My YA steampunk is coming along nicely, and I had a chance to attend the Milwaukee Writing Workshop with Chuck Sambuchino and a panel of fantastic agents. (You can see who here).
One of the most interesting segments was the first-page panel, where Chuck read aloud a variety of first pages from the crowd, and the eight agents then raised their hands at the moment they'd personally stop reading.
We got through about 35 first pages, from a variety of genres, and got an inside glimpse of an agent's thought process while reading queries, feedback and reasons for stopping. I was impressed with the panel's professionalism, business savvy, and love for stories!
Chuck's final piece of advice for the day? "Put down the remote!" The room chuckled, but it's sadly true. Butt-in-chair time works for a reason, folks.
The conference netted lots of great take-aways, on everything from platform to publishing options. I captured some of the highlights for you below.
New Releases that Deserve a Place on Your Shelves!
In the last week, two books launched that should be on your radar and your TBR.
The conclusion of Gaughen's Robin Hood trilogy, told from the colorful and delightful viewpoint of Scarlet/Marian. And if that's not enough convincing, read my reviews of SCARLET and LADY THIEF.
I was lucky enough to read this one prior to publication, and I'm so excited it's out in the world for all of you now! I loved Ashley Nixon’s pirate fantasy, CUTLASS, and said I
couldn’t wait to see where she took the series. Well, with the release of
FLINTLOCK, the answer is: bigger, broader and even more fun! Catch my full review here.What's on your summer reading list?
I bet you learned a lot from that panel of agents. Would be scary to have your own work being read.
ReplyDeleteI did and it was! Thankfully, they enjoyed it. :)
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