I often get asked what's it like to be a children's editor, what's my day-to-day life like. It's hard to encapsulate because no two days are alike. There's lots of meetings, lots of phone calls, lots of emails and lots of trying to find time to do the actual work of editing in between all the meetings, phone calls and emails, but today felt like a pretty typical day, so I made note of what I did:
A Day in the Life
7:00am-9:00am: Reading at home
10:30am: Arrive in the office
10:30am-11:00am: Read a colleague's submission to discuss at Editorial meeting
11:00am-11:30am: Production meeting--generally known as the meeting where Editors lie to Managing Editorial and Production about how close projects are to going to copyediting or design i.e. being ready to publish. It's a miracle when a projet is meeting all its production schedule deadlines...Reschedule an agent lunch (second rescheduled lunch date with this agent. Oy!)--snow storm coming, too much to do and can't lose three hours today; apologize profusely to agent and pick a new day that I will definitely, absolutely not cancel.
11:30am-12:15pm: Editorial meeting--discussed department housekeeping items such as due dates for Sales sheets and copy and presentations for our upcoming Launch of our Winter 2015 list. Discussed two submissions for possible acquisition; one was a proposal for a horror novel we decided to pass on and the other was the second novel from an author whose debut we published last year that we've decided to acquire; spirited conversations were had on both projects.
12:15pm-1:00pm: Work with my Business Manager and Publisher to put together an Acquisitions P&L (Profit and Loss Estimate--a document we use to decide how much we should pay for a project by projecting potential sales and deducting things like overhead and the cost of paper in the year you think you'll publish the book); route for appropriate signatures.
1:00pm-1:30pm: Quick lunch at my desk.
1:30pm-1:45pm: Review final jacket proof for a middle grade novel due to publish in the spring.
1:45pm-2:15pm: Rework P&L and reroute for signatures.
2:15pm-3:00pm: Catch up on emails. Highlights--an agent emailing to recommend two illustrators for a picture book manuscript she knows I'm trying to pair with an illustrator. Publicity Alert announcing EW excerpt went live for one of my books; celebrate via email with author, agent and publicist. Group Publisher and Head of Sales approve last minute cover change for upcoming middle grade--just in time to make the catalog deadline; send revised cover to author and pray she likes it, but prepare to regroup if she doesn't. Audio sale for a YA; send good news to author.
3:01pm: Lament how it is 3:01 and I've gotten nothing done.
3:02pm-3:33pm: Lose 31 minutes of my life I'll never get back waiting in line for my Grande Non-fat, no water, no foam Chai Latte. Kick myself for not bringing a manuscript with me to read while I wait because of course Starbucks is already a bad scene in the 3 o'clock hour...
3:35pm-4:18pm: Reading/Editing
4:18pm: Consider a cover comp for an upcoming publication that has just arrived in my inbox. Like the concept, but execution not quite right; decide to sit on it for a bit to think through my feedback for the designer.
4:25pm:Receive final signed P&L and prepare offer to agent.
4:40pm: Send offer to agent; fingers crossed that offer will be accepted because I love, love, love this book!
4:41pm-8:00pm: Reading/Editing in the office.
8:00pm-9:30pm: Catch up on emails; make copies and file a few things; organize work to take home (three manuscripts to edit; two submissions to consider) in case there is a snow storm and I can't make it in tomorrow; clean up office somewhat...give up...go home.
Well, it's not earth shattering excitement, but there it is. Missing from this run down would be a couple things I did yesterday: finishing an eight page, single spaced editorial letter and discussing another set of edits with the author via telephone; rejecting two submissions. When I describe this day, most people are a little surprised and sad that my day doesn't include duets with Disney characters. To those I say...me too.
Stacey
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
On Craft--How Not to Edit Away Ambition
I sent off a long Editorial letter today for a book I not only love, but one I am especially impressed by. In my letter, I suggested a pretty major change to the plotting and I wasn't quite sure how the author would respond (see Editors get nervous, too), but ultimately I knew it was the right change for the book and would solve a great many concerns in the narrative. Luckily, the suggestion made sense to my author and he was on board. I'll chalk that up to brilliant editing. But I did spend a great deal of time weighing the pros and cons of this particular edit, which was essentially to excise a large chunk of the plot, which would act as the first domino to fall so to speak and would in turn effect many other plot points in the narrative. I anguished (more so than usual) over the direction my editorial notes were taking. Is this the right thing? Am I certain? I checked in with myself again and again on this question. But alas, I was sure. Then what was my hesitation? Why the need to continually check in with myself on this edit? My fear was that I may have been editing out one of the best things the plot has going for it: its ambition.
I see a lot of manuscripts. A lot. On average, anywhere from 20-30 manuscripts are submitted to me a month. A shocking (or maybe not so shocking) number of them are so similar in theme, subject matter and execution, that it often feels as if writers have been given some formula that someone told them was the magic recipe to publication. The books I pursue for publication are those that stand out from the crowd. A narrative can do that in many ways from the quality of the writing to a stirring emotional baseline to strong characterization to an especially compelling and memorable voice. The books I pursue for publication are usually some combination of all of the above. But the books that get me most excited are the books that are not only artfully crafted, but also those that are ambitiously crafted--a narrative approach that ups the ante. If it's a romance, it's not your typical romance--there's some spin on the traditional boy meets girl, boy loses girl scenario that I didn't see coming. If it's a mystery, it's one where perhaps the main character is an unreliable narrator putting all the clues into question. Or perhaps it's an ordinary story of life and love and work, but told in second person from the perspective of a group...say an office, like in one of my favorite novels And Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris. A narrative that is not executed in a traditional straight-forward manner, but in an approach that is surprising and not often tried is exciting. It's exciting to writers (as it's a satisfying challenge), to editors (after one read of an ambitious narrative, we can already see the NYT book review where Michiko Kakutani sings our author's praises) and for readers who are tired of the same old, same old and are very vocal about that weariness.
Ambition is what gives truly great novels that sparkle and shine that lasts. Why does To Kill A Mockingbird endure? Because it's ambitous and surprising and impressive in that ambition. And I'm not talking about its content, which is indeed masterful, but just as masterful is its ambitious execution. I still recall that feeling of amazement in understanding that Harper Lee had ensnared me in a perfect circular narrative. The great joy in rereading To Kill A Mockingbird is searching for that moment when the narrative made its turn, that moment when Miss Lee set us on the path to return to the moment where we began the novel without us noticing at all. Such a seamlessly, effortlessly executed feat. That is why To Kill a Mockingbird endures.
Today, I sent off an editorial letter to an author who has similar ambition and it would be arrogant of me to not have wondered if my editorial letter to this author wasn't the equivalent of telling Harper Lee to 86 the circular narrative of To Kill a Mockingbird. An editor never wants to mess with the very thing that makes a novel special. So how was I so sure this wasn't what I was doing? I examined what was left of the novel after suggesting a major section of plot be eliminated. And what was left still dazzled and the shine was not at all diminished by what was no longer there.
Editing is also a craft. And until an author has found their editor, an author must edit themselves. Today's thought on craft? Don't edit away your narrative's ambition. Understand what about your narrative's execution makes it stand out in a crowd and cleave to it. All else is superfluous.
Stacey
I see a lot of manuscripts. A lot. On average, anywhere from 20-30 manuscripts are submitted to me a month. A shocking (or maybe not so shocking) number of them are so similar in theme, subject matter and execution, that it often feels as if writers have been given some formula that someone told them was the magic recipe to publication. The books I pursue for publication are those that stand out from the crowd. A narrative can do that in many ways from the quality of the writing to a stirring emotional baseline to strong characterization to an especially compelling and memorable voice. The books I pursue for publication are usually some combination of all of the above. But the books that get me most excited are the books that are not only artfully crafted, but also those that are ambitiously crafted--a narrative approach that ups the ante. If it's a romance, it's not your typical romance--there's some spin on the traditional boy meets girl, boy loses girl scenario that I didn't see coming. If it's a mystery, it's one where perhaps the main character is an unreliable narrator putting all the clues into question. Or perhaps it's an ordinary story of life and love and work, but told in second person from the perspective of a group...say an office, like in one of my favorite novels And Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris. A narrative that is not executed in a traditional straight-forward manner, but in an approach that is surprising and not often tried is exciting. It's exciting to writers (as it's a satisfying challenge), to editors (after one read of an ambitious narrative, we can already see the NYT book review where Michiko Kakutani sings our author's praises) and for readers who are tired of the same old, same old and are very vocal about that weariness.
Ambition is what gives truly great novels that sparkle and shine that lasts. Why does To Kill A Mockingbird endure? Because it's ambitous and surprising and impressive in that ambition. And I'm not talking about its content, which is indeed masterful, but just as masterful is its ambitious execution. I still recall that feeling of amazement in understanding that Harper Lee had ensnared me in a perfect circular narrative. The great joy in rereading To Kill A Mockingbird is searching for that moment when the narrative made its turn, that moment when Miss Lee set us on the path to return to the moment where we began the novel without us noticing at all. Such a seamlessly, effortlessly executed feat. That is why To Kill a Mockingbird endures. Today, I sent off an editorial letter to an author who has similar ambition and it would be arrogant of me to not have wondered if my editorial letter to this author wasn't the equivalent of telling Harper Lee to 86 the circular narrative of To Kill a Mockingbird. An editor never wants to mess with the very thing that makes a novel special. So how was I so sure this wasn't what I was doing? I examined what was left of the novel after suggesting a major section of plot be eliminated. And what was left still dazzled and the shine was not at all diminished by what was no longer there.
Editing is also a craft. And until an author has found their editor, an author must edit themselves. Today's thought on craft? Don't edit away your narrative's ambition. Understand what about your narrative's execution makes it stand out in a crowd and cleave to it. All else is superfluous.
Stacey
Monday, February 10, 2014
In the News--Amazon Again...
Today, the New Yorker, made available online an article they will publish in next week's issue, Cheap Words by George Packer. It describes how Amazon went from pubishing friend to foe in 20 years or less. I got sucked into yet another article about the big, bad, scary Amazon, because this article promised to examine how Amazon was not only the end of the brick and mortar business of selling books, but also the end of books themselves. There have been rumors of the coming end of books and the book business for years, even before the advent of the e-book. In reading Cheap Words, I was curious to find out if Jeff Bezos had finally figured out a way to kill off books; perhaps I could sleep in tomorrow--no need to go to the isle of Manhattan, red pen in tow if books were in fact dead.
In reading the article, I got a very thorough and thoughtful run down on the history of Amazon and intriguing anecdotes about the first time publishing professionals I know well met Jeff Bezos and what they thought of him then versus what they think of him now. I learned about Bezos' initial business model--that books were just a way to get customer data to sell them other things at cost later on. I found it interesting that though books represent only abou 7% of Amazon's billion-dollar business, because books were his "gateway drug", Amazon and the book industry find themselves inextricably linked (as publishing is unnervingly dependent on Amazon) while it hardly gets a second glance when Amazon prices an electronics business out of existene. But still, this isn't news to me. This is my every day existence. Where were the details of the much balleyhooed end of books? It wasn't there. Though the details of, in not the end,certainly the failure of Amazon publishing were quite clearly laid out, but not the end of books. Hmm...
Does that mean the book endures? Perhaps I am needed in the office tomorrow after all? That's good...because I like my office and my red pen. And I like that throughout Amazon's history and interesting relationship with the book industry, the book endures. As one publishing professional quoted in this astute article noted: “There are certain things it takes to be a publisher,” the head of one New York house said, hardly concealing his Schadenfreude. “You have to have luck, but you also have to have judgment, discernment. I have no sense of the character of their house. . . . We care more than they do. Bezos has moved on to diapers and jewelry—we’re still doing books.”
Amazon has done a lot of wonderful and detrimental things to the book business, but even in that they are synonymous with the book business, they are not,in fact, the book business. And they are not, in fact, god. And we must remember that. The book doesn't live and die by the life cycle of Amazon and I dare say the book will outlast even Amazon. Amazon may endeavor to be the store of everything, but a publishing lesson I learned a long time ago that proves true to this very day is that if you try to be everything, you'll get no one. That's a book lesson. I do books. Amazon, at 7% of its' business, is not so much doing books. This is as much a fact of life as the sky's deal with the color blue. This will probably be the last Amazon is killing books article I'll ever read.
Stacey
In reading the article, I got a very thorough and thoughtful run down on the history of Amazon and intriguing anecdotes about the first time publishing professionals I know well met Jeff Bezos and what they thought of him then versus what they think of him now. I learned about Bezos' initial business model--that books were just a way to get customer data to sell them other things at cost later on. I found it interesting that though books represent only abou 7% of Amazon's billion-dollar business, because books were his "gateway drug", Amazon and the book industry find themselves inextricably linked (as publishing is unnervingly dependent on Amazon) while it hardly gets a second glance when Amazon prices an electronics business out of existene. But still, this isn't news to me. This is my every day existence. Where were the details of the much balleyhooed end of books? It wasn't there. Though the details of, in not the end,certainly the failure of Amazon publishing were quite clearly laid out, but not the end of books. Hmm...
Does that mean the book endures? Perhaps I am needed in the office tomorrow after all? That's good...because I like my office and my red pen. And I like that throughout Amazon's history and interesting relationship with the book industry, the book endures. As one publishing professional quoted in this astute article noted: “There are certain things it takes to be a publisher,” the head of one New York house said, hardly concealing his Schadenfreude. “You have to have luck, but you also have to have judgment, discernment. I have no sense of the character of their house. . . . We care more than they do. Bezos has moved on to diapers and jewelry—we’re still doing books.”
Amazon has done a lot of wonderful and detrimental things to the book business, but even in that they are synonymous with the book business, they are not,in fact, the book business. And they are not, in fact, god. And we must remember that. The book doesn't live and die by the life cycle of Amazon and I dare say the book will outlast even Amazon. Amazon may endeavor to be the store of everything, but a publishing lesson I learned a long time ago that proves true to this very day is that if you try to be everything, you'll get no one. That's a book lesson. I do books. Amazon, at 7% of its' business, is not so much doing books. This is as much a fact of life as the sky's deal with the color blue. This will probably be the last Amazon is killing books article I'll ever read.
Stacey
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Sunday Inspiration--Getting It Done!
My editing "To Do" list is currently eight manuscripts long. It sometimes feels daunting when I consider how much there is to do. It feels even more daunting when I consider the submissions I also have to respond to--have yet to respond to. Oy! There is just too much to do and not enough hours in the day, but there are authors counting on me and sometimes the only way through is through. This weekend I had to shake myself free from the paralysis and anxiety that my "To Do" list often causes and just get it done. I haven't left my house in two days. I haven't been taking phone calls, there are text messages from people who love me checking to make sure I'm still alive that I should probably answer and there's been hardly a peep from me on social media. I understand it may have snowed. But it was all worth it as I can happily cross one of those manuscripts off my "To Do" list. And there's something slightly thrilling about accomplishing such a task and actually crossing the item of my list. (I have a literal list and I actually take my pen and cross things off of it; I find it cathartic, sort of an encouraging pat on the back. I recommend this ritual to everyone). It makes me feel like I'm on a little bit of a roll and more than ready to take on the next task, excited even to keep getting it done. I have to remind myself that going to sleep and resting my mind is also part of getting it done. And I will rest, but wanted to acknowledge the reward of renewed energy and yes, inspiration in finishing a task, especially when that task is about bringing an author one step closer to having a publishable manuscript. Finishing is also a reminder to stay on task and just as writers should write every day, I need to edit every day. It's easier said than done given the demands of the office and the need to shower and otherwise conduct a personal life, but if I could edit every single day, consistently, even if it's just twenty pages a day, I wouldn't always feel quite so overwhelmed by my "To Do" list...maybe. I'll make a renewed commitment to it and we'll see...The truth is I don't want my editing "To Do" list to feel like a "To Do" list at all, and wish I didn't have to think about editing in such a formulaic, business-like way. I love editing. My fingers literally itch to do it, especially as I love all the projects on my "To Do" list. Hmmm...perhaps the most important thing is just to hold onto this buoyed, joyful feeling and chase it every day, by making my way through as there is also as much joy in making it through as there is in finishing.
So here I am, Sunday night, ready and raring to go, looking forward to my week excited about all the other manuscripts on my "To Do" list and getting it done. Excited to edit.
I wish a happy and productive week to you all and here's to getting it done!
Stacey
So here I am, Sunday night, ready and raring to go, looking forward to my week excited about all the other manuscripts on my "To Do" list and getting it done. Excited to edit.
I wish a happy and productive week to you all and here's to getting it done!
Stacey
Friday, February 7, 2014
A Literary Take on Love and Taboo by Clarence A. Haynes
EG is very pleased today to welcome freelance editor and social commenter, Clarence A. Haynes with a very stirring appraisal of the taboo in literature. It's a fascinating read. Prepare for a treat.
During the fall of last year, I visited two good friends based in Washington, D.C.One of them, psychotherapist Daniel St. Rose, MSW, showed me a chapter from a book highlighting a couples’ dynamic he found interesting. The book
in question was from Maggie Scarf— Intimate
Partners: Patterns in Love & Marriage—a bestseller published in 1987
that explored underlying factors for behavior seen in everyday romance. Scarf
is an award-winning writer and scholar who has a large, esteemed body of work on
relationships.
The pages I looked at dealt with the issue of projective
identification, an exchange system where couples unconsciously collude to place
unwanted, shamed aspects of themselves onto the other person. So a person whose
takeaway from childhood was to never express any feelings of anger, assertion
or autonomy in her family might choose a partner who will express those
feelings for her.
In turn, a partner who was taught that being vulnerable was
dangerous, who might have come from a household of nasty emotional abuse for
example, will in fact then expect all expressions of vulnerability and neediness
to come from his partner. Both folks caught up in the exchange will give off to
each other unconscious, provocative cues insinuating what is expected. The two
get to inhabit the roles which felt safe at a particular time, yet can end up causing
much anguish in their current relationship.
I’ve been exploring more of Scarf’s work, like Secrets, Lies, Betrayals: The Body/Mind
Connection and Intimate Worlds: Why
Families Thrive and How They Fail, all containing info. that continues to
be highly relevant. What struck me about her writing style is that it isn’t prescriptive
in a “10 Essential Steps to Save Your Doomed Romance!” kind of way, but that it
presents issues she’s observed honestly and forthrightly.
It also struck me that much of what she discusses deals with
taboo, the items from people’s past that they don’t talk about because it’s
been labelled as shameful, yet which they routinely re-live in their
contemporary dealings.
Books like Scarf’s and ideas like projective identification are
not the traditional stuff of Valentine’s Day wishes. They don’t jibe with
cutesy hot pink hearts or card-based declarations of unending love. (In fact,
some of the Intimate Partners revelations
might make you want to throw the hot pink hearts into the trash.) They don’t
work so well for quick social media showing off. These titles are about digging
down deep into your shadow, with individuals starting to recognize destructive
patterns from yesteryear that keep on rearing up.
Scarf’s work speaks to the power of literature when it comes
to how we deal with intimacy. The richest titles out there, whether non-fiction
or fiction from a variety of genres, aren’t afraid to ditch the commercial platitudes
and give some honest perspectives on relationship dynamics. Literature, as reports
have presented, can give a depth of experience and vision often unmatched in
other media, mirroring the very process we all need to experience when
assessing who we are and how we love.
And if you are reflecting on items that feel deeply
personal, it’s important to remember that books are a very private way of
dealing with sometimes disconcerting realizations. It is just you and the page,
and the reader has the space to reflect on what’s being presented, dream and
make connections to one’s own life. These connections can be made very quietly
and safely, with time to reflect on what the next move is, whether making life
changes, seeking out help from a professional or talking honestly with someone
who is open and cares. Scarf’s work has direct therapeutic connotations, yet
novels as diverse as Toni Morrison’s historical A Mercy or Claire Messud’s contemporary The Woman Upstairs also effectively showcase the influence of a
fraught, fractured past on intimacy.
From my own personal experiences and work in media, I think
it’s the realm of the taboo that we have to visit more often in terms of our
art and literary offerings. It contains the items we’re frightened to speak of,
the shame which has been foisted upon us through no fault of our own. It’s often
the place wherein lies our salvation and freedom.
Clarence A. Haynes is a New York-based freelance book editor who specializes in literary
and commercial fiction, sci-fi/fantasy, the performing arts and cultural
criticism, among other genres. He
also regularly writes and edits content dealing with intimacy, gender and
sexuality. More of his work and bio can be found at www.huffingtonpost.com/clarence-haynes
Thursday, February 6, 2014
On Agenting--Professional Spotlight
What is the most important part of being an agent?
Being an agent requires a great deal of patience, tenacity, and vision. When all these three align, then it requires the ability to communicate with a myriad of creative types. The most important part I would say is RELATIONSHIPS. I enjoy agenting because I take pleasure getting to know the diverse people I meet along the way: whether it’s an illustrator, a financial professional, an activist, or a Madame.
How have agents had to adapt to the changes in the market in recent years, including the changes in technology?
Well agents have now started to become mini-publishers. For agents who come to agenting from an editorial background this transition is not as daunting as it is for those who come from other parts of the business. As a mini-publisher you are required to put on your editorial hat.
In the past agents were rather unknown. They were difficult to find and if you didn’t have a friend with an agent, it was difficult to break through. Today agents blog, tweet, instagram etc. Social media has become significant part of the business. In addition, many agencies including my own don’t accept snail mail. We find authors on twitter, we communicate with our authors on social media. I’ve even explored the idea of having virtual online retreats with my authors since they are located all over the world.
Many agencies are now self-publishing clients' work. What do you think of this practice? Would your agency ever consider publishing client work if it can't be placed with a traditional house? What are the advantages and disadvantages to this? Here's the thing, if you’ve worked with an author for months to develop their work, you don’t want all that work to go unrewarded. If the author self-publishes independently, depending on what's in the agency agreement, the agency receives no compensation for the blood sweat and tears. So I believe it makes sense to stay coupled with the project besides self-publishing can be very daunting, especially in regards to getting distribution and find an audience. A savvy agent can help with those components of the business as well.
99% of my business maintains the traditional model of the agent shopping the book to a mainstream publisher. There have been a few instances where I have placed the author with small independent publishers who take the hybrid model, where the author is intimately involved in the development and promotion of their book. The ebook or digital model is definitely something we are developing at my agency.
Many agents are also selling digital rights to the digital publishers that are now on the rise. Is this something that's good for the business and authors? Do you sell these rights? When do agents make the decision to sell these rights to digital publishers?
There are a number of models I’ve explored in the digital space:
1. retaining ebook rights and going directly with the ebook distributors, amazon, kobo, apple, etc 2. working directly with publishers who begin with a digital book and then if sales are warranted or the audience requests, we go to print
3. I'm currently exploring genre fiction for the digital market. Mainstream publishers have approached me about some of my authors' works and asked that they develop books for digital first publishing.
4. I've also been approached about short fiction and essay style projects, similar to the kindle singles approach by mainstream publishers. Publishers want to have the right to publish the entire body of work from an author, so they are willing to publish short works as well.
Overall, I think the digital space is definitely good for business. It gives debut writers a chance to publish and to garner an audience. It gives agents and editors greater access to a marketplace of writers they may not have natural entrée to. It also allows readers to have a bigger say in what gets published.
I’ll admit though that it makes the financial business model a bit more difficult for agents. You end up having to do more volume and as you know with more volume the quality of the work may suffer.
You are an author in your own right. How has being an author informed your work as an agent?
To date I’ve mostly written books on how to write and how to get published.
I wrote the book WRITING GREAT BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS because there was no other book on the market at that time that separated children’s from young adult. When I first envisioned the project, “Twilight” and “Hunger Games” didn’t exist. Now there are hundreds of thousands of young adult books and thousands of new authors writing for the genre. It’s very exciting.
I wrote YOU SHOULD REALLY WRITE A BOOK: How to Write, Sell, and Market Your Memoir because I wanted to help people understand how to really sell their stories. Writing and publishing a commercially viable memoir is more than just having an interesting story to tell. The book helps people understand how to get agents and editors excited about your work even if you are a “relatively unknown” author.
I recognize the challenges to getting published, the importance of having representation. I agented my first three books myself. They say a lawyer who represents themselves has a fool for a client. I’ve now come to see that statement holds true for agents who represent their own literary works as well. I understand better the challenges of being creative on call, how research can take three times the amount of time you thought it would, how paramount literary relationships and community are, and most of all how important is it to get out and promote your book and yourself as a writer.
What's the best advice you offer writers?
1. Please be patient. There’s a lot of stop and start during the life cycle of getting a book published. Honor the process and allow each phase of the process its natural rhythm.
2. Don’t take critique as criticism. Revision is key part of the writing process. Don’t let an editor or agents feedback disparage you from realizing your dream of becoming a published author
3. Develop a team. It takes a village to make a book work. (graphic designers, publicists, editors, web developer, photographer, copywriter, etc) Start putting together your team as soon as possible.
Regina Brooks is the founder and president of Serendipity
Literary Agency LLC, based in Brooklyn, New York. Her agency has represented
and established a diverse base of award-winning clients in adult and young adult
fiction, nonfiction, and children's literature. Her authors have appeared in
USA TODAY, NY TIMES and the Washington Post as well as on Oprah, ABC, NBC, CBS,
CNN, FOX, MSBNC, TV ONE, BET and a host of others. Writer's Digest
magazine named Serendipity Literary Agency as one of the top 25 literary
agencies in 2004. Formerly,
she held senior editorial positions at John Wiley and Sons (where she was not
only the youngest but also the first African-American editor in their college
division) and McGraw-Hill.
Prior to her
publishing career she worked as an aerospace engineer and made history as the first African American woman to receive a
bachelors of Science Degree in Aerospace Engineering from The Ohio State
University. She is a graduate of The
School of the Arts High School in Rochester, NY.
She is the author of Essences Magazine’s quick pick children's
book, NEVER FINISHED NEVER DONE (Scholastic) , WRITING GREAT BOOKS FOR YOUNG
ADULTS (Source Books) the
forthcoming title YOU SHOULD (REALLY) WRITE A BOOK: WRITING, SELLING AND MARKETING YOUR
MEMOIR ( St. Martin’s Press) and
a well received blogger for the Huffington
Post. Brooks is also on the faculty of the Harvard University publishing program and has served as faculty on
the Whidbey Island Writers MFA and Western Connecticut MFA Low residency programs. Brooks is also
on the faculty of the Writer’s Digest University, Harvard University publishing
course, The Discovery Channel’s Media Boot Camp for Doctors, the Whidbey Island
Writers MFA program and teaches annually at more than twenty worldwide
conferences. She has been highlighted in several national and international magazines
and periodicals, including Forbes, Media Bistro, Writers and Poets, Essence
Magazine, Ebony, Jet, Women on Writing, Writers Digest Magazine,
The Writer, and Sister2Sister magazine, Publishers
Weekly, The Network Journal, Rolling
Out, and Ebony Magazine.
She was named 2010 Woman of the Year by The National
Association of Professional Women. A New York Urban League Rising Star
Award winner and a 2004 finalist for the StevieTM Award for Women
Entrepreneurs, Regina Brooks is featured in books such as The Guide to
Literary Agents and the NAACP nominated Down to Business 10
steps for Women Entrepreneurs, and How to Build a Platform. She is also listed in
International Who's Who under the categories of Professional Management,
Technology, Entrepreneurs, and Engineering.
In November 2010, Brooks partnered with Marie Brown, of Marie
Brown and Associates, and Marva Allen of Hue Man Bookstore to launch a new
publishing imprint called Open Lens.
Further, Possibiliteas is the brainchild of literary agent and tea
enthusiast, REGINA BROOKS who believed
that tea—the world’s oldest
performance-enhancing beverage—could have a beneficial effect on her
clients—writers, artists and other creative professionals who were looking for
fuel for their creative fire.
She is a pilot and cofounder of Brooklyn Aviation as well as a member of the Association of
Author Representatives and New York Women in Film and Television.
Ms. Brooks is the founder and co-Executive Director of Y.B.
Literary Foundation, Inc., a not-for-profit organization designed kindle a passion for literature within high school students and an appreciation for the possibilities and opportunities
that reading can provide. www.ybliterary.org
LINKS OF INTEREST
@serendipitylit @teaforcreatives
Sample of Workshops and Talks
Workshops
How to Productize Your Intellectual Property
A book is a product, but so are other types of intellectual property. Do you have a lot of creative ideas? This workshop will help you to figure out how you might be able to turn your creative ideas into products that help to inform, educate and entertain people. When you are finished with this workshop, you'll have even more creative ideas than you had when you entered, and you'll have new ways to turn them into intellectual property products!You should really write a book
Are you planning to write a
book? (Or, you've published one already.) This workshop is designed to help you
become a bestselling author by implementing specific strategies to help you
build your publishing, media and speaking platform. Whether you are already an
author or not, if you have plans to write a book, this workshop will help you
to become a successful author. Today
writers need to know how to succeed in the new media and literary marketplace.
This comprehensive workshop is all about maximizing your work and creating a
writing career. Regina Brooks take participants step-by-step through the
success checklist for the getting-published process. From content-creation to
contract; focusing on both craft and career, you will learn essential secrets to
getting published.
Brand Building and extending your reach.
Are you an expert? Should you
be? Are you ready to move on to bigger venues with larger audiences? Do you
have an important message to share with others? If so, this workshop is for
you. Regina Brooks will focus on
strategies for getting your ideas into the New York Times, Huffington Post
and other prestigious newspapers, how to write for blogs, and strategically
develop your content and contacts. Will include strategies for extending your
brand through social media, and tips on attracting a literary or speaking agent!
Talks
Writing Your Way into Relevancy
Listening to your Muse One whisper at a Time
Writing an Undeniable Book Proposal
Writing Great Books for Children and Young adults
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