Are you looking for a literary agent to represent your manuscript? How do you find the perfect agent for your work? What do agents do for you? How long does it take to see your book in print? If you’ve ever wondered the answers to any of these questions, then this issue is for you! This is our third literary agent issue. We’ve chosen to explore this theme again because it’s important to get to know agents personally and professionally before you have them represent your work. Each literary agent has their own preferences when it comes to queries/submissions and genres they choose to represent… MORE >>

Let WOW! help you start and grow your freelance career! Premium-Green isn’t just markets listings, it’s a guide with community benefits. As a subscriber, each month you receive a 100+ ebook filled with articles not found elsewhere and markets for writers of every genre and profession: freelance gigs for editors, copywriters, ghostwriters, bloggers; fiction markets; anthology calls; magazine markets; writing contests; niche markets; and… MORE >>

Noah Lukeman is the president of Lukeman Literary Management Ltd, which he founded in 1996. He’s also an accomplished author of several bestselling books on writing instruction, including The First Five Pages and The Plot Thickens. In this interview, conducted by WOW! columnist and contributing editor Margo L. Dill, Mr. Lukeman shares his tips for writing query letters, what to avoid when seeking an agent, and the two most important things a writer should do if she wants to get her manuscript published…MORE >>

Armed with an intimate knowledge of the romance publishing scene, Melissa Jeglinski joined The Knight Agency in September 2008 as Associate Agent/Submissions Coordinator. She draws upon her extensive editorial experience in the romance world to boost TKA’s client roster into the national spotlight. Melissa is actively seeking women’s fiction, young adult, and all types of romance including paranormal, inspirational, category, and historical. The agency is also looking for thrillers and futuristic/fantasy projects. WOW! columnist LuAnn Schindler chats with Melissa about how to query her and the other agents at The Knight Agency… MORE >>

Jenny Bent worked in magazines, bookselling, and agenting, most recently at Trident Media Group, before founding The Bent Agency in 2009. In a career spanning fifteen years, Jenny has made a practice of making bestsellers—either by spotting new talent or developing careers for multi-published authors. Her list is varied and includes commercial fiction and nonfiction, literary fiction, and memoir. All the books she represents speak to the heart in some way: they are linked by genuine emotion, inspiration, and great writing and storytelling. In this interview, conducted by WOW! columnist Jodi Webb, Jenny walks us through the process of how an agent submits an author’s proposal to editors and shares some excellent tips for writing a query letter… MORE >>

Julie Powell, author of Julie & Julia, thought cooking her way through Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking was the craziest thing she’d ever do—until she embarked on the voyage recounted in her new memoir, Cleaving. WOW! columnist Margo L. Dill interviews Julie about her latest book, memoir writing, how she went from blogger to bestseller, and how she wound up getting her agent… MORE >>

Marcia Muller is the author of the Sharon McCone mystery series, numbering thirty volumes to date. She began writing the series in the ’70s, and it continues to amaze readers globally as McCone has evolved from a dial phone to computer searches for the criminal element. She’s an award winner and member of Mystery Writers of America as well as Sisters in Crime. In this interview, conducted by C. Hope Clark, Marcia talks about her latest book in the series, Locked In, and shares some tips for mystery writers, including how to craft characters and use plot devices… MORE >>

With fourteen novels under her belt, including Sea Glass, The Pilot’s Wife, an Oprah’s Book Club selection, and The Weight of Water, both of which were made into movies, writer Anita Shreve returns with A Change in Altitude, which delves into the world of twenty-eight-year-old newlywed Margaret as she seeks answers for questions arising after a life-changing incident in distant Kenya. Join us for a conversation with the acclaimed author as she takes time out from her busy schedule to share a bit about her new book and her writing life… MORE >>

After eight years at Berkley Publishing, Kim Lionetti left her position as Senior Editor to join BookEnds Literary Agency in March 2004. In her editorial work, Kim enjoyed overseeing an eclectic list comprised of romances, westerns, mysteries, nonfiction, and general fiction. While she enjoys bringing some of that variety to her agenting life, her particular areas of interest are women’s fiction, mystery, true crime, pop science, pop culture, and all areas of romance. Given her extensive editorial background, she enjoys helping authors shape their work into more marketable products and seeing their writing as part of the “bigger picture.” In this interview, conducted by Gayle Trent, Kim shares her query letter “turn offs,” explains what “sell-through” is, and tells us what she’s looking for in potential clients… MORE >>

Writers attend conferences for many reasons, but one of the biggest draws is the literary agent pitch sessions. Writers get face-to-face time with those in the industry who often appear unreachable. If done correctly, these three-to-ten-minute sessions can land a writer an agent and eventually a book contract. From her experience as the director of the Northern Colorado Writers’ Conference for the past four years, freelancer Kerrie Flanagan has had the opportunity to interact with literary agents on a different level. In this article, she walks you through the steps you need to take to prepare your pitch before you sit down with an agent, the pitch itself, and the follow up. She also talks to several literary agents who share their advice with you on the subject: Jon Sternfeld of the Irene Goodman Agency, Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literary, Jessica Regel of Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, and Ken Sherman of Ken Sherman and Associates… MORE >>