Sunday, April 1, 2012

Guest Post: From Pitch to Sale

Ok, I have totally been neglecting my blog and I know it. I spent a month stressing over a guest post I agreed to write (which is really silly, since...I write posts all the time) that sucked up all my time. Among other things.

Anyway, check it out:


I can’t speak for all agents; this business is as subjective as it is variable. But I thought it might be interesting to shed some light on how things work as I see them in the writing world, from first look to sale. So, here it is – what happens from the moment a writer hits SEND on that query letter…

I usually know from the first paragraph of a pitch if I’m going to turn to sample pages in a query.

What grabs my attention: a unique angle (or hook) in a genre I represent, with elements I love (i.e., a dark tragic historical YA, gothic steampunk, or sensual and funny historical romance). Something I haven’t already seen 100 of that week....

READ MORE on www.wovynmist.com

And in case you wonder what happens from sale to shelf - the amazing Liz Pelletier of Entangled talks about that here (and yes, that is a picture of me with wine at the bottom of the article).

6 comments:

  1. Just checked it out. I love the specifics you gave! It's always something I'm sure every writer wonders. What exactly do agents look for in a query and how does it progress from there? And I'm sure it varies per agent, so I'm glad you shared your insights!! :D

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  2. We loved your article. Thanks for your time, we would love to have you again.

    Hebah Abdelqader
    wovenmyst.com

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  3. YOUR ARTICLE IS GOOD you can follow my blog
    www.stepbystepintoenglish.blogspot.com

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  4. Hi Natalie--just saw that your blog is listed as one of the industry's best in the latest Writer's Digest magazine. I've been popping by for a few months and completely agree. You share great info in an encouraging way. Thanks for giving us an inside look at "agentland" and congratulations on being recognized by Writer's Digest!

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  5. Excellent advice that fits for any genre! I'd like to see what else you have to offer, since you are becoming increasingly popular - or so it seems. :)

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  6. Very cool guest post! I really enjoyed reading it!

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