One Writer's Road to Publication:
Finding The Right Agent
Part IV: 'Tis the Season of Angry People
The parking lots in L.A. are an absolute nightmare these days (as are the highways) and most locals seem very impatient, even angry--clear signs that the holidays are quickly approaching!
I'm thankful for online shopping. For me, it beats all of the hassle associated with the holidays: the insane lines, long hours in sweltering malls, and dealing with normally even keeled folks who are now so frazzled and obsessed on getting that perfect gift that they inevitably check their manners at the door. Plus, with some sites I can avoid the killer California sales tax! That, in itself, makes it worthwhile.
I hope that I'm finding you prepared for and looking forward to the holidays. Not stressed and angry.
On the agent front: Agent #1 emailed me this morning. Not-so-good news. The manuscript isn't right for his list at this time. It would have been nice to get some feedback, but as we all know, that's not always forthcoming. Now I'm eagerly awaiting word from the agent who requested an exclusive. The wait can be up to two months. Sigh.
But in the meantime, I'm able to spend more time on the freelance writing and networking--so it's not all bad, right? Plus, I can relax a little during the holidays, obsess more about the food on my plate than the queries I should be drafting. Just kidding. Well... sorta.
On a different note, this month I had the great pleasure of meeting West Wing's John Spencer (who, I was crushed to hear, died of a heart attack on Friday) and gathering some insight into the world of acting. Like publishing, it's a cutthroat business. One that you truly have to love to enjoy and survive. Another, hurry up just to wait type game. But, it's also one of those few careers that are chosen out of pure passion. Everyone here is an actor-slash-something. It might not be a bad thing to give it a shot. Between the writing, of course. Sure beats some of the other ideas I've come up with.
I also had the pleasure of meeting the charming Chris Lockhart, who represents Mel Gibson, Denzel Washington, and Cameron Diaz. He allowed one of my writing groups to pitch screenplay ideas to him. The pitch critiques were painful to watch and pretty much solidified the decision that I, personally, will never attempt to sell a screenplay.
Finally, I had the great pleasure of meeting Barbara Benvil, actress-photographer extraordinaire, who took some publicity photos for me. If you're in the Los Angeles-area and need photos done, I highly recommend her. She's wonderful to work with, and is incredible at what she does.
This issue:
Kate Epstein, owner of the newly founded Epstein Literary Agency, graciously contributed this month's feature article: The Mixed Blessing of a Book Contract. In her piece, she offers suggestions on how to get through life after being awarded the often elusive book contract. By the way, Kate is considering nonfiction work, so if you're in search of an agent for your project, check out her web site: www.Epstein Literary.com.
Kelly James-Enger is our featured writer for December. James-Enger, a former lawyer, is now a full-time freelance writer and author of a slew of books--both fiction and nonfiction.The Q&A is inspiring and informative, so don't miss it!
Finally, I'd like to welcome all of our new subscribers, many of whom this month come to us from Australia, Germany and the Netherlands! Enjoy the site!
Happy holidays, everyone! See you next month!
Jennifer Minar
Editor-In-Chief
WritersBreak.com & Writer's Break Monthly
P.S. Writer's Digest Magazine is now accepting nominations for next year's '101 Best Web Sites for Writers' listing. If you feel WritersBreak.com is worthy of making the list again this year, please write in to nominate us. We'd appreciate it! Simply send an email to writersdig@fwpubs.com and type "101 Best Web Sites" in the subject line.
