Stephen King reflected on the magnitude of a novel’s first line. “An opening line should invite the reader to begin the story,” he said. “It should say: Listen. Come in here. You want to know about this.” Preach it, Steve. I’m not saying a killer first line will get you an agent, get your book […]

Susan Spann For many writers, the author-agent relationship is confusing, and even frightening. Sometimes, authors forget that agents are people (just like us) instead of literary krakens who feed on authors’ hopes and dreams. The author-agent relationship is a partnership. Like any business arrangement, it can lead to great success or crater into the ground […]

By Chuck Sambuchino Ready to send your book out and contact agents? The last thing you want to do is to rush that submission out the door and hurt your book’s chances. When submitting your all-important query to agents or editors, it’s not just a question of what to write in the letter—it’s also a […]

By Laura Drake After fourteen years of trying, I signed with an agent this month!  That’s a lot of years to keep at something. But during down times along the way I've thought back to the first spark of the story, to get the inspiration to keep going. Before I learned to ride my own, I rode pillion […]