Here's an interview with KidLit literary agent Lori Kilkelly.
She's joined by author/illustrator Lori Richmond, author of Bunny's Staycation and Bunny Business.
Today we talk about getting an agent, the slush pile, and pet peeves when it comes to querying.
Mom Writes Podcast
by Abby Mathews
Two writer moms and a book coach meet each week for coffee and chat about writing and parenting. Follow along as veteran book coach Jennie Nash of Author Accelerator helps writer-moms Abby Mathews and Melanie Parish write a book from start to finish, along the way sharing the dirty laundry behind writing with kids.
Latest Episodes
Twitter pitching. I always said I’d never do it.
And then my friend Lidija Hilje, the Pitching Queen, talked me into it. Lidija also helped me put the final polish on my query letter, so since she also said she would help me polish my Twitter pitch, I agreed.
Of course she talked me into it two da…
We had a really great question come in from my friend and fellow writer, Mindy. She wanted to know about “the nudge.” She wanted to know when it was okay to nudge an agent who has your manuscript.
(Side note, Mindy has been working her butt off querying agents while writing her second book. She’s ha…
This is not a full episode. This is an invitation. I’ve decided (very spontaneously, mind you) to do something a wee bit different this week. As some of you may know, PitMad is on Thursday.
PitMad is a Twitter pitching contest.
Now, as some of you may also know, I’ve sworn I will never partic…
My first rejection is in the bag!
Actually, my first two.
Jennie made me promise to screen record opening my first response from an agent. So this episode starts with me (actually) opening and reading my first rejection and Jennie’s response to it.
The theme of today’s episode is don’t take it pe…
Today Jennie and I talk about the toxic “Pick Me!” attitude that many writers have towards querying. We look at the different types of energy we as writers bring to the pitching process, and how feelings of desperation hurt more than help.
As I look to continue to query, I know I need to personalize…
This episode actually made me feel a zillion times better about querying, and it gave me some patience with the process.
It’s really no surprise that after only a single week (we’re talking not even seven full days) I’ve heard nothing from the one (ONE!) agent that I exclusively queried. It’s very …
Hip hip hooray! Today we invite you to join us as we press send on my (Abby’s) first (and exclusive) pitch.
There’s not much to sum up today, except to say that Mel makes her first appearance in Season 3! She comes to give us an update on where she’s at with her book and to support me while I make …
In this episode, we review the overall pitching process.
Here's a run-down if you've missed it:
Get your manuscript in "good enough" shape to pitch. Remember, there's still more work to be done once you get picked up!
Make sure your query is stellar. (No pressure, right?!)
Write short personalizatio…
It's the Query Letter Episode!!!
I have written my query letter no less than 45 times (and it feels like 45 ka-zillion times). Some passes over my query letter have involved big, sweeping changes. Others have been small tweaks, looking to do things like cut an overabundance of adjectives. But every …
When you finally choose an agent to pitch (or 20 or 30), what do you do? I'm interested in sending out a series of exclusives. It's a weird strategy, and it might not work. (As a matter of fact, I might scrap the whole thing after this first round. You never know!) But for whatever reason, this is w…
Today we have (surprise!) more talk about agents. What if you're pitching an agent, but you are open to eventually dipping your toes in self-publishing or hybrid publishing? Or changing genres? Or co-writing?
Jennie says, "And when you get to a conversation with an agent, these are things you migh…
Today Jennie breaks down agents and strategy in all kinds of different ways.
First, she talks about agents and what they strategically do for your career (and what they don't). Agents aren't going to say to you, "Llamas are hot right now! Bring me a book featuring llamas!" (Llama just say, I thought…
I know how some of us are feeling. We've worked hard (possibly for years) on a book, and when it comes time to pitch it, there is a worldwide pandemic.
So what do we do? Do we change our stories to reflect the new "normal?" Do we hold off pitching agents? Are agents still working? Are they taking wr…
Today we talk about what to expect when you’re pitching agents. From what to do with your documents to how to keep track of agents, Jennie lays out all the things you need to consider when starting the pitching process.
(And I have one word for you, folks: spreadsheets.)
I also fret because my top, …
Season Three of Mom Writes is all about pitching your completed manuscript to agents! Book coach Jennie Nash walks me, Abby Mathews, through the process of pitching my middle grades novel in hopes of finding an agent, and in turn, a publisher.
But let’s start at the beginning. The first eight episod…
Hi, everyone! We have a Mom Writes season 3 update.
One important announcement I have is that Mom Writes is moving! You will no longer find our current show notes on the Author Accelerator website. Seasons 1 and 2 still live on the Author Accelerator site, so all our old show notes are there. But a…