If this is you and your character’s name is ALY then you need to email me because there is no contact on your web page!
ALWAYS be googlable writers! ALWAYS! Alternatively , you could invest 20 bucks a month on publisher’s marketplace profiles instead of a website to reach industry folk and have them be able to reach you.
Awesome.
Survey Confirms Younger Generation Less Interested in Traditional Reading Habits
The Bookseller’s Reading the Future Survey, presented at a conference last week, reports only half of young people aged 18-24 years old think people will still be using bookshops in 20 years’ time. Looking deeper into 18-24 year olds’ reading habits, the survey found that 28% were favourable towards the idea of e-readers, compared to 9% of 65+ year olds, and 40% liked the idea of downloadable chapters of books, compared to 7% of 65+ year olds. Transworld publisher Bill Scott-Kerr said at the conference that the statistics point to where publishers are headed in the future. We all know the book is a great piece of technology - you can’t drop e-books in the bath. But we as an industry are in a lot of trouble; we don’t know where we are going.”
The Bookseller
Dear Ms. Jote,
I came across your name name while searching through several agent query websites. Your listing indicated that you are interested in representing Graphic Novelists. I was wondering if you would answer a question or two for me:
1. What do you look for in a graphic novel submission? I ask because graphic novels are a truly unique art-form that is quite different from prose. My understanding is that most creators develop a proposal package with a story outline and only a few pages of art due to the lengthy time involved in creating a page; the actual book is created after a publisher has signed on.
2. Has Objective Entertainment handled many graphic novels in the past or recently?
I appreciate any answers/advice that you can provide. Thanks so much for your time.
Dear Mr. Man,
First off, KUDOS for getting to the point sans lengthy preambles!
1. Graphic novel submissions can delve into any subject matter , but I tend to shy away from anything with characters that have super powers. Not my thing. Real life taken to fantastic levels ,or an ironic look at a relatable situation is perfection in my book. We have another agent here that handles the super hero realm as well named Brendan Deneen ( more on him below).
Completed story with a strong first draft (color/bw) artwork is preferable. There is some comfort in knowing that the foundation of a work is there for a publisher, especially if the author/creator is new to publishing and its deadlines. Make sure that you get some kind of credit under your belt too. That helps tremendously.
2. Yes ,yes , YES! Shooting War is a great example of all of the above and it’s creators Dan Goldman and Anthony Lappe are our awesome clients who have relieved TONS of Publicity ( NYT, New York Magazine, Entertainment Weekly etc.)
We also represent the authors of the following titles available at Amazon.com , or through your local comic book store.
Unbeatable by Matthias Wolf
Necessary Evil by Joshua Williams
Book Hunter by Shiga
The Chemist by Jason Boose
and last but not least , our own Brendan Deneen author of Scatterbrain and writer of the new Flash Gordan series!
Newsweek has a great article on the upcoming generation of readers. Apparently this is a “golden age” for Teen authors. See, that is why I call them Lateweek(<—-click here for link to article).
1. There is a real shortage of books about teen subcultures and I’m not talking about obvious ones (Goth, skater, etc)
2. Many of the manuscripts Editors are reading lack a teen voice i.e. , you can totally hear the adult narrating.
3. Everyone is bored with fluff reads and want “real” characters.
4. Big lack in books for boys.
Sidebar: Best upcoming YA I’ve read thusfar ? DIARY OF A CHAV by Grace Dent without a doubt . Subculture+ Teen talk+Real protagonist+ Hi-larious! It’s a UK import and getting well deserved pre-BEA buzz. Pick it up when it comes out!
As successful former VP and Senior Editor at Randomhouse , Daniel Menaker, is a legend in publishing who has brought some of the best contemporary writers alive today into American homes. Now, Menaker is taking books to the internet through the recently launched Titlepage.tv . Here is a short promo for the first hour long show. If you’d like to watch the AMAZING full episode clearly, click on their main site -—>here<—- and enjoy!
of any places to add to my list of writer’s resources, I want to hear them!
Forums, organizations, Writer’s loops in your area, etcetera…I know you’re out there! I can see my blog stats people!
Sorry I haven’t posted in a while! I’ve had no internet connection for a the last 4 days (if you listen closely, you can hear my coworkers freaking :)) , but I have a lot to report from my Floridian adventure! I was on some wonderful panels and heard some great pitches and keynote speakers.It was a great writer’s conference and hopefully I’ll see more of you in Nashville this year for another one!
It’s been a long journey though, so you’ll have to stay tuned for upcoming posts!
Oh, and if you don’t know what Sleuthfest 2008 is, click here.
Glorious Paper Cuts!
