He can be found on twitter at @caledietrich.

 

Amy is a two-time Golden Heart finalist (2013 and 2014) who writes Young Adult fiction as Amy DeLuca and New Adult romance as Amy Patrick. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband and two sons and actually craves the heat and humidity of Mississippi, where she grew up. She's been a professional singer and news anchor and currently narrates audio books as well as working as a station host for a Boston TV station. You can check out her website or Facebook, and follow her on Twitter @AmyPatrickBooks

Wade White hails from Nova Scotia, Canada, land of wild blueberries and Duck Tolling Retrievers. He teaches ancient Hebrew, dabbles in animation, and spends the rest of his time as a stay-at-home dad. It is also possible he has set a new record as the slowest 10K runner. Ever. He owns one pretend cat and one real one, and they get along fabulously. He has been writing speculative fiction for over thirteen years and is now represented by the Elizabeth Kaplan Literary Agency.

If he could only bring three series to read on deserted island, it would be the three Hs: Harry Potter, Hellboy, and the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Oh, and just for the record, Firefly should have had a seven season run. No question.

You can follow Wade on twitter @wadealbertwhite and check out his website.

Angie Sandro was born at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. Within six weeks, she began the first of eleven relocations throughout the United States, Spain, and Guam before the age of eighteen.

Friends were left behind. The only constants in her life were her family and the books she shipped wherever she went. Traveling the world inspired her imagination and allowed her to create her own imaginary friends. Visits to her father's family in Louisiana inspired this story.

Angie now lives in Northern California with her husband, two children, and an overweight Labrador. She is represented by Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyon Literary, LLC. She is the author of the Dark Paradise series.

BLOG / FACEBOOK / TWITTER
AMAZON / AMAZON UK /AMAZON CA / BARNES & NOBLE /INDIGO /iTunes

Aimee Hyndman is represented by Laura Zats of Red Sofa Literary. She is a sophomore in college, attempting a triple major in Creative writing, English and Film Studies because she is, arguably, crazy. She reads the slushpile as an intern for Kimberley Cameron & Associates and she is also a contributor at Operation Awesome. She has been writing since her toddler fingers first grasped a pencil. Her area of specialty is Fantasy of all sorts but she dabbles in many genres. Whatever she feels compelled to write at the moment.The plot bunnies are never ending but, luckily, so are the words! You can check her out on her blog, Tumblr, Pinterest, and follow her on Twitter @AimeeHyndman

Naomi Hughes writes quirky middle-grade fiction (mostly about unicorn riders) and is a freelance editor. She lives in rural Oklahoma with her hubby, baby daughter, and a Border Collie named after a Last Airbender character (the show, not the movie). In her free time, she likes to play video games, re-watch Sherlock episodes, and overuse parentheses. She's agented by Louise Fury of the Bent Agency. Check out her website.

 

Nicole Byers is an adult horror writer, gamer, and book nerd. She recently moved to Ruckersville, Virginia where she's waiting to see snow for the first time. She's represented by Italia Gandolfo of the GH Literary Management team. Her short fiction appears in both Under the Bed and eFiction Magazine under the pseudonym of Dr. Self Destruct. While she now writes horror, her first love is and always will be high fantasy. Dragons, man. Dragons. Check out her Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

MJ O'Neill writes lighthearted,adult romantic mysteries and contemporary. YA drama-edies full of rich characters and family escapades that will leave you dying with laughter, diving for the tissue box and sometimes both at the same time. She is thrilled to be represented by Lotus Lane Literary and is currently on submission. Check out her blog and follow on twitter.

 

Having spent a lifetime travelling the globe, Kate Larkindale is currently residing in Wellington, New Zealand. A cinema manager, film reviewer and mother, she’s surprised she finds any time to write, but doesn’t sleep much. As a result, she can usually be found hanging out near the espresso machine.

Her short stories have appeared in Halfway Down The Stairs, A Fly in Amber, Daily Flash Anthology, The Barrier Islands Review, Everyday Fiction, Death Rattle, Drastic Measures, Cutlass & Musket and Residential Aliens, among others.

She has written eight contemporary YA novels, five of which other people are allowed to see. She has also written one very bad historical romance. Agented by Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary, she is currently working on a new YA novel that is still looking for a title other than its Twitter hashtag, #juvvielesbian. Her debut novel, An Unstill Life, is available now. Check out her website and Goodreads page, and follow her on Twitter @Vampyre14

A Query Kombat Success

SUPER SORRY this post is late. I thought I scheduled it, but clearly I was wrong. 

Congrats Nicole! It's post like these that make setting up contests worth it. And your author pic is PERFECT for the Halloween spirit!

It was a few months into 2014 and one of my friends linked me to a contest on Twitter called Pitch Slam. This pretty much told me I needed to stop sitting on my butt and actually get my manuscript (titled WHO’S EATING ERIC LYNCH?) out there if I wanted to make anything of myself. Now, keep in mind I’d never used Twitter before, nor have I sent any part of my manuscript to an agent or a contest. “I’ll take this nice and slow,” I told myself. I didn’t want to get too excited, because I knew how discouraged I get when something I crave that hard doesn’t work out.

Well, there I sat, nose inches from the monitor for a good solid week while this contest came and went. Hopes high but expecting disaster, I actually made it into the contest as what the judges called a “Rebel Roadie”: an entry they didn’t think would get agent requests because it was a bit “out there,” but they liked it so much they had to include it in the contest. Long story short, I ended up with 2 partials. Nothing came of those requests but it was nice knowing people enjoyed my story, especially agents. It was maybe even a bit intoxicating.

That same friend sent me a link for Query Kombat. I’d never written a query before, have only read about them and took a few peeks at some example successful queries. I wrote one for the requests from Pitch Slam, but I had no idea how good mine was. So I thought I might as well send it in to Query Kombat. Perfect chance for some query feedback, right? Just had to hope I’d make it in.

Well, out of all those Query Kombat entries, my query and first 250 words made it into the contest! YUS! Being a horror writer, I felt a little out of my element when surrounded by all the YA, fantasy, and contemporary stories, but that was fine…I was in! My Query Kombat run took me to round 3, and I ended up with a partial request from the one agent I had my eyes on throughout the contest.

Unfortunately, much like Pitch Slam, nothing much came of that request. However, the suggestions and feedback I received for my query were invaluable. Seeing how many people loved my narrator’s voice made me feel even more confident to start querying on my own. Time to take this newly polished query and see just how many agents I could woo, you know?

I compiled a list of about 30 agents who accepted horror and urban fantasy. During Query Kombat I received feedback of people telling me my genre would be a hard sell, but I didn’t let that deter me. After all, it might be about angels and demons, but that’s not really the selling point—it’s in the quirky, goofy, schizophrenic, deadbeat human narrator. I just needed to find an agent who saw that.

After sending the query and sample chapters to 8 agents, I ended up with a few partials. One of the agents passed but said she’d send it to another agent in the agency who might be interested. As rejections started to trickle in, I received a partial request (first 50 pages) from the agent who was passed my query. Three days later, she asked for a full. After a short conversation through a couple emails, a few days later she said she’d like to talk about my manuscript over the phone and wanted to know when I’d be available for “the call.”

Pretty much freaking out by this point (I was terrified I’d say something stupid or act like an idiot on the phone), later that night I spoke to Jo Schaffer of the Gandolfo Literary Management team. Most of my anxiety came from all the research I’d done on Jo ever since I sent her my partial. (I mean, c’mon, she’s a blackbelt. How cool is that?!) I’ll admit, I can be a total wreck on the phone. But after a few minutes of talking to Jo and hearing how nice and awesome she was, that anxiety gradually subsided and I realized I could just be myself. There aren’t many people who give off that type of vibe, so I could tell right away there was a connection. When she offered me representation, there were a couple explosions inside my head of “YES” and “OMIGOSH.”

Luckily I kept myself composed until I was off the phone. After that? I kinda walked around like a zombie before I realized what had happened.

So now, a few months into this writer/agent relationship, and after a couple rounds of edits where I rewrote a portion of my novel, my manuscript is in the submission process. I’m already so thankful for Jo and how she’s helped me punch and roundhouse kick my word-baby into shape. Can’t wait to one day cradle it in my arms as a fully realized dream. When that happens, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of screaming and cheering. Maybe even some more zombie-fied walking, too.

-------------------------------------------------- 

Nicole Byers is an adult horror writer. You can often find her on popula writing forums trading feedback and goofing off with her fellow writing nerds. She also enjoys video games, unwinding behind a good book, and watching cat videos on YouTube (because she’s convinced funny cat videos are the reason the internet was made). Her short fiction appears in both *Under the Bed* and *eFiction Magazine* under the pseudonym of Dr. Self Destruct. While she now writes horror, her first love is and always will be high fantasy. Dragons, man. Dragons.



Twitter: https://twitter.com/NDByers

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nicole-Byers/1451498518442782

Agents of Nightmare on Query Street 2014

UPDATED!

The big day is fast approaching. The submission window is October 15th-17th,  and the awesome agents will request from the 28th-30th. Click here to find out all about the contest.

And, so, SPEAKING ABOUT AGENTS....

I'm very excited. Because we've got amazing agents lined up for you, and a diverse selection of them. New agents, established agents, agents new to contests, agents experienced with contests. Agents with genre preferences ranging all over the spectrum!

Have I hyped it up enough for you all?

Ok. Good. 

Without further ado, here come the agents :) (And these aren't necessarily the only agents - more might be coming!)

Rachel Brooks

Before joining the L Perkins Agency, Rachel worked as an agent apprentice to Louise Fury. In addition to her industry training, Rachel has a business degree and graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English from Texas A&M University-CC.
Rachel is actively building her client list.
She is excited about representing all genres of young adult and new adult fiction, as well as adult romance. While she is looking for all sub-genres of romance, she is especially interested in romantic suspense and urban fantasy. She is also on the lookout for fun picture books.

She’s a fan of dual POVs, loves both print and ebooks, and has a soft spot for marketing savvy writers.

Carrie Howland

Carrie Howland joined Donadio and Olson in 2005. In addition to her own clients, she handles both first serial and audio rights for the agency, as well as working with foreign rights and permissions. She also oversees the internship program at Donadio and Olson. Carrie represents literary fiction and non-fiction as well as young adult fiction.

Uwe Stender

Uwe was a guest speaker at several major conferences including the SCWC in San Diego, the Crimebake (Mystery Writers of America New England Chapter), CAPA-U in Hartford, Connecticut, the Writers' League of Texas in Austin, Penn Writers, and he spoke on a panel at the Book Expo America in New York City.

They are always open to any strong fiction (our current focus in fiction is YA, middle grade, Women's Fiction, Literary Fiction and Mysteries) and all non-fiction projects.

Taylor Haggerty

I am drawn to novels with a compelling voice and grounded, relatable characters that pull me into their world from the start. My favorite books have strong emotional elements that stay

 with me long after I finish reading.

My current interests include young adult fiction, historical fiction, and historical romance.

I'm actively seeking middle grade and young adult novels of all genres, historical fiction, women's fiction, and romance—contemporary, historical, and new adult. I do not represent screenplays.

I am a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and received a master’s degree from Emerson College’s Publishing and Writing program. Prior to joining Waxman Leavell in 2013, I worked at the Gersh Agency.

Christa Heskche 

Christa graduated from Binghamton University with a major in English and a minor in Anthropology. She started in publishing as an intern at both Writers House and Sterling Lord Literistic, where she fell in love with the agency side of publishing. Christa has been at McIntosh and Otis, Inc. in the Children's Literature Department since 2009 where she is actively looking for picture books, middle grade, and young adult projects. She is a fan of young adult novels with a romantic angle, and strong, quirky protagonists. Within YA, Christa is especially interested in contemporary fiction, horror and thrillers/mysteries. As for middle grade, Christa enjoys contemporary, humor, adventure, mystery and magical realism for boys and girls. For picture books, she’s drawn to cute, funny, character driven stories within fiction and is open to non-fiction with a unique hook.

Christa is not looking for any Adult fiction or non-fiction, paranormal or dystopian at this time.

Blog: Neverending Stories

Clelia Gore

It was when Clelia first read Charlotte's Web in the first grade that she got hooked by the magic of books. Her love of children's books carried through adulthood and she is delighted to dedicate her life to bringing quality books and stories to young (and whimsical adult!) readers. 

Clelia is originally from New Jersey. She currently divides her time between Seattle and New York. She has a bachelor's degree in English from Boston College. She received her J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law and practiced law as a corporate litigator in New York City. 

In 2011, she decided to dedicate her career to books and reentered graduate school at Emerson College. In 2013, she received her master's degree in Publishing and Writing. While she was studying publishing and taking creative writing courses at Emerson, Clelia worked as a managing editorial intern in the children's book division at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Clelia also honed her editorial skills as an editorial intern at Oxford University Press. She also taught academic writing and research courses to freshman students at Emerson College. 

Clelia acquires middle grade and young adult books. In young adult, she is currently seeking strong voice-driven novels. Right now she is particularly looking for contemporary, realistic novels, as well as books with fantastical elements ("light" fantasies). She is very interested in young adult memoirs featuring unique stories about extraordinary youths. 

In middle grade, Clelia's interests run very wide, but a strong, unique and contemporary voice is always important. Humorous middle grade is her favorite. She is currently on the hunt for middle grade books that have interplay between the illustrations and text.

** With apologies, Clelia is no longer accepting unsolicited picture book or New Adult fiction queries ***

Jen Karsbaek

Jen Karsbaek joined first Larsen Pomada Literary Agency, then Foreword Literary Agency in 2013.

Jen is aggressively looking to build her list with women’s fiction, upmarket commercial fiction, historical fiction, and literary fiction. She looks for books with particularly well-developed characters and strong authorial voice. In historical in particular she is interested in books that bring the setting to life and maintain balance between historical accuracy and strong plot choices. She is also interested in mystery, fantasy, and occasionally romance approaches to any of the genres listed above. She is not looking for YA or anything that is primarily fantasy, romance, or science fiction.

Leon Husock

Prior to joining the L. Perkins Agency, Leon was an associate agent at Anderson Literary Management. He has a BA in Literature from Bard College and attended the Columbia Publishing Course. 

Leon is actively building his client list.

He has a particular interest in science fiction & fantasy, young adult and middle-grade novels filled with strong characters and original premises, but keeps an open mind for anything that catches his eye. 

He is also looking for historical fiction set in the 20th century, particularly the 1980s or earlier.

He is not interested in non-fiction at this time. 

Diana Finch

While I love to represent a wide variety of books, I do have a particular enthusiasm for narrative nonfiction, memoir and journalists who are writing about current events. I opened my own agency in 2003 after nearly 18 years with the Ellen Levine Literary Agency. 

Brent Taylor

My tastes are eclectic, but all of my favorite novels are similar in that they have big commercial hooks and fantastic writing. I am seeking smart, fun, and exciting books for readers of middle grade, young adult, new adult, and select mystery/crime and women’s fiction. 

Middle Grade: for younger readers I am on the hunt for a humorous, intelligent fantasy; a scare-the-pants-off-me ghost or haunting story; fast-paced literary writing similar in style to Jerry Spinelli and Cynthia Lord. I have soft spots for larger-than-life characters and atmospheric setting (creepy and/or quirky). 

Young Adult: I’m always looking for genre-bending books that can be an exciting puzzlement when thinking about how precisely to market; specifically mystery and crime for teens, the grittier the better; high-concept contemporary stories with addicting romantic tension. I’m a sucker for themes of finding your place in the world, new beginnings, and summer-before-college stories. 

New Adult: my tastes in New Adult tend to be more darkly skewed but I would love a well-executed story that shares the same excitement, wonder, and invigoration of books like LOSING IT. Although I appreciate any story that’s told well in great language, in New Adult I’m more concerned with being entertained and gripped by the edge of my seat than in being stimulated.

Adult: I would love a psychological suspense based on actual events, i.e. CARTWHEEL by Jennifer Dubois which fictionalized the Amanda Knox trial and hooked me from beginning to end. Alternatively, I’d love high-concept women’s fiction; either an exquisitely told story huge in size and scope, or a less ambitious novel that simply warms my heart.

From Writer's Digest

Mark Gottlieb 

Trident has had great success at "home growing" talented individuals from entry level positions into leading agents in the publishing industry. With Mark Gottlieb, the term "home grown" agent is literally true.

From an early age, Mark showed a passionate interest in his father's work, his founding of Trident with Dan Strone, and the growth of the company. And his father Robert took great pleasure in being "grilled" regularly by Mark.

This focus on publishing continued at Emerson College, where Mark was a founding member of the Publishing Club, then its President, subsequently overseeing its first publication under the Wilde Press imprint.

After graduating Emerson with a degree in writing, literature and publishing, Mark began his career as an assistant to the Vice President of the Berkley imprint at Penguin, working with leading editors at the firm.

Mark's first position at Trident was in the foreign rights department, assisting the department's agents in selling the books of clients around the world.

From there, Mark went to Trident's "boot camp," working as Executive Assistant to Robert, the Chairman of the firm, with responsibility for organizing and helping to manage diverse authors and their complex business transactions.

Mark continued to follow the customary Trident development process by next assuming the position of audio rights agent. Since Mark has managed the audio rights business, the annual sales volume has doubled (for more information on audio books, please see the Audio Books page under our Services tab).

While at Trident, Mark has shown great initiative and insight in identifying talented writers for the firm's agents. Now while continuing to head up audio rights, Mark is building his own client list of writers. "I am excited to work directly with authors that I bring to Trident, helping to manage and grow their careers with all of the unique resources that are available to me at Trident."

Andrea Somberg

A literary agent for close to fifteen years, Andrea Somberg represents a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, including projects aimed at a young adult and middle grade audience. Previously an agent at the Donald Maass Agency and Vigliano Associates, she joined Harvey Klinger Inc. in the spring of 2005. Her client list is quite full, however she is always actively looking to take on new authors who write in the following categories: Fiction; literary, commercial, womens fiction, romance, thrillers, mystery, paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, young adult, new adult, middle grade. Nonfiction: memoir, narrative, popular science, pop-culture, humor, how-to, parenting, self-help, lifestyle, travel, interior design, crafts, cookbooks, business, sports, health & fitness. Andrea has also been a MediaBistro instructor, teaching courses on writing nonfiction and memoir book proposals.

Patricia Nelson

Patricia Nelson joined the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency as assistant to Kevan Lyon in March 2014, and became an agent in September 2014. Previously, she interned at The Angela Rinaldi Literary Agency and in the children’s division at Running Press.

Patricia represents adult and young adult fiction, and is actively looking to build her list. On the adult side, she is interested in literary fiction and commercial fiction in the New Adult, women’s fiction, and romance genres. For YA, she is looking for contemporary/realistic fiction as well YA mystery/thriller, horror, magical realism, science fiction and fantasy. She is also interested in finding exciting multicultural and LGBTQ fiction, both YA and adult. In general, Patricia loves stories with complex characters that jump off the page and thoughtfully drawn, believable relationships – along with writing that makes her feel completely pulled into these characters’ lives and worlds.

Patricia received her bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary in 2008, and also holds a master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in Gender Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Before joining the world of publishing, she spent four years as a university-level instructor of literature and writing.

This is going to be a FUN contest. So get your manuscripts and pitches polished and ready to go for the scariest, spookiest writerly contest this side of the Internet!

A NoQS Success!

Monsters Rule. Spooks and Minions Drool! That is all I have to say about that. On to the success story!

In the fall of 2012, I accepted a dare from a colleague in the English department where I teach: to join him and a group of our students in NaNoWriMo.  Since I’m one of the principle teachers of creative writing at our school (this haven for intellectual oddballs and the gifted, sometimes called “Hogwarts for Hackers”), it made sense.  I’d had a loose idea for a world and a story in me for years but never made my own writing – or, really, myself – enough of a priority to write it down. But I knew my characters already, and I knew what was facing them, and the thought of finally getting it out was so appealing.

I could never have predicted how that one, agreeable shrug of my shoulders would lead to such a complicated future.

When Nightmare on Query Street 2013 came around almost a year later, I was a first-time novelist with a complete ms and a fistful of loyal CPs found through the hope and happenstance of AgentQuery Connect (I’m looking at you, Michelle and Pete).  I had a query letter they’d kicked up and down cyberspace for weeks, a synopsis, some spiffy first chapters, and …

          

A word count problem.  Like, to the tune of an adult fantasy manuscript 134K strong.  By the time Michelle, Mike, and S.C. made the all-call NOQS entries, I’d already racked up a month’s worth of rejections and some detailed CP notes, all chorusing “cut this thing down, and maybe it’ll go somewhere.”  Encouraged by my writer-friends to give the contest a go, I wrote my “MC’s greatest fear” paragraph, squinted fussily at my query, spit-shined page one, and sent it all off.

            

Then I sat down to make good on my submission’s claim that the project was actually 125K.

I know what you’re thinking:  “You … lied about your word count?” 

Well, sort of.  No.  Not “sort of.”  Yes, I did. (Not-so-subliminal message:  DO NOT do this!)  I had a strategy planned out:  I would submit with that word count, dive into my CP notes, and start editing down.  By the time I knew if I’d made the contest, the ms would be the promised length, and really, that tightening needed to happen either way.  I had been reluctant to cut for months, insisting I had already taken out as much as could go (it had been 146K, once upon a time – STOP LAUGHING AT ME). Creating this sense of urgency would make me do the job at last.  (Do not do this… Do not do this… Play with fire and you get burned… Look both ways before you cross the street… DO NOT DO THIS.  Please.)

          

Poking about the NOQS forum on AQC, I saw Mike tease about dropping his final pick for another spotted at the last minute – a really interesting adult fantasy he couldn’t pass up.  And then, a day or so later, lo and behold: I – or, my manuscript, THE NINE, rather – was a Monster.  The actual manuscript was only down to 130K at this point, not the advertised 125K, and so, even as I gabbled on Twitter with the other contestants and our growing, cheerful fan bases, I worked furiously behind the scenes to cut, cut, cut. 

By the end, I had one ten page, three fifty page, and one full request.  Twenty-four hours after the contest closed, I was down to 122k and sent my beastie off, praying after its electron trail.

Time passed.  By December, two of those partials became fulls.  The original contest full lingered out there, unanswered. 

In February 2014, still haunting the Twitter pages of two agents from NOQS who hadn’t yet decided on the full, I discovered #MSWL.  There, I found a request tweeted by Agent Overwhelming:  a funny, charming, unfailingly polite personage with an impressive sales streak. I had long since decided that querying there was out of my league, but the #MSWL message sounded just enough like my work…

I gave it a shot.

Three hours after I sent the query, it turned into a request for a full.  Nine days later, I was talking to Agent Overwhelming on the phone, going over ideas and details for an R&R.  I babbled.  Lord knows how I must have sounded.  Agent Overwhelming, though, was completely clear:  these kinds of phone calls are rare, and serious, but not a guarantee.  No promises from Overwhelming that writing the revision meant representation – and so, no expectation that the revised ms would be an exclusive, either. 

That, as it turned out, would prove as important to my eventually getting an agent as NOQS itself.

It was just six months after I’d started querying, and I had an R&R.  I planned it down to the finest detail and set aside my entire upcoming summer break to tackle the job.  In early June, it dawned on me that I really should take advantage of the non-exclusive agreement offered.  I contacted all the agents who had read the previous full or had it in hand then (including a small press who had offered on a prior version) and let them know a new copy would be available soon, if they wanted it.

One of the first agents to respond to that offer was Agent October, the agent whose request – even though it wasn’t a full – had had me the most excited during NOQS.  I’d had a stack of raggedy post-it notes in my desk drawer for months prior to actually beginning querying, written in more or less my fantasyland order of “agents I wish would sign me.”  (These were, naturally, also the agents I was most afraid of querying.)  Agent Overwhelming and Agent October’s names were written side by side, with slashes separating them, top of the list.  Imagine my surprise when Agent October responded to the revision offer, confirming that she actually had just recently finished reading my ms.  She’d had some misgivings about it and thought a re-read was in order.  I described the changes I’d discussed with Agent Overwhelming, and she felt they largely addressed her concerns.  She added two points of her own, which I quickly included in my to-do list.  Then I powered on, completing a first draft, CP rounds and notes, and a final draft all by the first week of August 2014.

I sent the revision – practically a speed-skater at 114K (STOP LAUGHING) – to several interested agents, the small press, and (of course) Agents Overwhelming and October. 

I waited, but not for very long.  When the small press editor came back with yet another offer, I sent the word around and found myself on the phone with Agent Overwhelming again.  Not wanting to endanger the small press as an option by making them wait overlong, Overwhelming vowed to finish reading by the following Monday and get back to me.  Other agents followed suit.  Mercifully, the school year was starting again.  I threw myself into the distraction of class prep. 

Monday came, bringing no news with it.  By lunchtime Tuesday, I felt the small press deadline closing in and nudged Agent Overwhelming for a status report.

The response came less than one minute later.

Agent Overwhelming had not been overwhelmed.  The email was polite, professional, encouraging.  Sympathetic.  It ended with an invitation to share future work, and best wishes.  None of that stopped me from sitting slack-jawed at my desk, staring at the screen as if I could will the message away.  It wasn’t that I assumed I was already in.  I am extraordinarily good, actually, at not getting my hopes up.  I had written the revision, telling myself all the while that the reason to do it was because I believed the advice given would make a better book.  Everything beyond that was hope – less than hope, it was a guess, a stab in the dark.  It was that dream-list on a raggedy post-it note.

          

That well-ordered, rational thinking didn’t console me much. 

I wondered how I could have fooled myself into thinking I was in anybody’s league.  Anything other than bush-league.  I was a first-time novelist, a lifelong writer with a career of putting my own ideas aside in favor of teaching others how to excel.  I was a living embodiment of that horrible adage about how those who can do, and those who can’t, teach.  I remembered the small press offer, but now, as I researched the costs associated with a good publishing attorney to review documents, it seemed the billable hours would equal or exceed my probable earnings.  Whatever THE NINE earned would be almost entirely through my own marketing, something I knew nothing about.  I was in over my head and had been from the start.  I was finally getting my cosmic punishment for my word-count gamble.  I had dared, and gotten close, and it was just that I should get my smack-down now.  Simple as that.

My sadness gave way to a dull sense of foreboding – an absolute conviction that the next 24 hours would be parade of “no”s from the remaining agents.  Instead, at 3:30 that same afternoon, my email winked with a message from Bridget Smith.  Agent October, the first agent to ever request my full manuscript based on reading a partial.  The first agent to want more of my work, knowing what it was really like.  The first name, side-by-side with Agent Overwhelming’s, to have made my dream list. 

She was glad to have read the revision, because she really liked it.  She felt more confident about it, reading it slowly, carefully, taking time to “admire [my] skillful writing”!  Could we talk tonight?

Yes.  Let’s talk now.

A half hour later, my phone rang, and the whole world changed.  I told myself not to listen with rebound-ears.  There was a chance this might not be a fit.  I shouldn’t jump at acceptance because I was still stinging from rejection. 

But it was a fit – a perfect fit.  Bridget had noticed things about the manuscript, details of character and world-building that I had put in almost as Easter eggs.  I’d never counted on a reader finding them, but she had and she got them.  She had insights into the culture of my world, daring suggestions about shoring up storyline, and authentic curiosity. She was the perfect blend of enthusiastic and genuine – never gushing or putting on a show.  And she didn’t shrink from my toughest questions.  She had some editors in mind for submission and felt that the book could go bigger than the small press who had offered to me.  She was ready to really work her experience in the sf/f market.  As the conversation wound to a close, I told her I needed to let the other agents know of the offer – and she asked about Agent Overwhelming.

          

Was it just my imagination that she didn’t sound terribly disappointed about Overwhelming’s decision to pass?

   

When my cursor hovered over “send” on my first query back in August 2013, to predict where I’d be in a year, I would never have mapped out this strange, winding road.  I certainly wouldn’t have imagined it would lead right back to the beginning – to my first and fondest hope.

People tell you patience is key to querying, and they’re right.  October 2013 to August 2014 kind of patience.  Luck is part of it, too.  The luck of finding amazing CPs, for one:  Michelle, and Pete, and eventually Maura.  The luck that opens the doors to opportunity:  Mike’s taking a second look at my entry and swapping it in.  There’s an absolute, full-frontal nudity of the ego when querying, and entering contests, and being rejected.  You can’t know when you start if or how you’ll reach your goal, or how many expectations will be broken along the way.  You can’t predict which gambles will pay off and what paths will cross, or how they’ll all suddenly come together, as if it were meant to be.   As if you’d written the end of the story on a scrap of paper before you even began.

You can’t know.  That’s why we try. 

 -----------------------------------------

Tracy Townsend lives in Bolingbrook, Illinois and teaches English at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy.  She has studied at DePauw University, the National University of Ireland (Galway), and DePaul University, where she obtained degrees in English, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric.  She is a member of the Science Fiction Research Association and other academic organizations, which has allowed her to write very long things and read them aloud to people who are obliged to behave politely.  Her background as a lapsed Catholic, an assistant martial arts instructor, a comic book fangirl (Make Mine Marvel!), a tabletop role-player, and an obsessive hound for obscure mythologies inspired her writing of The Nine.  Inexplicably, other uses for that resume have yet to present themselves.  She is represented by the strikingly elegant and classy Bridget Smith of Dunham Lit. 

Tracy devotes time she doesn’t have to cooking, gardening, writing, and seriously pondering the treadmill in her basement.  She is married to her high school sweetheart, with whom she shares two remarkable children.  They are – naturally – named after characters from books.

You can find Tracy on Twitter (@TheStorymatic) more often than she really ought to be.

https://twitter.com/TheStorymatic

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/26540446-tracy-townsend

A World in Perspective

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a writer. Similar to my gender or race, it's just WHO I am. I can't hide it, and I don't want to. Usually when people find out, they say, "Oh, that's cool," and proceed to ask WHAT I write about (which is a pretty hard question to answer without sounding completely bonkers, but I digress--only because most writers [myself included] are a little loony).

Today, however, I was asked a different question: "Dude, why?"

His face looked like this when he asked

Though I answered with a simple shrug, saying "Because...

 

internally, I was baffled by the question. I spent the rest of the day asking myself "why the hell do I write?" I mean, it's mentally draining, time consuming, and not financially rewarding. On top of that, once I finish a novel, I have to reread it until my eyes bleed, send it out for others to hack to pieces, then rewrite it until my fingers fall off. And don't let me get started on the querying process. 

If writing was sex, querying would be an STD

So WHY do I write? What makes all the BS that comes with it worth it?

For me, the answer lies in all that I've been through. I've experienced immense happiness and crushing sadness. At my lowest, I turned to fiction to raise my spirits. Novels became my escape; they showed me that the world held a lot more than what was going on in MY world. I read stories about  how people hurtled insurmountable obstacles, defeated unbeatable beasts, and became stronger and better than the person they were the day before. Those stories gave me hope. They gave me the strength needed to make it through the tough times. 

Those stories saved my life.

At my happiest (when I was idealistic and walking on clouds), fiction grounded me. I was reminded that the world wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. People were starving, suffering, being enslaved, being tortured... 

I was reminded that beauty is all about perspective...

 

Fiction taught me that the world CAN be beautiful from every point of view. But in order to accomplish that, I had to get my head out of the clouds. I had to bring my own form of beauty to the ugly parts of the world. 

And I do that through my writing.

My Best Friend Dead, DeadEarth, The Thieves Guild, Black Market Baby, Kids of Kingdom... every story that I have penned has a certain beauty to it. Even if that beauty is just pulling back the mask on the ugly.

I write because I have a dream that the entire world can live with their head in the clouds. And it would be rightly so. 

That's why I write, so why do you?

Nightmare on Query Street-What You Need to Know!

*Update: No bio or comp titles with your submission, and ONE entry per person. 

It's back, and it's badder than ever.

IT'S Nightmare on Query Street!!!!!!!!! Don’t have a scary manuscript, DON'T WORRY. Just read on.

A brand new year, a brand new evil.

This contest, as it runs in the Halloween time, is all about FEAR.


The Details:

The submission window opens at 12 noon (EST) on October 15th. The window will close at 12 noon (EST) October 17th or when we receive 225 entries.

Michelle, Mike, and SC will make twelve picks each, and those twelve picks will go up on our blogs from the 22nd through the 25th, where (SURPRISE, change from last year!) there will be a mentor round. OooooooOOOoooOOooo. We've already got amazing mentors lined up, so know that your entries will be amazingly polished when agents come in on the 28th through the 30th. Then, CELEBRATE! Halloween is the day after :)

We are accepting all age categories and genres, excluding picture books and exotica. But be sure to check our list of agents when it goes live to see if they represent your book's genre.

If you plan on participating in the contest, you have to be following all our blogs (Michelle, Mike, and SC).

It's pretty simple, actually. 

But there's a catch.

Along with your query and 250, you must write a SHORT paragraph (no more than 100 words) about your main character. This is the question you must answer:

What is your main character's most fearsome obstacle? 

The Format:

Send all your submissions to nightmareonquerystreet (at) yahoo (dot) com. Only one submission per email address or person is allowed.

Here's how it should be formatted (yes, include the bolded and everything!). Please use Times New Roman (or equivalent), 12 pt font, and put spaces between paragraphs. No indents or tabs are needed.

Subject Line of Email: NoQS: Title, age category genre

Example: NoQS: Pygmy Hazards, MG humor

Title: MY FANTASTIC BOOK (yes, caps!)

Genre: Adult Fantasy (no caps; age category AND genre)

Word Count: XX,XXX

My Main Character's Greatest Fear:

My MC's most fearsome obstacles is potatoes. (Please, spend some time on this! I know that I will be looking at this to make up for gaps in the query and 250. It gives us a chance to know your characters better. It doesn't have to be horror-scary. It can be more subtle.)

Query:

Here is my fantastic query!

First 250 words:

Here are the first 250 words of my manuscript, and I will not end in the middle of a sentence, even if I hit 252 words.

And that's it! Send in that email during the submission window and you're ready to go :) There will be a confirmation email!!

This should be FUN. This is a Halloween-themed contest, so please please please, spend time on the MC's most fearsome obstacle paragraph!!!! It should be a LOT of fun. If you're writing a funny book, make a funny twist on the question, or say your MC is scared of strawberries or something. If it's a serious/sad book, you should have a field day, because the MC's fear might be so heart-wrenching.

This is a new way to pitch, so have fun with it (and don't stress out over it like its a query or something).

So go over and follow our blogs (Michelle, Mike, and SC) and our Twitters (Michelle, Mike, and SC) (we're Tweeting under the hashtag #NoQS) to stay in touch with all that we're doing. 

I AM VERY VERY VERY EXCITED. I can't wait to see your answers to the question!!!!

A Query Kombat Success

The success from Query Kombat keeps on coming! Now we have Holly Jennings, who incidentally will be a mentor for Nightmare on Query Street! You'll remember her from her great NA entry, Making Boys Cry! Here's the agent round post. Congrats, Holly!

In the summer of 2013, I came across Query Kombat for the first time. All I could think was "I wonder if I'll ever write something good enough to make it into that contest." As a short story writer, I'd tried my hand at novels now and again but didn't have anything worth submitting.

That same summer I started reading New Adult books and loved the "you're 18 now, deal with it" consequences. Shortly after, I came across a documentary about 18-year-old kids dropping out of college and trying to make it as professional video game players. What an idea for a new adult book! The geek in me immediately warped the concept into a future where virtual reality gaming is a national sport and gamers are pro athletes.

But wait. That wasn't right. I wrote short stories. I wrote fantasy. They're what I'd come home to every night for years. But with a juicy premise, a kick-butt female protag, and a hunky male love interest, I just couldn't say no.

Yes. I decided to cheat and it was everything an affair should be: fast, steamy, and unquenchable desire. I'd never had a story come out so quickly. I wrote the first ten thousand words in less than three days and it poured out like fourth draft material. It felt magical. I couldn't ignore the little voice that whispered "hey, this time something's different."

I slowly started entering contests and querying in April 2014. I got invaluable feedback from judges and a few partial requests, which ultimately ended in rejections. But they were personalized rejections from agents about what they loved and what wasn't working. Wow. Personalized rejections! Along with recommendations for improvement, I kept seeing the same comment again and again: "Your concept is unique and really stands out. Someone out there is going to love it."

This sent me into overdrive. I entered more contests. I did workshops for queries and opening chapters. Every spare minute I had went into the novel. Then Query Kombat 2014 rolled around. Just a year before I had questioned if I'd be good enough for the contest. Was I going to try? I closed my eyes and sent my entry in. To my complete amazement, not only did I get in, but also received three agent requests and got knocked out just before the semi-final round.

The next day, I sent out my requests, a few of which were soon upgraded to fulls. After radio silence for nearly a month, I decided it was time to send another round of queries into the agenting world, so I spent the weekend researching and personalizing six letters.

On Monday, I checked my email at lunch and had a reply from an agent who had my full. I cringed. Out of everyone who had requested my material, this was THE agent I was hoping would enjoy the book. But after past rejections, there was no doubt in my mind it would be a polite "loved the concept, but X, Y & Z wasn't working for me..." type of email.

I scanned through the message as quickly as I could until I saw phrases like "I'd be thrilled to represent you" and "are you available for a phone call?" Being at work I couldn't scream in the middle of the office. Instead, I bolted for the women's washroom and happy danced in front of the stalls.

That night I had the call. Being someone who's extremely shy, I was terrified. But the agent kept gushing over my book so that helped me relax. A little. I told him I was very interested in representation and needed a week to follow up with others.

Then I panicked. I had so much to do!

I contacted the six agents I'd just queried. You know that email I sent you yesterday? Well, oops. I have an offer so please disregard. A few replied with congratulations and more "your premise looks amazing!" comments which shot me from cloud nine right into outer space.

Of the agents with outstanding partials, a few stepped aside. Two immediately upgraded to fulls and asked for a week to get back to me. As the days went by wondering if I'd get another offer, I realized I didn't care. I already had the agent I wanted right from the minute he requested my book through Query Kombat.

So now I can proudly say I'm represented by Leon Husock of the L. Perkins Agency and it's all because of the contest. Big thanks to Mike, Michelle and SC. Without them, I don't know where I'd be right now.

I can also say I've gone back to fantasy, but this time it's new adult fantasy and I've never felt more at home.

Holly Jennings is a member of SF Canada and writes from her home in Tecumseh, Ontario. Her short work has been published in Daily Science Fiction, AE Sci-Fi Canada, and the Clarion Writer's Craft blog. She now writes new adult speculative novels about being eighteen and lost in fantasy worlds or sci-fi futures. For more, check out her website at www.hnjennings.com or follow her as she attempts to understand Twitter @HollyN_Jennings.

Nightmare on Query Street

One...Two...We are coming for you.

Three...Four...There will be a slush war.

Five...Six...Get your query fixed.

Seven...Eight...Make your first page great.

Nine...Ten...Yes, we're at it again.

Nightmare on Query Street

October 2014

Face the Fear