Michael Stearns at Upstart Crow has posted on everyone's favorite topic: subsidiary rights! You might have worn your jaw out talking about these over breakfast with your family (kidding!), but here's another reminder why having an agent is a good idea in the increasingly complicated, fast-changing publishing business: It is springtime here in New York,... Continue Reading →
Boost your productivity
Michael Stearns at Upstart Crow blogged about software called Freedom. It shuts off your crack supply Internet connection for however many minutes you specify, leaving you free to develop new distractions, like grooming your arm hair write. Read more here.And get the software (Mac-only) here.
On the challenges of picture books
Today on the Upstart Crow Literary blog Michael Stearns has an excellent, thoughtful post on the art and business of picture book writing.I think it's a must-read for anyone attempting PBs (and not just because he name-checks the great and wonderful Deb Lund a couple of times and happens to be one of the smartest,... Continue Reading →
What makes a good kids’ book
Michael Stearns at Upstart Crow has shared Little, Brown's list of what makes an excellent children's book: If you work in publishing in any capacity whatsoever, then you likely have a deep affection for Little, Brown. And not just because they are riding so high these days. Sure, they the publishers of a kind-of-sort-of-somewhat-successful series... Continue Reading →
Good news for Martha Brockenbrough
She is very happy to announce the sale of her picture book, The Dinosaur Tooth Fairy, to Arthur A. Levine Books. Michael Stearns of Upstart Crow Literary is her agent.Martha feels sort of silly talking about herself in the third person, but she makes everyone else do it so it seems only fair. She's also... Continue Reading →
A big myth
The agent Colleen Lindsay has an excellent post on The Swivet about a misperception that bigger is better when it comes to books. Usually, this isn't the case--and it can sometimes be a marker that you're not yet a good enough writer to pare your story down to its essence.This is a must-read post, especially... Continue Reading →
Good beginnings: two agents discuss
Chris Richman and Michael Stearns of Upstart Crow Literary have started a series of podcasts on the craft of writing. This is what they have to say about books with strong beginnings.
Word-of-mouth marketing
Darcy Pattison had such a great post on word-of-mouth marketing that I'm reprinting a good chunk of it below. Do check out her blog, FictionNotes, for the whole thing (and a lot more excellent stuff about writing and revising).But first, a bit of my own soapbox. Word-of-mouth marketing is something we can--and should--do for each... Continue Reading →
How to write a query letter
The folks at Upstart Crow have a swell little writer's toolbox. If you're struggling to write a query letter, do check out this annotated version. It tells you how you should format, what you should put where, and what you should look out for. (It's a PDF, so you'll need a reader.)For the rest of... Continue Reading →
How to query Upstart Crow
The new agency, founded by Michael Stearns, is now taking submissions. You'll find their guidelines--along with each agent's tastes--on the new Upstart Crow site.