The Link Slushpile #2

Here's another round of link-worthy posts:

How do you know if you are a 'newbie' in the publishing industry? Publishing for Profit has several tell-tale signs. Check it out to see if you are making any beginner mistakes.

Have you dreamed of receiving the all-important call from an agent, offering you representation? In your fantasies, do you have a plan of what to say next? The agent call is an important time to find out if he or she is a good fit for you and your work. Don't squander this opportunity. Be prepared with a list of questions. QueryTracker interviewed four published authors about the questions they asked agents during 'the call.' Another great resource for preparing your list can be found on AgentQuery.

Lastly, in honor of today's date, Alice (editor of Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market) and Jennifer Jackson (literary agent) both provided a little April Fools humor. Jennifer gave some tongue-in-cheek updates to her submission rules. Be warned, Alice's Ten Tips for Effective Queries should also be read with an eye for sarcasm. Thanks for keeping it light, ladies!

Quick Update

Good news!

I have formally accepted an offer of representation from JD DeWitt at The View Literary Agency. Check her out at: http://www.theviewlit.com/. More on this later.

Cheers!

Opening Day

It's Day One of the blog and I feel like the owner of a new restaurant. Come, taste the fine cuisine at Le Garrigues.

Although this is the first post, I am not new to blogging, nor am I green when it comes to writing. While earning my Master's degree from James Madison University, I was awarded Best Graduate Paper at a statewide conference. Currently, I am considering an offer of agent representation (TBA) for a couple of my picture book manuscripts.

One of my goals is to create intelligent, adventurous, and engaging stories of children from a variety of backgrounds that must look within themselves to overcome everyday challenges. Kids are smart; believe me, I am around them all day. They can figure out a lot on their own. Too often parents and teachers rush in to a conflict, rather than allow the child to problem-solve on their own. I want to encourage this developing skill within preschool children, which is why I model it through my characters.

Now for a bit more on the blog, here's a list of things I will post:
--Updates on my career as an author
--Samples of my work
--Relevant publication information
--Useful industry news, links, and advice for other authors

I will not post:
--Full manuscripts
--Detailed information on my agent (other than name and link), publisher, contracts, or sales
--Criticism of others in the industry (I will leave that job to those more qualified...for example, http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/ )

Thanks for trying the fare and please come again!