I'm not a stickler for rules. In fact, I've broken a rule once... or twice, not that I'll ever tell you when, how, or why. My point is that I'm not as strict as some may think, and I am certainly more lax than many of my colleagues when it comes to submission etiquette.
I honestly don't expect much. If you've seen my prior posts on queries, you'll see that there are things that should and should not be included in the letter. When it comes down to it, that's all I ask for.
However, I do have some peeves that should be noted. They are mass mailing and poor formatting. I Don't like the later for the obvious reasons...it's hard to read. When I spend all day in front of a computer or book reading, my little old eyes get tired, and my brain gets saturated, and my patience... goes. I don't like things that look like they've been cut and pasted. I'm bothered when text looks different, or is indented in a way that makes me stop reading to figure out if what I'm about to read is still part of the letter. Make it at least look professional folks. Use your common sense. Please!
The second peeve I mentioned is the mass e-mail. This is actually what prompted me to write this right now. I just received a query from someone with 57 other recipients listed... Yes, FIFTY-SEVEN other agents in the "To:" line. Just to let you all know... This is a No-No. No one likes this. It is just as bad as misspelling someone's name. It shows lack of attention to detail, lack of patience, lack of respect, and, in sum, lack of professionalism. I tried to tell myself that it was fine. After all, I'm a busy person too, and I can understand anyone who is trying to save time...So I read the query.
...And I shouldn't have. I too should have saved the time, because the thing is a mess. In short, the letter contains all the errors that I feared. I've been here before. I've even posted entries in this blog about what not to do on a query, but since this one is a bit different, I decided to tell people about this one too. Hopefully, it will deter others from making the same mistakes.
In case you were wondering... I did respond to the letter. Here's what I said:
Dear John, Thanks for your submission. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to decline this book because I'm honestly not sure what it is about. Your summary includes too many different elements to accurately portray the plot of the story. You need to be more careful with punctuation and formatting. Also, just to let you know, the majority of the agents you sent this to will probably not respond to this e-mail because it is a mass e-mail. You should never include the names of all of the recipients in one e-mail. Hope this is helpful to you in the future.
I could have said more to give him better guidance. I could have referred him to an article, or a book. Then again, I probably should have saved my time and just replied, "DECLINED DUE TO LACK OF COMMON SENSE." Or even better, I should have clicked on "Reply to all" ;)
Okay, thanks for letting me vent. I feel much better. :)
Happy writing!
~Marisa
Monday, October 10, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
The Importance of Understanding Your Publishing Contract
Only a few things can top the satisfaction of getting a publishing contract- when that editor says, "Yes, loved it! We'd like to acquire it". The moment is unforgettable and very validating. But that is not the end of the writer’s journey. Nope, that's when the fun begins... Well, for me anyway. For most, the review and negotiation process in finalizing a publishing contract can be dreadful. This is in part because most authors aren't lawyers with years of experience in negotiating contracts, and most, unfortunately, don't know as much about the publishing business as they do about their writing. The problem, therefore, emerges mostly due to the uncertainty about the quality of the deal.
I often say "knowledge is power". If you don't know what you should be getting in a publishing contract, you won't really be able place yourself in the position to assert your rights and entitlements. And so, my first recommendation is to arm yourself with ammunition. In other words, learn how things work. There are, and I hate to state the obvious, books on the subject, and a ton of sites that can help you learn what you need to know. However, the information is often scattered, outdated, and sometimes inaccurate. So don't put all of your eggs into the proverbial basket. Talking to other writers can be a great source too. However, I find that as much as there is a camaraderie among writers, when it comes to how much money they earned or how many books sold, everyone is tight lipped. So this leaves you with me, or other literary professionals who really know the industry.
Terms to pay special attention to:
Duration of the Agreement- Publishing contracts last from 3-7 years. If at all possible, avoid anything longer than seven years, or anything that lasts for the duration of the life of the copyright. Which, by the way, is the life of the author plus 70 years, or in the case of a joint work, the term lasts for 70 years after the last surviving author's death or 75 years, whichever is longer. If a company is the author, the duration is 95 years from the year of first publication or 120 years from the year of creation, whichever expires first.
Copyright- The copyright is your legal protection to prohibit anyone other than you from reprinting and selling or disseminating your work. In the United States this right is obtained by filing an application with the US Patent and trademark Office. Not all countries have such applications/protections, but you should always apply in the USA. Your goal should be that the Publisher file the application under your name. The purpose of the contract is to give the publisher the right to publish pursuant to the copyright. We call it a license to use the copyright for the duration of the agreement and not for the duration of the copyright. You can of course, file it yourself, but it can save you the time, money and stress of not knowing what to do if they do the filing for you.
Primary and Secondary Rights- The whole point of this contract is to give the publisher the right to publish your work. So the right to print the book, and to post an e-version of the work is a given (today most publishers will demand both unless they are e-pubs who are not interested in print). However, when possible, retain some of the secondary rights- the rights to produce a film, merchandise, syndication, gaming, book club, etc. Sometimes you can even keep translation and foreign rights.
Advance- Although I can't predict how much a publisher will pay for your book, I can usually make an educated guess based on the genre, length, the author's platform, the house, the list, the budget, the economy, and prior deals of the parties involved. In other words, there are lots of factors involved, so I won't generalize here. You should know that an advance is the money that the publisher pays you in ‘advance’. Once the publisher earns back the money that they paid to you, then you start receiving royalties.
Royalty- Royalties are the percentage of the profits that the publisher will pay to you. These vary from Publishing House to Publishing House and on the medium of publication, from hardcover, to mass market, to e-books and audio books. Mass market royalties are usually the lowest, and can be as low as 4%, and e-books vary the greatest from about 6% to 65%. A good average royalty for e-books is about 35%. Self publication contracts are different.
Out of Print- The publisher will decide when the book goes out of print. Customarily, when a book is out of print for longer than a 12 month period, the author may ask to terminate the agreement and have the rights reverted.
Other terms to be aware of are anything giving the publisher the right to terminate the agreement early. Be aware of what will trigger the Termination. Pay attention to make sure that you do the edits and they approve them. Never give up the rights to change your work without approval. And if the publisher includes a clause about the right to publish an excerpt of your work for non paid marketing purposes, be sure that the word count is no more than 10% of your completed work.
Of course there’s more to the contract than these clauses, but I hope that this entry gives you a good foundation with regard to what you need to know. It is important that you are aware that there is help out there. If you are skilled and lucky enough to procure a publishing contract without an agent, you should probably have a literary consultant or an attorney take a look at the agreement and advice you on the terms or negotiate on your behalf. Just be sure that your relationship with the said professional is clearly delineated in a retainer agreement so that no agency relationship is formed unless that is your intent. An agent will be entitled to 10-15% of all your profits whereas a consultant or lawyer usually gets paid on a per hour basis or a fixed fee.
Hope you find this helpful. Please feel free to post comments and questions or e-mail me at consulting@corvisierolaw.com if you need help with your publishing contract.
Here’s to your next deal contract!
~Marisa
I often say "knowledge is power". If you don't know what you should be getting in a publishing contract, you won't really be able place yourself in the position to assert your rights and entitlements. And so, my first recommendation is to arm yourself with ammunition. In other words, learn how things work. There are, and I hate to state the obvious, books on the subject, and a ton of sites that can help you learn what you need to know. However, the information is often scattered, outdated, and sometimes inaccurate. So don't put all of your eggs into the proverbial basket. Talking to other writers can be a great source too. However, I find that as much as there is a camaraderie among writers, when it comes to how much money they earned or how many books sold, everyone is tight lipped. So this leaves you with me, or other literary professionals who really know the industry.
Terms to pay special attention to:
Duration of the Agreement- Publishing contracts last from 3-7 years. If at all possible, avoid anything longer than seven years, or anything that lasts for the duration of the life of the copyright. Which, by the way, is the life of the author plus 70 years, or in the case of a joint work, the term lasts for 70 years after the last surviving author's death or 75 years, whichever is longer. If a company is the author, the duration is 95 years from the year of first publication or 120 years from the year of creation, whichever expires first.
Copyright- The copyright is your legal protection to prohibit anyone other than you from reprinting and selling or disseminating your work. In the United States this right is obtained by filing an application with the US Patent and trademark Office. Not all countries have such applications/protections, but you should always apply in the USA. Your goal should be that the Publisher file the application under your name. The purpose of the contract is to give the publisher the right to publish pursuant to the copyright. We call it a license to use the copyright for the duration of the agreement and not for the duration of the copyright. You can of course, file it yourself, but it can save you the time, money and stress of not knowing what to do if they do the filing for you.
Primary and Secondary Rights- The whole point of this contract is to give the publisher the right to publish your work. So the right to print the book, and to post an e-version of the work is a given (today most publishers will demand both unless they are e-pubs who are not interested in print). However, when possible, retain some of the secondary rights- the rights to produce a film, merchandise, syndication, gaming, book club, etc. Sometimes you can even keep translation and foreign rights.
Advance- Although I can't predict how much a publisher will pay for your book, I can usually make an educated guess based on the genre, length, the author's platform, the house, the list, the budget, the economy, and prior deals of the parties involved. In other words, there are lots of factors involved, so I won't generalize here. You should know that an advance is the money that the publisher pays you in ‘advance’. Once the publisher earns back the money that they paid to you, then you start receiving royalties.
Royalty- Royalties are the percentage of the profits that the publisher will pay to you. These vary from Publishing House to Publishing House and on the medium of publication, from hardcover, to mass market, to e-books and audio books. Mass market royalties are usually the lowest, and can be as low as 4%, and e-books vary the greatest from about 6% to 65%. A good average royalty for e-books is about 35%. Self publication contracts are different.
Out of Print- The publisher will decide when the book goes out of print. Customarily, when a book is out of print for longer than a 12 month period, the author may ask to terminate the agreement and have the rights reverted.
Other terms to be aware of are anything giving the publisher the right to terminate the agreement early. Be aware of what will trigger the Termination. Pay attention to make sure that you do the edits and they approve them. Never give up the rights to change your work without approval. And if the publisher includes a clause about the right to publish an excerpt of your work for non paid marketing purposes, be sure that the word count is no more than 10% of your completed work.
Of course there’s more to the contract than these clauses, but I hope that this entry gives you a good foundation with regard to what you need to know. It is important that you are aware that there is help out there. If you are skilled and lucky enough to procure a publishing contract without an agent, you should probably have a literary consultant or an attorney take a look at the agreement and advice you on the terms or negotiate on your behalf. Just be sure that your relationship with the said professional is clearly delineated in a retainer agreement so that no agency relationship is formed unless that is your intent. An agent will be entitled to 10-15% of all your profits whereas a consultant or lawyer usually gets paid on a per hour basis or a fixed fee.
Hope you find this helpful. Please feel free to post comments and questions or e-mail me at consulting@corvisierolaw.com if you need help with your publishing contract.
Here’s to your next deal contract!
~Marisa
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Literary Consulting Services
A few months ago I hinted at an upcoming announcement.... I am very excited to announce that together with my partner Jo Ann Kairys, and some of our brilliant colleagues, starting August 1st, we will be offering Literary Consulting Services under a new entity called Literary PowerHouse Consulting, LLC.
Jo Ann is a colleague, author, editor, publisher, and friend, whom I admire and respect enough to call my partner in this new venture. LPH is a consulting firm that offers Literary Services in all facets of the Publishing Industry to authors, agents, editors, publishers, publicists, and lawyers. This project was born purely as an evolution of services that we already offer to the public in our capacity as agent, attorney, editor, and publisher. The difference being that now we offer our knowledge and advice for hire.
Due to the demand for such services, and for the purpose of carefully preserving ethical boundaries, we have decided to join our strengths, skills, experience and resources under this one separate and unique roof. As a result this Consulting Powerhouse now provides the most comprehensive package of Literary Advisory Services offered anywhere.
We are in the process of putting together a website that will describe our services further and provide lots and lots of resources that will be continuously updated. If you have any questions, or would like to retain our services, please e-mail us at consulting@corvisierolaw.com until further notice.
We look forward to helping anyone in the industry find the answers they seek, and come up with winning strategies that will lead to a successful future in publishing. We hope to hear from you!
Happy reading, writing, publishing and succeeding!
~Marisa
Jo Ann is a colleague, author, editor, publisher, and friend, whom I admire and respect enough to call my partner in this new venture. LPH is a consulting firm that offers Literary Services in all facets of the Publishing Industry to authors, agents, editors, publishers, publicists, and lawyers. This project was born purely as an evolution of services that we already offer to the public in our capacity as agent, attorney, editor, and publisher. The difference being that now we offer our knowledge and advice for hire.
Due to the demand for such services, and for the purpose of carefully preserving ethical boundaries, we have decided to join our strengths, skills, experience and resources under this one separate and unique roof. As a result this Consulting Powerhouse now provides the most comprehensive package of Literary Advisory Services offered anywhere.
We are in the process of putting together a website that will describe our services further and provide lots and lots of resources that will be continuously updated. If you have any questions, or would like to retain our services, please e-mail us at consulting@corvisierolaw.com until further notice.
We look forward to helping anyone in the industry find the answers they seek, and come up with winning strategies that will lead to a successful future in publishing. We hope to hear from you!
Happy reading, writing, publishing and succeeding!
~Marisa
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
ANNOUNCEMENT: CHANGE TO SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
The long awaited change to submission guidelines may or may not please my authors, but for the sake of fairness, practicality and to ensure that I keep my sanity, I have decided to make some substantial changes to my guidelines.
As you may already know I have been closed to unsolicited queries since the last week of November. If you have sent me a query after that, as my auto response surely already informed you, your query has not been reviewed and will not be considered. If you have sent me a query before November 24, and have not heard back from me at all, this unfortunately means that your query will no longer be considered.
HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU ARE DECLINED. I had several issues with my infamous spam filter and have lost many queries. I have also received more queries in those last months than I could keep up with. This large volume of queries led me to put a hold on taking queries for a few months, and to bring in help so that I could catch up. With the assistance of my wonderful assistant (Gigi), Jr Agents (Brittany B. and Jordy), my intern (Brittany W.) and my friends (Doreen and JoAnn), we have made significant progress. Unfortunately, a good number of queries remain in my Query Box unanswered and time keeps ticking... I am afraid that I'm wasting our time (mine and yours) reviewing queries that may be stale. SO... In order to ensure that I'm only reviewing work that still needs representation, I have decided to start fresh. This means that if you have not received an answer to your submission you are hereby invited to resubmit your work starting SEPTEMBER 1, 2011.
If I responded to you requesting a synopsis and/or manuscript and you have not heard back yet, that means that your work is still being considered.
NEW SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Starting September 1, 2011, I will reopen to submissions in the following genres only:
Fiction: Romance and cross genre romance, thrillers and adventure, paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, and the same genres (excluding romance) for Young Adult and Middle Grade.
Non Fiction: Spiritual, self-improvement, parenting, and science.
Please submit a well drafted query letter and your first 5 pages to me at marisa@lperkinsagency.com. You will receive a response from me within three months from the date of your submission. If you do not receive a response within six months, this will mean that the work is declined. I will try my best to respond to every query before that six month period expires. I don't like automatic declines, but feel that this may be the only way to make sure that I never fall behind again.
Thank you for your patience, your understanding and for the honor of reading your work!
Happy writing and happy submitting :)
~Marisa
As you may already know I have been closed to unsolicited queries since the last week of November. If you have sent me a query after that, as my auto response surely already informed you, your query has not been reviewed and will not be considered. If you have sent me a query before November 24, and have not heard back from me at all, this unfortunately means that your query will no longer be considered.
HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU ARE DECLINED. I had several issues with my infamous spam filter and have lost many queries. I have also received more queries in those last months than I could keep up with. This large volume of queries led me to put a hold on taking queries for a few months, and to bring in help so that I could catch up. With the assistance of my wonderful assistant (Gigi), Jr Agents (Brittany B. and Jordy), my intern (Brittany W.) and my friends (Doreen and JoAnn), we have made significant progress. Unfortunately, a good number of queries remain in my Query Box unanswered and time keeps ticking... I am afraid that I'm wasting our time (mine and yours) reviewing queries that may be stale. SO... In order to ensure that I'm only reviewing work that still needs representation, I have decided to start fresh. This means that if you have not received an answer to your submission you are hereby invited to resubmit your work starting SEPTEMBER 1, 2011.
If I responded to you requesting a synopsis and/or manuscript and you have not heard back yet, that means that your work is still being considered.
NEW SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Starting September 1, 2011, I will reopen to submissions in the following genres only:
Fiction: Romance and cross genre romance, thrillers and adventure, paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, and the same genres (excluding romance) for Young Adult and Middle Grade.
Non Fiction: Spiritual, self-improvement, parenting, and science.
Please submit a well drafted query letter and your first 5 pages to me at marisa@lperkinsagency.com. You will receive a response from me within three months from the date of your submission. If you do not receive a response within six months, this will mean that the work is declined. I will try my best to respond to every query before that six month period expires. I don't like automatic declines, but feel that this may be the only way to make sure that I never fall behind again.
Thank you for your patience, your understanding and for the honor of reading your work!
Happy writing and happy submitting :)
~Marisa
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Crested Butte Conference
Hi all, just wanted to let you all know that I will be attending the Crested Butte Writers Conference http://www.crestedbuttewriters.org/conf.php on June 17-19, 2011. This is my first time attending it, but I have heard wonderful things about the venue, set up and the terrific people. I am really looking forward to attending!
"Join this intimate writers conference in spectacular Crested Butte Colorado and enjoy an experience like no other. Unique, efficient agent/editor appointments, special group rates to save money, tons of informal networking time with relaxed agents and editors.
Early Bird Rate extended to Sunday May 15th!
Look who we’ve got waiting to meet you: Writer’s House Agent, Stephen Barr, St. Martin’s Assistant Editor, Holly Blanck, Del Rey / Spectra Editor, Mike Braff, Cornerstone Literary agent, Helen Breitwieser, L Perkins Agent, Marisa Corvisiero.
Also, check out the workshops from our award winning authors: Robin D. Owens, Sophie Littlefield, Juliet Blackwell, Paul Anderson, and Kaki Warner."
Hope to see you all there!
~Marisa
"Join this intimate writers conference in spectacular Crested Butte Colorado and enjoy an experience like no other. Unique, efficient agent/editor appointments, special group rates to save money, tons of informal networking time with relaxed agents and editors.
Early Bird Rate extended to Sunday May 15th!
Look who we’ve got waiting to meet you: Writer’s House Agent, Stephen Barr, St. Martin’s Assistant Editor, Holly Blanck, Del Rey / Spectra Editor, Mike Braff, Cornerstone Literary agent, Helen Breitwieser, L Perkins Agent, Marisa Corvisiero.
Also, check out the workshops from our award winning authors: Robin D. Owens, Sophie Littlefield, Juliet Blackwell, Paul Anderson, and Kaki Warner."
Hope to see you all there!
~Marisa
Friday, March 18, 2011
Is this a Query You Sent Me?
I do hope that no one's feelings are hurt by me posting this, but I feel like I have a duty to educate. Or perhaps I'm in the mood for a small lecture. This morning I opened my law firm e-mail to find what, for all intents and purposes, I think was supposed to be a query to me as an agent. (Sent to the wrong e-mail address...Deep breath) Where do I start? ...for the sake of brevity I will get to the point and post the redacted e-mail and my answer. I don't know if this e-mail was sent out to a mass of agents, or if I was the lone lucky recipient, who unfortunately has a conscience. But I seriously doubt that any of my savvy counterparts would take the time to even finish reading this letter.
I should have just deleted it, as most of my colleagues would, and tried to keep on schedule, since I have a thing or two to attend to today...but I didn't. I painfully read through the e-mail and when I got to the end of it, I sat there. Looking at the screen wishing I had gonged it sooner, debating with myself on my course of action.
Strangely enough, It bothered me a little bit to receive something of such poor caliber. If you know me, you'll know that I'm a fairly patient person. Things of business nature seldom bother me, unless I've encountered a grave injustice or someone crosses me. But a query will normally not have such effects on me. However, this THING was something so poorly constructed, unedited, and obviously written by someone that I will not disparage (because I'm still above such things), but evidently this individual is "not ready" to be querying anyone.
I have tons more to say on this subject, but unfortunately this is hardly the forum for a query 101 lecture. Although I will seriously consider putting together a workshop and using this letter as what not to do. If I haven't lost you yet, please read on.
">Marisa Corvisiero:
>
> Hi, let me introduce myself my name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I am 37 years old some say I look
>23 and I am so called writing a paper back book I called xxxxxxxxxxxxx Publishing located xxxxxx Ave
>Manhattan, Ny xxxxxxxxxx Publishing phone number xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I talk with a person from
>xxxxxxxxxx Publishing about printing a book up I am writing and I was referred to the Writer's Market
>to look up an agent I got your email from the L. Perkins web site we am in the process of making
>a book my manuscript is in shambles in a real ruff draft the compositions I am working on need to
>be put in a book format is there any one you know that have a critique on formatting a manuscript
>for a general adult book I looked at a paper back novel made by Patricia D. Cornwell called
>Body of Evidence ISBN 0-38071701-8.
>
>I liked the way the paper back is made with the author picture is in the back of the novel I like my
>book in at format like the body of evidence I am not a fast reader of read a lot so when I decided
>to write down my compositions I decide to put my compositions in a book format that's how
>I got started writing my adult general book in a lyric compositions I don't know how cash advancement
>go when a person is writing a book I like to get my book printed up and sold on the market I may
>have 40 pages 50 letter by 30 line available I am looking to have at least a 100 page paper back
>I don't have a title for the paper back yet.
>
>I am a new writer and the compositions I am working on could be turned into other opportunities
>I do live in Chicago I am looking for a contact person with connections that can make it possible to
>market and sell the paper back book in Chicago.
>
>also, here is my email xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and you can all so reply by mail.
>I like to consult with you Mrs./Ms. Marisa Corvisiero as soon as possible."
So judge for your self. What is he asking for? An agent? or someone to edit his book, or is he fishing for information about the industry? I don't know, but I felt that if he is contacting an agent he should learn how to do that. And if he needs someone to fix an unfinished manuscript that is in "shambles" he should find someone to edit it. Not me. Below is my contrived response.
"Dear xxxxxx,
It is great that you have so much initiative, but it seems that you need to learn a bit about how the industry works. The answer on who can help you critique your work is complicated. If you are almost done and need help cleaning it up you, should hire an editor. But you can join writer's groups where your peers can offer a lot of helpful advice. I would suggest attending a local writer's conference. I'm sure that you will learn a lot there and meet many people with your same questions.
Having said that, an agent is not the right person to contact at this juncture. I don't think that your work is ready for querying, but when you query an agent, you need to tell them what your book is about, what genre you would classify it under, is it fiction or non fiction, who is the audience, and how many words it contains. 85K is usually the magic number for fiction, though genres and the age of your audience may allow it to be a bit shorter or longer. (not too much longer)
If your book is a work of fiction, you should should have a finished manuscript before you start to query agents. First you research the agent and if they are open to unsolicited queries you send them the query letter with a sample of your work (as long they normally request). This information is normally listed in the Writer's Digest guide or the agent's website. If your work is non-fiction, you don't need a finished manuscript and can submit a proposal for the work with a sample of the first chapter or so. Again, each agent has different preferences.
So do your homework, and whatever you do, don't send out queries with as many errors as the one you sent to me. Pay attention to your spelling and punctuation. And be sure that the info you provide is relevant to your book and your experience alone. Irrelevant info and poor writing on this letter will form a negative opinion of you and you will not find representation.
Lastly, If you are sure that you want to limit your market to Chicago, you should explain why. But as a caveat, know that limiting the geographic availability of a book limits sales (not usually done by publishers). You should reword that statement to say that you think that it will sell well in chicago and indicate why.
I hope that you find this to be helpful. Best of Luck!"
I know, there was so much more to be said. But I don't know if the writer will get it and/or be hurt by it. So I decided to just offer guidance and left the rest of the objections unaddressed in hope that if he is interested enough to be published, he will learn what he needs to know. And that's the end of this post...I already spent way too much time on this.
~ Marisa
I should have just deleted it, as most of my colleagues would, and tried to keep on schedule, since I have a thing or two to attend to today...but I didn't. I painfully read through the e-mail and when I got to the end of it, I sat there. Looking at the screen wishing I had gonged it sooner, debating with myself on my course of action.
Strangely enough, It bothered me a little bit to receive something of such poor caliber. If you know me, you'll know that I'm a fairly patient person. Things of business nature seldom bother me, unless I've encountered a grave injustice or someone crosses me. But a query will normally not have such effects on me. However, this THING was something so poorly constructed, unedited, and obviously written by someone that I will not disparage (because I'm still above such things), but evidently this individual is "not ready" to be querying anyone.
I have tons more to say on this subject, but unfortunately this is hardly the forum for a query 101 lecture. Although I will seriously consider putting together a workshop and using this letter as what not to do. If I haven't lost you yet, please read on.
">Marisa Corvisiero:
>
> Hi, let me introduce myself my name is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I am 37 years old some say I look
>23 and I am so called writing a paper back book I called xxxxxxxxxxxxx Publishing located xxxxxx Ave
>Manhattan, Ny xxxxxxxxxx Publishing phone number xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I talk with a person from
>xxxxxxxxxx Publishing about printing a book up I am writing and I was referred to the Writer's Market
>to look up an agent I got your email from the L. Perkins web site we am in the process of making
>a book my manuscript is in shambles in a real ruff draft the compositions I am working on need to
>be put in a book format is there any one you know that have a critique on formatting a manuscript
>for a general adult book I looked at a paper back novel made by Patricia D. Cornwell called
>Body of Evidence ISBN 0-38071701-8.
>
>I liked the way the paper back is made with the author picture is in the back of the novel I like my
>book in at format like the body of evidence I am not a fast reader of read a lot so when I decided
>to write down my compositions I decide to put my compositions in a book format that's how
>I got started writing my adult general book in a lyric compositions I don't know how cash advancement
>go when a person is writing a book I like to get my book printed up and sold on the market I may
>have 40 pages 50 letter by 30 line available I am looking to have at least a 100 page paper back
>I don't have a title for the paper back yet.
>
>I am a new writer and the compositions I am working on could be turned into other opportunities
>I do live in Chicago I am looking for a contact person with connections that can make it possible to
>market and sell the paper back book in Chicago.
>
>also, here is my email xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and you can all so reply by mail.
>I like to consult with you Mrs./Ms. Marisa Corvisiero as soon as possible."
So judge for your self. What is he asking for? An agent? or someone to edit his book, or is he fishing for information about the industry? I don't know, but I felt that if he is contacting an agent he should learn how to do that. And if he needs someone to fix an unfinished manuscript that is in "shambles" he should find someone to edit it. Not me. Below is my contrived response.
"Dear xxxxxx,
It is great that you have so much initiative, but it seems that you need to learn a bit about how the industry works. The answer on who can help you critique your work is complicated. If you are almost done and need help cleaning it up you, should hire an editor. But you can join writer's groups where your peers can offer a lot of helpful advice. I would suggest attending a local writer's conference. I'm sure that you will learn a lot there and meet many people with your same questions.
Having said that, an agent is not the right person to contact at this juncture. I don't think that your work is ready for querying, but when you query an agent, you need to tell them what your book is about, what genre you would classify it under, is it fiction or non fiction, who is the audience, and how many words it contains. 85K is usually the magic number for fiction, though genres and the age of your audience may allow it to be a bit shorter or longer. (not too much longer)
If your book is a work of fiction, you should should have a finished manuscript before you start to query agents. First you research the agent and if they are open to unsolicited queries you send them the query letter with a sample of your work (as long they normally request). This information is normally listed in the Writer's Digest guide or the agent's website. If your work is non-fiction, you don't need a finished manuscript and can submit a proposal for the work with a sample of the first chapter or so. Again, each agent has different preferences.
So do your homework, and whatever you do, don't send out queries with as many errors as the one you sent to me. Pay attention to your spelling and punctuation. And be sure that the info you provide is relevant to your book and your experience alone. Irrelevant info and poor writing on this letter will form a negative opinion of you and you will not find representation.
Lastly, If you are sure that you want to limit your market to Chicago, you should explain why. But as a caveat, know that limiting the geographic availability of a book limits sales (not usually done by publishers). You should reword that statement to say that you think that it will sell well in chicago and indicate why.
I hope that you find this to be helpful. Best of Luck!"
I know, there was so much more to be said. But I don't know if the writer will get it and/or be hurt by it. So I decided to just offer guidance and left the rest of the objections unaddressed in hope that if he is interested enough to be published, he will learn what he needs to know. And that's the end of this post...I already spent way too much time on this.
~ Marisa
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Chiseled in Rock - Interview of Marisa Iozzi Corvisiero, Literary Agent
Preliminary Draft and Questions for the Marisa A. Corvisiero, Esq. Interview:
Today, Chiseled in Rock has the pleasure of interviewing Marisa Iozzi Corvisiero. An experienced entertainment attorney, Marisa founded The Corvisiero Law Practice, a boutique law firm in midtown New York City. She is also an agent with the L. Perkins Agency, whose five agents represent approximately 200 authors in a variety of genres. Founded in 1987, the Agency also works with an established film agency and has agents in 11 foreign countries.
As an agent, Marisa’s represents science fiction, fantasy, horror and romance, as well young adult and children's literature. In non-fiction, she enjoys memoirs, how-to, guides and tales about the legal practice, parenting, self-help, and mainstream science, but no text books.
CIR: Marisa, please tell us about your dual professions and your start as an agent.
I started wearing my agent hat after some of my author friends and colleagues asked me to represent them in their book deals through my law firm. Then I started submitting them too. We all know how difficult it is to find the right agent and to have editors take authors seriously if they are not represented or already pre published. In fact, many of the traditional publishers don’t accept un-agented work. So I started out by lending a hand. I lost a couple of paying clients when I started representing them as their agent. (because agents are not paid until they sell the work) But it all worked out in the end. One thing led to another and eventually I joined Lori Perkins’ Agency, where I learned lots of lessons. Today, I continue to practice law at the Corvisiero Law Practice, and I represent several very talented authors. I am still building a client list.
CIR: It sounds as if there’s a great deal of communication and joint-decision making at your agency. Would you please describe your process, as far as signing a new writer?
My process, although it is time consuming, is a simple one. All my queries are saved in a folder, when I review them, if I like the letter and the first few pages, I ask for the synopsis or the manuscript. If I’m not sure, I forward it to my two Junior Agents for their opinions. If I don’t think that the work is ready for publication and/or I don’t think that the story is marketable, I decline the query. Then if I like the story based on the synopsis, I ask for the manuscript. When I read the manuscript I have at least one of my Jr. Agents or readers read it as well. If we love a manuscript, I offer the author representation.
CIR: Certain agents edit a manuscript prior to shopping it to editors. Others don’t. How would you describe yourself and how important is it for a writer to be flexible about changing their manuscript?
I don’t edit manuscripts myself anymore, but I always have comments for the author. I’m never short on opinions. ;) If I really like a manuscript, but I think that it needs work, I usually ask for a revision or suggest that the author have it edited. I often share the comments of my Jrs with the author as well. They always give me very good input.
CIR: The economic downturn has impacted every sector. Are there any new pressures on agents that stem from the current economy?
I am fairly sure that the state of today’s economy has affected most of us in some way. For agents, it has made it more difficult to place books and has changed the structure of the deals. It is more difficult to place books because of the high mobility of editors, everything that is going on inside the publishing houses, and because most are making more conservative acquisitions in quantity and payment.
CIR: Your agency believes all authors should be published in both print and e-pub format. With e-pub sales strengthening, are your contract negotiations with publishers changing in regard to, for example, the amount of an advance? Or any other contract terms?
E-books are the wave of the future, but I don’t think that print is going extinct anytime soon. So we strongly believe that every book should be out there in every media form. When negotiating with publishers, if they want to acquire the right to put a book out in all of these mediums, then my job is to make sure that the author is compensated accordingly, and that the publisher will in fact use these rights. If they can’t give the proper assurances, even though nothing is ever one hundred percent certain, then we try to retain the rights and offer them to someone else.
CIR: Is the ease with which writers can self-publish having a significant impact on you as an agent?
Nope… and that could be all of my answer, but I’ll elaborate. A huge number of authors are going the vanity press route. However, even those writers that self publish still continue to submit their books to agents so that the agent can sell the book to a bigger press. Those publishers don’t, or shouldn’t, retain the rights to the author’s work for the simple fact that the press is not paying for the book. In the contrary, the author is paying the press to put the book out, so the author should have all the rights to the work. I’ll say it again, all authors should retain their copyrights when self publishing. Authors still want a large publisher to acquire their books because the publisher will have better distribution channels, will pay for the printing, will often pay an advance, and then royalties. Lets face it, it is difficult to sell books and having a publisher’s help can make the world of difference. Anyone can have a book self published, it’s the selling that’s tricky. With this foreknowledge, most authors who have self published still seek an agent.
CIR: What do you enjoy most about representing authors to the publishing industry? Least?
I love reading and pitching books to publishers. I only accept to represent books and projects that I really believe in, and so my enthusiasm gives me an extra umph when telling others about it. I get very exited. What I like the least is that publishers have a certain quota of books that they will acquire, and so often they have a specific list of things that they are looking for and may pass up a great project just because they need to keep looking for the perfect fit. It can be discouraging, especially when you are the one breaking the news.
CIR: Are you hoping to increase your client base?
Yes, I’m always looking for new talent. I am currently not accepting queries because I’m trying to catch up on the huge volume of queries that I receive monthly. I have quite a few queries that go back a while and I would really like to respond to all of them and hopefully find some gems. So even though queries are suspended, I am still taking on clients.
CIR: Do you have any pet peeves, when it comes to submissions?
I think that sometimes I’m more tolerant than other agents when it comes to queries. Of course, I don’t like it when someone misspells my name or sends me a query that is part of a mass e-mail, but I don’t think that it justifies turning an author away because of it. Do I take it into consideration if the rest of the query is weak? You bet. My real pet peeve though, are sloppy and difficult to read formats. I don’t like queries that start by telling me what the character was thinking or doing. To me, that should be in the middle of the letter. A good query should start by telling me that they have a romance (or other genre) 80K word (proper word count for age group and genre) finished manuscript that they think I will like it because…. I think that research is paramount. The author should know the genre of his or her work, the target readers (at least gender and age), and by knowing this, they can learn how long the work should be. I will be writing a blog post on this soon to put the info out there all in one place. In the mean time authors should keep in mind that the younger the reader the shorter the work should be. And the more sophisticated the reader (sci-fi/fantasy) the more allowance they have to get creative with a longer manuscript. But don’t go crazy. If your novel is longer than 115K especially for a debut, you should consider some edits. I know that there are novels out there that were the author’s first, and are much longer than that… etc, etc. I know. I’ve read twilight and harry potter too. But they are among the few, and just because they made it, it doesn’t mean that it was easy. I think that they are wonderful series, but in a way they were lucky. Having said that… I’m not telling everyone to conform. I’m just saying that there are certain ‘rules,’ if you will, in the industry. If you really believe in your work and it doesn’t follow the norm, trust your self (to a realistic level) and go for it with gusto. Just be prepared to know that it will harder than hard, but if you keep at it you just might get lucky too.
CIR: Any predictions about what might be the next big thing in publishing? What trend(s) do you see fading?
I think that mythology and superheroes are fading, but not super powers. Submissions with “special” characters still come in by the lot. If you’re wondering about vampires and think that the market is saturated, think again. We are just obsessed with vampires and can’t seem to get enough. The trend that I do see, is a new age of vampires that are not so sweet and glamorous (I’m obviously not including True Blood). Traditional vampires are inching their way back. I’m also predicting that there will be some very cool mermaid stories. I’m looking for a good one now.
CIR: Do you represent manuscripts that you believe will sell, even if you don't personally love the work?
I represent manuscripts that I love and think that they will sell. It’s a must have combo. I’m not saying that if I love something but I don’t think that it will sell, I’ll turn it down. I’m saying that if I like something, I think that others will to, and therefore it will sell. It sounds a bit egocentric, but its not. My tastes are fairly ‘normal’ in that I’m usually on the same wavelength as others.
CIR: What one piece of advice would you offer to authors seeking representation?
Do your research and always put your best foot forward. Learn about the industry, but don’t forget that in the end your writing speaks for itself. So hone in on your craft, keep learning and perfecting your work. And most importantly, never give up. This is a tough industry to break into. Agents are incredibly busy and will unfortunately review your work looking for reasons not to represent you, because unfortunately, that’s how most editors review work. So don’t give them any. Always submit finished work, the best work that you can possibly produce, and then be professional and attentive. It’s okay to innocently stalk your agent’s facebook page and blog to see what they are up to, but don’t bombard them with follow up emails. Know the agent’s policy on responses and when it is okay to follow up or assume that they are not interested if you have not heard back. QueryTraker is a great source for see the actual response stats that the agents don’t tell you about on their blogs and websites. When you do hear back always respond quickly and be ready to provide a synopsis and your manuscript. If you meet an agent or make a connection somewhere, follow up graciously and always strike while the iron is hot. Don’t let them forget you.
CIR: Now, in accordance with our CIR M.O., I would like to ask an off-track question. What did you dream of doing when you were twelve years old?
Lol I like this one...I wanted to be an Astronaut or Singer… you know, because the two have so many elements in common. So naturally, I became a lawyer.
You can visit the L. Perkins Agency at www.lperkinsagency.com for more information and submission guidelines. Marisa’s agent blog is at http://thoughtsfromaliteraryagent.blogspot.com or you could follow her on facebook (personal Marisa Iozzi Corvisiero, fan Marisa A. Corvisiero- Literary Agent) or twitter @mcorvisiero. The website for her law firm is www.corvisierolaw.com.
Thank you again, Marisa, and best regards.
Janet Fogg
FOGG IN THE COCKPIT
fogginthecockpit.blogspot.com
SOLILOQUY
HOLT Medallion Award of Merit
www.janetfogg.com
chiseledinrock.blogspot.com
Today, Chiseled in Rock has the pleasure of interviewing Marisa Iozzi Corvisiero. An experienced entertainment attorney, Marisa founded The Corvisiero Law Practice, a boutique law firm in midtown New York City. She is also an agent with the L. Perkins Agency, whose five agents represent approximately 200 authors in a variety of genres. Founded in 1987, the Agency also works with an established film agency and has agents in 11 foreign countries.
As an agent, Marisa’s represents science fiction, fantasy, horror and romance, as well young adult and children's literature. In non-fiction, she enjoys memoirs, how-to, guides and tales about the legal practice, parenting, self-help, and mainstream science, but no text books.
CIR: Marisa, please tell us about your dual professions and your start as an agent.
I started wearing my agent hat after some of my author friends and colleagues asked me to represent them in their book deals through my law firm. Then I started submitting them too. We all know how difficult it is to find the right agent and to have editors take authors seriously if they are not represented or already pre published. In fact, many of the traditional publishers don’t accept un-agented work. So I started out by lending a hand. I lost a couple of paying clients when I started representing them as their agent. (because agents are not paid until they sell the work) But it all worked out in the end. One thing led to another and eventually I joined Lori Perkins’ Agency, where I learned lots of lessons. Today, I continue to practice law at the Corvisiero Law Practice, and I represent several very talented authors. I am still building a client list.
CIR: It sounds as if there’s a great deal of communication and joint-decision making at your agency. Would you please describe your process, as far as signing a new writer?
My process, although it is time consuming, is a simple one. All my queries are saved in a folder, when I review them, if I like the letter and the first few pages, I ask for the synopsis or the manuscript. If I’m not sure, I forward it to my two Junior Agents for their opinions. If I don’t think that the work is ready for publication and/or I don’t think that the story is marketable, I decline the query. Then if I like the story based on the synopsis, I ask for the manuscript. When I read the manuscript I have at least one of my Jr. Agents or readers read it as well. If we love a manuscript, I offer the author representation.
CIR: Certain agents edit a manuscript prior to shopping it to editors. Others don’t. How would you describe yourself and how important is it for a writer to be flexible about changing their manuscript?
I don’t edit manuscripts myself anymore, but I always have comments for the author. I’m never short on opinions. ;) If I really like a manuscript, but I think that it needs work, I usually ask for a revision or suggest that the author have it edited. I often share the comments of my Jrs with the author as well. They always give me very good input.
CIR: The economic downturn has impacted every sector. Are there any new pressures on agents that stem from the current economy?
I am fairly sure that the state of today’s economy has affected most of us in some way. For agents, it has made it more difficult to place books and has changed the structure of the deals. It is more difficult to place books because of the high mobility of editors, everything that is going on inside the publishing houses, and because most are making more conservative acquisitions in quantity and payment.
CIR: Your agency believes all authors should be published in both print and e-pub format. With e-pub sales strengthening, are your contract negotiations with publishers changing in regard to, for example, the amount of an advance? Or any other contract terms?
E-books are the wave of the future, but I don’t think that print is going extinct anytime soon. So we strongly believe that every book should be out there in every media form. When negotiating with publishers, if they want to acquire the right to put a book out in all of these mediums, then my job is to make sure that the author is compensated accordingly, and that the publisher will in fact use these rights. If they can’t give the proper assurances, even though nothing is ever one hundred percent certain, then we try to retain the rights and offer them to someone else.
CIR: Is the ease with which writers can self-publish having a significant impact on you as an agent?
Nope… and that could be all of my answer, but I’ll elaborate. A huge number of authors are going the vanity press route. However, even those writers that self publish still continue to submit their books to agents so that the agent can sell the book to a bigger press. Those publishers don’t, or shouldn’t, retain the rights to the author’s work for the simple fact that the press is not paying for the book. In the contrary, the author is paying the press to put the book out, so the author should have all the rights to the work. I’ll say it again, all authors should retain their copyrights when self publishing. Authors still want a large publisher to acquire their books because the publisher will have better distribution channels, will pay for the printing, will often pay an advance, and then royalties. Lets face it, it is difficult to sell books and having a publisher’s help can make the world of difference. Anyone can have a book self published, it’s the selling that’s tricky. With this foreknowledge, most authors who have self published still seek an agent.
CIR: What do you enjoy most about representing authors to the publishing industry? Least?
I love reading and pitching books to publishers. I only accept to represent books and projects that I really believe in, and so my enthusiasm gives me an extra umph when telling others about it. I get very exited. What I like the least is that publishers have a certain quota of books that they will acquire, and so often they have a specific list of things that they are looking for and may pass up a great project just because they need to keep looking for the perfect fit. It can be discouraging, especially when you are the one breaking the news.
CIR: Are you hoping to increase your client base?
Yes, I’m always looking for new talent. I am currently not accepting queries because I’m trying to catch up on the huge volume of queries that I receive monthly. I have quite a few queries that go back a while and I would really like to respond to all of them and hopefully find some gems. So even though queries are suspended, I am still taking on clients.
CIR: Do you have any pet peeves, when it comes to submissions?
I think that sometimes I’m more tolerant than other agents when it comes to queries. Of course, I don’t like it when someone misspells my name or sends me a query that is part of a mass e-mail, but I don’t think that it justifies turning an author away because of it. Do I take it into consideration if the rest of the query is weak? You bet. My real pet peeve though, are sloppy and difficult to read formats. I don’t like queries that start by telling me what the character was thinking or doing. To me, that should be in the middle of the letter. A good query should start by telling me that they have a romance (or other genre) 80K word (proper word count for age group and genre) finished manuscript that they think I will like it because…. I think that research is paramount. The author should know the genre of his or her work, the target readers (at least gender and age), and by knowing this, they can learn how long the work should be. I will be writing a blog post on this soon to put the info out there all in one place. In the mean time authors should keep in mind that the younger the reader the shorter the work should be. And the more sophisticated the reader (sci-fi/fantasy) the more allowance they have to get creative with a longer manuscript. But don’t go crazy. If your novel is longer than 115K especially for a debut, you should consider some edits. I know that there are novels out there that were the author’s first, and are much longer than that… etc, etc. I know. I’ve read twilight and harry potter too. But they are among the few, and just because they made it, it doesn’t mean that it was easy. I think that they are wonderful series, but in a way they were lucky. Having said that… I’m not telling everyone to conform. I’m just saying that there are certain ‘rules,’ if you will, in the industry. If you really believe in your work and it doesn’t follow the norm, trust your self (to a realistic level) and go for it with gusto. Just be prepared to know that it will harder than hard, but if you keep at it you just might get lucky too.
CIR: Any predictions about what might be the next big thing in publishing? What trend(s) do you see fading?
I think that mythology and superheroes are fading, but not super powers. Submissions with “special” characters still come in by the lot. If you’re wondering about vampires and think that the market is saturated, think again. We are just obsessed with vampires and can’t seem to get enough. The trend that I do see, is a new age of vampires that are not so sweet and glamorous (I’m obviously not including True Blood). Traditional vampires are inching their way back. I’m also predicting that there will be some very cool mermaid stories. I’m looking for a good one now.
CIR: Do you represent manuscripts that you believe will sell, even if you don't personally love the work?
I represent manuscripts that I love and think that they will sell. It’s a must have combo. I’m not saying that if I love something but I don’t think that it will sell, I’ll turn it down. I’m saying that if I like something, I think that others will to, and therefore it will sell. It sounds a bit egocentric, but its not. My tastes are fairly ‘normal’ in that I’m usually on the same wavelength as others.
CIR: What one piece of advice would you offer to authors seeking representation?
Do your research and always put your best foot forward. Learn about the industry, but don’t forget that in the end your writing speaks for itself. So hone in on your craft, keep learning and perfecting your work. And most importantly, never give up. This is a tough industry to break into. Agents are incredibly busy and will unfortunately review your work looking for reasons not to represent you, because unfortunately, that’s how most editors review work. So don’t give them any. Always submit finished work, the best work that you can possibly produce, and then be professional and attentive. It’s okay to innocently stalk your agent’s facebook page and blog to see what they are up to, but don’t bombard them with follow up emails. Know the agent’s policy on responses and when it is okay to follow up or assume that they are not interested if you have not heard back. QueryTraker is a great source for see the actual response stats that the agents don’t tell you about on their blogs and websites. When you do hear back always respond quickly and be ready to provide a synopsis and your manuscript. If you meet an agent or make a connection somewhere, follow up graciously and always strike while the iron is hot. Don’t let them forget you.
CIR: Now, in accordance with our CIR M.O., I would like to ask an off-track question. What did you dream of doing when you were twelve years old?
Lol I like this one...I wanted to be an Astronaut or Singer… you know, because the two have so many elements in common. So naturally, I became a lawyer.
You can visit the L. Perkins Agency at www.lperkinsagency.com for more information and submission guidelines. Marisa’s agent blog is at http://thoughtsfromaliteraryagent.blogspot.com or you could follow her on facebook (personal Marisa Iozzi Corvisiero, fan Marisa A. Corvisiero- Literary Agent) or twitter @mcorvisiero. The website for her law firm is www.corvisierolaw.com.
Thank you again, Marisa, and best regards.
Janet Fogg
FOGG IN THE COCKPIT
fogginthecockpit.blogspot.com
SOLILOQUY
HOLT Medallion Award of Merit
www.janetfogg.com
chiseledinrock.blogspot.com
RAVENOUS ROMANCE™ LAUNCHES NEW YORK CITY READING SERIES
Publisher of erotic fiction to launch Ravenous Nights at Lower East Side venue [Boston, MA – February 1, 2011] – Ravenous Romance™, a leading online publisher of erotic romance novels and short stories has announced a collaboration with New York City literary hot-spot Happy Endings Lounge to host a monthly erotic reading series on the first Friday of every month called Ravenous Nights. Happy Endings, a funky 2-story club that was once a massage parlor, is located at 302 Broome Street. The first Ravenous Night is scheduled for Friday, February 4 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., and it is free of charge.
The lineup for February 4 includes:
• Cecilia Tan, best-selling erotic author of the Magic University series
• Caridad Pinero, New York Times best-selling erotic romance author
• Mo Beasley, founder of Urban Erotika, a spoken word performance series
• KT Grant, author of The Princess' Bride
• Debra Hyde, acclaimed writer of BDSM erotic romance, and the author of the BDSM classic, BLIND SEDUCTION.
• Jefferson, well-known sex blogger and author of M/M short stories for RR anthologies.
The Friday, April 4 lineup will be announced in the coming weeks.
In celebration of Ravenous Nights, Barnes & Noble has announced that they will offer free copies of the Ravenous Romance anthology Once Upon a Threesome to the first 100 people to download it. In addition, Ravenous Romance will give each attendee a free Ravenous Romance drink coaster to each attendee and the Happy Endings Lounge will create a special “Ravenous” cocktail which will only appear on the menu during Ravenous Nights.
LISTING INFORMATION:
Ravenous Nights
Friday, February 4, 2011
8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Free of charge
Location: Happy Endings Lounge
302 Broome Street (at Forsyth St)
(212) 334-9676
[About Ravenous Romance™]
An imprint of Literary Partners Group, Inc., Ravenous Romance offers readers engaging and colorful stories with strong plots and character development, but peppered with steamy love scenes. Products are available in iPhone/iPod app, ebook and audiobook format in 12 different categories, including both modern and historical fiction, suspense, paranormal, gay/lesbian/bisexual, and new age, among others. They also sell a limited number of titles in print on the Home Shopping Network.
For more information please contact Dalyn A. Miller at 617-504-6869 or via email at Dalyn@DalynMillerPR.com
Visit Ravenous Romance™ online at www.RavenousRomance.com
The lineup for February 4 includes:
• Cecilia Tan, best-selling erotic author of the Magic University series
• Caridad Pinero, New York Times best-selling erotic romance author
• Mo Beasley, founder of Urban Erotika, a spoken word performance series
• KT Grant, author of The Princess' Bride
• Debra Hyde, acclaimed writer of BDSM erotic romance, and the author of the BDSM classic, BLIND SEDUCTION.
• Jefferson, well-known sex blogger and author of M/M short stories for RR anthologies.
The Friday, April 4 lineup will be announced in the coming weeks.
In celebration of Ravenous Nights, Barnes & Noble has announced that they will offer free copies of the Ravenous Romance anthology Once Upon a Threesome to the first 100 people to download it. In addition, Ravenous Romance will give each attendee a free Ravenous Romance drink coaster to each attendee and the Happy Endings Lounge will create a special “Ravenous” cocktail which will only appear on the menu during Ravenous Nights.
LISTING INFORMATION:
Ravenous Nights
Friday, February 4, 2011
8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Free of charge
Location: Happy Endings Lounge
302 Broome Street (at Forsyth St)
(212) 334-9676
[About Ravenous Romance™]
An imprint of Literary Partners Group, Inc., Ravenous Romance offers readers engaging and colorful stories with strong plots and character development, but peppered with steamy love scenes. Products are available in iPhone/iPod app, ebook and audiobook format in 12 different categories, including both modern and historical fiction, suspense, paranormal, gay/lesbian/bisexual, and new age, among others. They also sell a limited number of titles in print on the Home Shopping Network.
For more information please contact Dalyn A. Miller at 617-504-6869 or via email at Dalyn@DalynMillerPR.com
Visit Ravenous Romance™ online at www.RavenousRomance.com
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Is Attending A Conference Worth Your Time & Money?
Are you an author who aspires to be published, or perhaps one that is already published but is aware that the craft of writing is an ongoing learning and enhancement process? If the answer is yes to either of these scenarios, then you should seriously consider attending at least one conference a year. I know that they can be costly, but good conferences happen all over the country on an annual basis. So I'm sure that there must be one near you, or at least one that is within driving distance or a train ride away. Although I can't give you a way to attend for free, I can tell you that the answer posed in the title of this post is a resounding YES.
Like everything else, conferences are really what you make of them. Chances are that if you are interested enough in the publishing industry to be reading this, and you sign up to attend a conference, you are already on the right path.
Conferences are organized events where authors can congregate to meet each other, agents and editors, and attend some really wonderful and constructive panels and workshops. Although these may vary in content and structure from conference to conference, the one thing I say for certain is that no matter who you are, your level of skill and pedigree, you will learn something.
I have been to many conferences since even before I started agenting, and without fail every time I go to a conference I return home and to my office feeling more integrated and knowledgeable about what is going on in the industry and writing overall. When I attend conferences I usually take pitches from authors, do a panel, give a speech, or teach a workshop. Each one of these things is a way for me to give back, but inebitably they also help me to meet more contacts, find talent and when I steel away and crash someone else's workshop...(I do this at least once a day at every conference shhh don't tell anyone) I always learn something. And I'm sure that most attendees would say the same thing.
So my advice would be to do some research and check out the different conferences. You may find one near you that is great for all writers or one that is specialized for your specific genre of fiction. Before signing up take a look at the proposed schedule so that you know what workshops and offerings you want to take advantage of because you may be able to sign up for specific parts of the conference. So best of luck in finding the right conference for you, and I hope you enjoy attending.
Here's a list of some great conferences. One of these may be good for you. Check them out. Maybe I'll see you there too.
Writers Digest Conference - January, New York City
DFW Conference- February, TX
San Francisco Writer's Conference - February, CA
Liberty States Fiction Writer's Conference- March, NJ
Unicorn Writer's Conference- April, CT
New England Young Writer's- May, VT
BackSpace Writers- May
Crested Butte- June 17-19, CO
Jackson Hole- June, WY
RWA- July, NYC
New England Writers- July, VT
Hampton Roads- Sept, VA
Rocky Mountain Writer's Conference- Sept, CO
Florida Writers- October, FL
New England Crime Bake- November, MA
Happy attending, happy learning, and happy writing!
~Marisa
Like everything else, conferences are really what you make of them. Chances are that if you are interested enough in the publishing industry to be reading this, and you sign up to attend a conference, you are already on the right path.
Conferences are organized events where authors can congregate to meet each other, agents and editors, and attend some really wonderful and constructive panels and workshops. Although these may vary in content and structure from conference to conference, the one thing I say for certain is that no matter who you are, your level of skill and pedigree, you will learn something.
I have been to many conferences since even before I started agenting, and without fail every time I go to a conference I return home and to my office feeling more integrated and knowledgeable about what is going on in the industry and writing overall. When I attend conferences I usually take pitches from authors, do a panel, give a speech, or teach a workshop. Each one of these things is a way for me to give back, but inebitably they also help me to meet more contacts, find talent and when I steel away and crash someone else's workshop...(I do this at least once a day at every conference shhh don't tell anyone) I always learn something. And I'm sure that most attendees would say the same thing.
So my advice would be to do some research and check out the different conferences. You may find one near you that is great for all writers or one that is specialized for your specific genre of fiction. Before signing up take a look at the proposed schedule so that you know what workshops and offerings you want to take advantage of because you may be able to sign up for specific parts of the conference. So best of luck in finding the right conference for you, and I hope you enjoy attending.
Here's a list of some great conferences. One of these may be good for you. Check them out. Maybe I'll see you there too.
Writers Digest Conference - January, New York City
DFW Conference- February, TX
San Francisco Writer's Conference - February, CA
Liberty States Fiction Writer's Conference- March, NJ
Unicorn Writer's Conference- April, CT
New England Young Writer's- May, VT
BackSpace Writers- May
Crested Butte- June 17-19, CO
Jackson Hole- June, WY
RWA- July, NYC
New England Writers- July, VT
Hampton Roads- Sept, VA
Rocky Mountain Writer's Conference- Sept, CO
Florida Writers- October, FL
New England Crime Bake- November, MA
Happy attending, happy learning, and happy writing!
~Marisa
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Deleted Comments.
I was fiddling with my blog settings and accidentally erased all the comments! I don't think that this can be undone. So if you notice that you comment is no longer posted, please don't take it personally...and by all means, feel free to go back and comment again.
~Marisa
~Marisa
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Literary Intern Search...
If you know anyone who lives in or close to Monmouth County, NJ, I am looking for a literary intern to help me with submissions, queries, lists, manuscripts etc. at my home office. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow with us for a candidate with the interest, skills and energy needed in this business.
Location and application process will be disclosed on per case basis for the obvious reasons. Please e-mail me at marisa@lperkinsagency.com for information only if you live in the area, are available at least 10 hours per week, and are seriously interested in the publishing industry. Thanks!
All the best,
Marisa
Location and application process will be disclosed on per case basis for the obvious reasons. Please e-mail me at marisa@lperkinsagency.com for information only if you live in the area, are available at least 10 hours per week, and are seriously interested in the publishing industry. Thanks!
All the best,
Marisa
Monday, December 6, 2010
A Note on Suspended Queries...
Hi all. It has been a while since my last post, but please note that my lack of output does not diminish my presence. I have been diligently dedicating to the few clients that I've signed on and catching up with reading and queries. Well, trying to catch up on queries anyhow. The volume of submissions is insanely great. And though it is flattering and much appreciated, I just have been unable to keep up. Which brings me to this post... In case you have not heard, I have temporarily suspended my intake of unsolicited queries. This means that for the next few months I will not be accepting queries, unless they have been solicited. The purpose of this suspension is to allow me to catch up with the number of queries awaiting my response in my e-mail inbox. I have fallen shamefully behind and this is my effort to catch up and avoid keeping more of you in limbo.
My policy is that I respond to ever single query, so if you have submitted months ago and have not heard a response from me, you will. Thought it may appear that my inbox is a black hole, there actually is some light escaping it. ;) (I know I'm a geek) I have brought in two wonderful Junior Agents, Brittany Booker and Jordy Albert, whom will be assisting me with responses and reviewing materials. Until we are caught up AND they have been properly trained to work with me, they will NOT be accepting their own queries. So please refrain from contacting them about submissions for now.
As soon as the Submission Acceptance process is back up and running, we will post an announcement and let you know how to submit. In the mean time, please be patient with me and use this time to enhance your creativity.
Happy writing!
All the best,
Marisa
My policy is that I respond to ever single query, so if you have submitted months ago and have not heard a response from me, you will. Thought it may appear that my inbox is a black hole, there actually is some light escaping it. ;) (I know I'm a geek) I have brought in two wonderful Junior Agents, Brittany Booker and Jordy Albert, whom will be assisting me with responses and reviewing materials. Until we are caught up AND they have been properly trained to work with me, they will NOT be accepting their own queries. So please refrain from contacting them about submissions for now.
As soon as the Submission Acceptance process is back up and running, we will post an announcement and let you know how to submit. In the mean time, please be patient with me and use this time to enhance your creativity.
Happy writing!
All the best,
Marisa
Monday, October 18, 2010
Guide to Literary Agents - What Should You Write in the Bio Paragraph of a Query Letter?
Follow this link to a great article about the things to include and avoid when drafting your query. Guide to Literary Agents - What Should You Write in the Bio Paragraph of a Query Letter?
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Contest for Paranormal and Urban Fantasy Romance Writers
I have been invited by the ever gracious and wonderful Chuck Sambuchino to host a contest on his Blog for cross genre Paranormal or Urban Fantasy Romance novels. Chuck is the author and keeper of the "Guide to Literary Agents" published yearly by Reader's Digest, and among other great titles, his most recent How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack, which was released last week.
HOW TO SUBMIT
E-mail entries to sixthagentcontest@gmail.com. Please paste everything. No attachments.
WHAT TO SUBMIT
The first 150-200 words of your unpublished, book-length work of urban fantasy or paranormal (adult fiction and/or YA fiction are both accepted; no "high fantasy" with dragons, elves or other planets please). You must include a contact e-mail address with your entry and use your real name. Also, submit the title of the work and a logline (one-sentence description of the work) with your entry.
Please note: To be eligible to submit, I ask that you do one of two things: 1) Mention and link to this contest twice through your social media—blogs, Twitter, Facebook; or 2) just mention this contest once and also add Guide to Literary Agents Blog (www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog) to your blogroll. Please provide link(s) so the judge and I can verify eligibility. Some previous entrants could not be considered because they skipped this step!
CONTEST DETAILS
1. This contest will be live for approximately fourteen days—from Sept. 22 through the end of Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010, EST. Winners notified by e-mail within three weeks of end of contest. Winners announced on the blog thereafter.
2. To enter, submit the first 150-200 words of your book. Shorter or longer entries will not be considered. Keep it within word count range please.
3. This contest is solely for completed book-length works of urban fantasy and paranormal romance (both YA and adult novels are accepted).
4. You can submit as many times as you wish. You can submit even if you submitted to other contests in the past, but please note that past winners cannot win again.
5. The contest is open to everyone of all ages, save those employees, officers and directors of GLA's publisher, F+W Media.
6. By e-mailing your entry, you are submitting an entry for consideration in this contest and thereby agreeing to the terms written here as well as any terms possibly added by me in the "Comments" section of this blog post. (If you have questions or concerns, write me personally at literaryagent@fwmedia.com. The Gmail account above is for submissions, not questions.)
PRIZES!!!
Top 3 winners all get: 1) A critique of the first 10 pages of your work, by your agent judge. 2) A free one-year subscription to WritersMarket.com.
For more details go to Chuck's blog at http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/ and read the submission guidelines. Please don't submit directly to me. My in-box is already working overtime ;)
For those of you who know me, these are not the only genres that I represent, but please only submit the said cross genre romance work as requested. There will be other contests for the rest of you. :)
Happy writing... and in this case, happy submitting!
~Marisa
HOW TO SUBMIT
E-mail entries to sixthagentcontest@gmail.com. Please paste everything. No attachments.
WHAT TO SUBMIT
The first 150-200 words of your unpublished, book-length work of urban fantasy or paranormal (adult fiction and/or YA fiction are both accepted; no "high fantasy" with dragons, elves or other planets please). You must include a contact e-mail address with your entry and use your real name. Also, submit the title of the work and a logline (one-sentence description of the work) with your entry.
Please note: To be eligible to submit, I ask that you do one of two things: 1) Mention and link to this contest twice through your social media—blogs, Twitter, Facebook; or 2) just mention this contest once and also add Guide to Literary Agents Blog (www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog) to your blogroll. Please provide link(s) so the judge and I can verify eligibility. Some previous entrants could not be considered because they skipped this step!
CONTEST DETAILS
1. This contest will be live for approximately fourteen days—from Sept. 22 through the end of Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010, EST. Winners notified by e-mail within three weeks of end of contest. Winners announced on the blog thereafter.
2. To enter, submit the first 150-200 words of your book. Shorter or longer entries will not be considered. Keep it within word count range please.
3. This contest is solely for completed book-length works of urban fantasy and paranormal romance (both YA and adult novels are accepted).
4. You can submit as many times as you wish. You can submit even if you submitted to other contests in the past, but please note that past winners cannot win again.
5. The contest is open to everyone of all ages, save those employees, officers and directors of GLA's publisher, F+W Media.
6. By e-mailing your entry, you are submitting an entry for consideration in this contest and thereby agreeing to the terms written here as well as any terms possibly added by me in the "Comments" section of this blog post. (If you have questions or concerns, write me personally at literaryagent@fwmedia.com. The Gmail account above is for submissions, not questions.)
PRIZES!!!
Top 3 winners all get: 1) A critique of the first 10 pages of your work, by your agent judge. 2) A free one-year subscription to WritersMarket.com.
For more details go to Chuck's blog at http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/ and read the submission guidelines. Please don't submit directly to me. My in-box is already working overtime ;)
For those of you who know me, these are not the only genres that I represent, but please only submit the said cross genre romance work as requested. There will be other contests for the rest of you. :)
Happy writing... and in this case, happy submitting!
~Marisa
Guide to Literary Agents
New Contest on Writer's Digest's Chuck Sambuchino's blog hosted by yours truly. More info to follow. For details go to: Guide to Literary Agents
Friday, August 27, 2010
New Interview by: Michael A. Ventrella
I was recently interviewed by Michael A. Ventrella. Here is a copy of the interview for your browsing. Check out his beautiful blog for more interviews and a whole slew of wonderful information. http://michaelaventrella.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/interview-with-agent-marisa-iozzi-corvisiero/
Interview with agent Marisa Iozzi Corvisiero
MICHAEL A. VENTRELLA: I am pleased to be interviewing Marisa Iozzi Corvisiero today.
Marisa is an attorney as well as an agent. She is the founder of The Corvisiero Law Practice, P.C., a boutique law firm in midtown New York City. She is actively building her client list and focusing on science fiction, fantasy, paranormal and romance, as well young adult and children’s literature. In non-fiction, she is interested in seeing proposals for memoirs, how-to (in any industry), guides and tales about the legal practice, parenting, self-help, and mainstream science. No text books please. She’s interested in reading your query and first fifteen pages (full book for children’s books – illustrations not necessary) to Marisa at marisa@lperkinsagency.com You can visit her agent blog at http://thoughtsfromaliteraryagent.blogspot.com and follow her on twitter @mcorvisiero.
I am always surprised to find so many fellow attorneys involved in the publishing industry, although usually I am interviewing fellow authors. I’m curious as to your start as an entertainment attorney and how that led to your becoming an agent – or did the agent thing happen independently?
MARISA IOZZI CORVISIERO: Becoming an agent sort of fell on my lap. It started with a favor for a talented fellow writer. I was writing a cross genre science fiction novel at the time, and started connecting with other authors, going to conferences, joined a critique group and so forth. Eventually, one thing led to another and I found my self sending in submissions for other writers through my law firm and really enjoying representing them.
Then one day, that one talented fellow writer said that he had rekindled a connection with a friend from grammar school, and just found out that she is now a literary agent. Not missing a beat, I asked him to introduce me to this Lori Perkins person, who sounded so fabulous. So he did, and after one conversation with Ms. Perkins, we both knew that we were meant to work together. She offered to mentor me, and to share her 23 years of experience and contacts in the industry with me. She said that after six months with her it would be like having a masters. Of course I agreed, and took on this opportunity of a life time. The six months came and went, and I’m still with the L. Perkins Agency, learning from the best.
VENTRELLA: Do you think having a legal background gives you an advantage over other agents?
CORVISIERO: I think that any additional skills or knowledge that one brings to the table gives one an advantage. Lawyers are trained to spot and solve issues, analyze, strategize, negotiate and draft legal contracts. These are very important skills for an agent, but I think that one doesn’t have to be a lawyer to posses these abilities. Most good agents out there have these skills. So I suppose that being a lawyer helps me be a good agent.
VENTRELLA: A query letter is very important for an author wishing to make an impression, but it seems that the skills necessary to write one are completely different from the skills needed to write a novel. How do you overlook a poor query letter to inspect the manuscript – or do you? (By “poor query letter” I do not mean one that contains misspellings or other obvious errors, but instead one that just does not grab your attention as it should.)
CORVISIERO: Query letters are very important. They not only showcase the author’s work, but also the author as a professional. If a query is sub-par, it is an indication of many things such as lack of attention, professionalism, skills, respect etc. I’ve written an entire blog entry on titled “Don’t Screw Up Your Query: You only get one change to make a good first impression”.
Let’s suppose for a moment that the query looks good, that there are no errors, it briefly describes the novel, says something about the author, provides genre and word count as well as a brief description of the target market and why this novel would appeal to them. If all of this works and the story line does not grab my attention I will consider not reading the work. At this point I ask my self if the storyline is interesting and unique. If not, I go back to the e-mail and type up a short decline letter and tell the author why I’m declining it. If it is interesting and unique, I go on to read a few pages. After that, if I like what I read, I ask for the full synopsis and/or the full manuscript.
VENTRELLA: How important is it for you to love the work in order to represent the client?
CORVISIERO: Very important. I only represent things that I love. My time is very limited and precious. I will not waste it on something that I don’t believe in. Even if it is selling.
VENTRELLA: Do you ever accept work that you believe has potential but needs major editing?
CORVISIERO: The short answer is yes. I have taken on a few diamonds in the rough and it usually pays off in the end. I can’t do this often due to time restraints, but if I see the potential in the work and the writer, I will go out of my way to help them.
VENTRELLA: Is there any story or plotline that you are sick of? Is there anything you wish you’d get more of?
CORVISIERO: I wouldn’t say that I’m sick of them, but I’m very conservative when it comes to vampire novels. One would think that the market is oversaturated with them, but they are still selling. So when considering a vampire story, it will need to be very unique or traditional with a unique plot. I mean seriously, enough with the clumsy but smart teen that falls in love with a vampire who simply can’t resist her. Been there, done that … let’s get creative people!
Which is a good segue into what I do want to see more of. I want good science fiction and urban fantasy. Throw in a good romance or attraction between the characters and I’m even happier. I want someone to send me a well written, fresh story with compelling characters, that will blow my mind. Give me the next Matrix, Harry Potter, Avatar, Mission to Mars, Abyss, Contact. See the pattern?
VENTRELLA: Do you think the vampire trend will end soon? (I hope not, given the manuscript I’m working on now.) Do you see anything new on the horizon?
CORVISIERO: The trend itself, or “frenzie” if you will, will most certainly end. Everyone is riding the coat tails of Stephanie and Charlene. But even after the demand for creatures of the night, or sparkling creatures of the day ends, there will still be market for vampires. I can’t think of a time longer than a couple of years, when a book or movie about vampires wasn’t released. I think its almost like a cycle. Every few years a hot vampire story emerges. Remember Anne Rice, Bram Stoker, Blade, Buffy, The Lost Boys, on and on through the years all the way back to Nosferatu in the 1920’s. People love vampires. And so I think that there will always be a market for them.
The problem is that vampires have been too glamorized. Made to seem almost human but for the need to drink blood, some even eat food and can go into the sunlight with an application of a special lotion (The Gates). Not to mention all the super powers. When I was reading Breaking Dawn (Stephanie Mayer’s 4th book) I kept thinking this is like vampires meets the X-men. So I think the key to a good new vampire story may be to bring it back to basics.
As for trends, we have gone from aliens, to vampires, to werewolves, to zombies, to fallen angels. Now there are talks about super heroes. I have personally seen some keen interest in mermaids. I’ve received at least two really good queries already. I may be the first to say it but I think that there is something there.
VENTRELLA: What do you love to read? Who are your favorite authors, and why?
CORVISIERO: Other than my fabulous clients, I would say that my favorite authors are Nora Roberts and Nicholas Sparks. Now, as you may imagine I read quite a bit and I love many, many authors, but I have to say that when it comes to Nora and Nick I enjoy them above all others. When I pick up one of their books, I know what I’m getting. I trust them. For instance, I know that any novel by Nicholas Sparks will probably make me weep and laugh, and it will provoke thoughts and promote some sort of emotional learning within me. He is fantastic at reaching the reader.
Nora Roberts is a whole different story. I call Nora “My good old reliable”. I know that I can buy any one of her books without even reading the jacket and I will like it. She is a pro at creating believable and intricate characters whom you want to follow through their journey to the end. I usually sprinkle one of her novels into my reading schedule after reading a number of manuscripts and other books. Once in a while “I need a dose of Nora”. When I saw Nora Roberts at RWA this past July I told her this, and I told her that she is one of the few writers that I trust explicitly with my time. She seemed very flattered, even though I’m sure she hears this all the time. And that makes me like her even more.
VENTRELLA: Some people advise authors to attend writer’s conferences specifically for the chance to meet agents and make pitches. Others say such a thing is useless unless the manuscript is finished. What is your opinion on writer’s conferences?
CORVISIERO: Conferences are wonderful, and writers should take every advantage of the resources and opportunities that they offer. If you can attend one or two a year, they should, even if the manuscript is not finished. Attending a conference gives authors the wonderful opportunity to meet other authors, agents, and editors. There is always something to be learned at the workshops. They are invaluable. I would however advice not to pitch a manuscript until it is finished. Also, to get more out of a conference choose one that suits the genre of your work.
VENTRELLA: How will the rise of e-publishing affect your business?
CORVISIERO: E-publishing is changing the industry to a point where sooner rather than later all books will be available as an electronic version. I’m not sure how long it will take until we stop cutting down trees to print books, but that’s something to ponder. This doesn’t affect my business significantly. Other than learning about the new e-publishers popping up everywhere, and how they like to be reached. If we sell a book only as an e-book, the advance will be lower than an advance from a traditional publisher would pay, but the royalties are still at the same percentage, and even if e-books are cheaper there is still the possibility that they will sell just as much or even better than they would as a paper book, so the profit margin remains the fairly constant.
VENTRELLA: And finally, what general advice do you wish to give to aspiring authors that they may not have heard before?
CORVISIERO: I’m sure that this is not new advice, but I think that it’s good advice none the less. Writers should write what they know about, or what they are passionate about. Don’t write just to sell books, or to please people. Write to tell a good story, one that you’ve conceived. Enjoy the process, even if it means never selling your work. I know that it sounds ridiculous, but most of the great works were created by those with passion for the craft and not for money. The point is to reach the reader and whisk them into your imaginary world, where they will grow with the characters, suffer their pain, and experience their joy in the end when the conflict is resolved.
We are usually best at what we enjoy doing the most. So if you don’t enjoy writing, find a different hobby. Publishing is a tough industry. It is difficult to make good money. When you do, it’s wonderful. But don’t expect your writing to be an overnight best seller and bring you millions (it doesn’t happen that often). Don’t expect to sell your book and get an advance large enough to support you until you sell your next book. The odds are not in your favor. So don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. I had to say that because it’s always good to include a dose of reality. However, good things can happen, and they do. Just be prepared for the rejections and be persistent.
If this is really what you want to do, keep at it. Let every sentence be better than the previous one. Remember that success is a process and not a destination, so enjoy it and learn your lessons along the way. I urge you to never ever give up. If writing is your passion, and you enjoy it, don’t let anything anyone says discourage you from fulfilling your creative dream. Think big, shoot for the stars and when you look back you’ll do so to re-live your journey and not to dwell on missed opportunities!
Interview with agent Marisa Iozzi Corvisiero
MICHAEL A. VENTRELLA: I am pleased to be interviewing Marisa Iozzi Corvisiero today.
Marisa is an attorney as well as an agent. She is the founder of The Corvisiero Law Practice, P.C., a boutique law firm in midtown New York City. She is actively building her client list and focusing on science fiction, fantasy, paranormal and romance, as well young adult and children’s literature. In non-fiction, she is interested in seeing proposals for memoirs, how-to (in any industry), guides and tales about the legal practice, parenting, self-help, and mainstream science. No text books please. She’s interested in reading your query and first fifteen pages (full book for children’s books – illustrations not necessary) to Marisa at marisa@lperkinsagency.com You can visit her agent blog at http://thoughtsfromaliteraryagent.blogspot.com and follow her on twitter @mcorvisiero.
I am always surprised to find so many fellow attorneys involved in the publishing industry, although usually I am interviewing fellow authors. I’m curious as to your start as an entertainment attorney and how that led to your becoming an agent – or did the agent thing happen independently?
MARISA IOZZI CORVISIERO: Becoming an agent sort of fell on my lap. It started with a favor for a talented fellow writer. I was writing a cross genre science fiction novel at the time, and started connecting with other authors, going to conferences, joined a critique group and so forth. Eventually, one thing led to another and I found my self sending in submissions for other writers through my law firm and really enjoying representing them.
Then one day, that one talented fellow writer said that he had rekindled a connection with a friend from grammar school, and just found out that she is now a literary agent. Not missing a beat, I asked him to introduce me to this Lori Perkins person, who sounded so fabulous. So he did, and after one conversation with Ms. Perkins, we both knew that we were meant to work together. She offered to mentor me, and to share her 23 years of experience and contacts in the industry with me. She said that after six months with her it would be like having a masters. Of course I agreed, and took on this opportunity of a life time. The six months came and went, and I’m still with the L. Perkins Agency, learning from the best.
VENTRELLA: Do you think having a legal background gives you an advantage over other agents?
CORVISIERO: I think that any additional skills or knowledge that one brings to the table gives one an advantage. Lawyers are trained to spot and solve issues, analyze, strategize, negotiate and draft legal contracts. These are very important skills for an agent, but I think that one doesn’t have to be a lawyer to posses these abilities. Most good agents out there have these skills. So I suppose that being a lawyer helps me be a good agent.
VENTRELLA: A query letter is very important for an author wishing to make an impression, but it seems that the skills necessary to write one are completely different from the skills needed to write a novel. How do you overlook a poor query letter to inspect the manuscript – or do you? (By “poor query letter” I do not mean one that contains misspellings or other obvious errors, but instead one that just does not grab your attention as it should.)
CORVISIERO: Query letters are very important. They not only showcase the author’s work, but also the author as a professional. If a query is sub-par, it is an indication of many things such as lack of attention, professionalism, skills, respect etc. I’ve written an entire blog entry on titled “Don’t Screw Up Your Query: You only get one change to make a good first impression”.
Let’s suppose for a moment that the query looks good, that there are no errors, it briefly describes the novel, says something about the author, provides genre and word count as well as a brief description of the target market and why this novel would appeal to them. If all of this works and the story line does not grab my attention I will consider not reading the work. At this point I ask my self if the storyline is interesting and unique. If not, I go back to the e-mail and type up a short decline letter and tell the author why I’m declining it. If it is interesting and unique, I go on to read a few pages. After that, if I like what I read, I ask for the full synopsis and/or the full manuscript.
VENTRELLA: How important is it for you to love the work in order to represent the client?
CORVISIERO: Very important. I only represent things that I love. My time is very limited and precious. I will not waste it on something that I don’t believe in. Even if it is selling.
VENTRELLA: Do you ever accept work that you believe has potential but needs major editing?
CORVISIERO: The short answer is yes. I have taken on a few diamonds in the rough and it usually pays off in the end. I can’t do this often due to time restraints, but if I see the potential in the work and the writer, I will go out of my way to help them.
VENTRELLA: Is there any story or plotline that you are sick of? Is there anything you wish you’d get more of?
CORVISIERO: I wouldn’t say that I’m sick of them, but I’m very conservative when it comes to vampire novels. One would think that the market is oversaturated with them, but they are still selling. So when considering a vampire story, it will need to be very unique or traditional with a unique plot. I mean seriously, enough with the clumsy but smart teen that falls in love with a vampire who simply can’t resist her. Been there, done that … let’s get creative people!
Which is a good segue into what I do want to see more of. I want good science fiction and urban fantasy. Throw in a good romance or attraction between the characters and I’m even happier. I want someone to send me a well written, fresh story with compelling characters, that will blow my mind. Give me the next Matrix, Harry Potter, Avatar, Mission to Mars, Abyss, Contact. See the pattern?
VENTRELLA: Do you think the vampire trend will end soon? (I hope not, given the manuscript I’m working on now.) Do you see anything new on the horizon?
CORVISIERO: The trend itself, or “frenzie” if you will, will most certainly end. Everyone is riding the coat tails of Stephanie and Charlene. But even after the demand for creatures of the night, or sparkling creatures of the day ends, there will still be market for vampires. I can’t think of a time longer than a couple of years, when a book or movie about vampires wasn’t released. I think its almost like a cycle. Every few years a hot vampire story emerges. Remember Anne Rice, Bram Stoker, Blade, Buffy, The Lost Boys, on and on through the years all the way back to Nosferatu in the 1920’s. People love vampires. And so I think that there will always be a market for them.
The problem is that vampires have been too glamorized. Made to seem almost human but for the need to drink blood, some even eat food and can go into the sunlight with an application of a special lotion (The Gates). Not to mention all the super powers. When I was reading Breaking Dawn (Stephanie Mayer’s 4th book) I kept thinking this is like vampires meets the X-men. So I think the key to a good new vampire story may be to bring it back to basics.
As for trends, we have gone from aliens, to vampires, to werewolves, to zombies, to fallen angels. Now there are talks about super heroes. I have personally seen some keen interest in mermaids. I’ve received at least two really good queries already. I may be the first to say it but I think that there is something there.
VENTRELLA: What do you love to read? Who are your favorite authors, and why?
CORVISIERO: Other than my fabulous clients, I would say that my favorite authors are Nora Roberts and Nicholas Sparks. Now, as you may imagine I read quite a bit and I love many, many authors, but I have to say that when it comes to Nora and Nick I enjoy them above all others. When I pick up one of their books, I know what I’m getting. I trust them. For instance, I know that any novel by Nicholas Sparks will probably make me weep and laugh, and it will provoke thoughts and promote some sort of emotional learning within me. He is fantastic at reaching the reader.
Nora Roberts is a whole different story. I call Nora “My good old reliable”. I know that I can buy any one of her books without even reading the jacket and I will like it. She is a pro at creating believable and intricate characters whom you want to follow through their journey to the end. I usually sprinkle one of her novels into my reading schedule after reading a number of manuscripts and other books. Once in a while “I need a dose of Nora”. When I saw Nora Roberts at RWA this past July I told her this, and I told her that she is one of the few writers that I trust explicitly with my time. She seemed very flattered, even though I’m sure she hears this all the time. And that makes me like her even more.
VENTRELLA: Some people advise authors to attend writer’s conferences specifically for the chance to meet agents and make pitches. Others say such a thing is useless unless the manuscript is finished. What is your opinion on writer’s conferences?
CORVISIERO: Conferences are wonderful, and writers should take every advantage of the resources and opportunities that they offer. If you can attend one or two a year, they should, even if the manuscript is not finished. Attending a conference gives authors the wonderful opportunity to meet other authors, agents, and editors. There is always something to be learned at the workshops. They are invaluable. I would however advice not to pitch a manuscript until it is finished. Also, to get more out of a conference choose one that suits the genre of your work.
VENTRELLA: How will the rise of e-publishing affect your business?
CORVISIERO: E-publishing is changing the industry to a point where sooner rather than later all books will be available as an electronic version. I’m not sure how long it will take until we stop cutting down trees to print books, but that’s something to ponder. This doesn’t affect my business significantly. Other than learning about the new e-publishers popping up everywhere, and how they like to be reached. If we sell a book only as an e-book, the advance will be lower than an advance from a traditional publisher would pay, but the royalties are still at the same percentage, and even if e-books are cheaper there is still the possibility that they will sell just as much or even better than they would as a paper book, so the profit margin remains the fairly constant.
VENTRELLA: And finally, what general advice do you wish to give to aspiring authors that they may not have heard before?
CORVISIERO: I’m sure that this is not new advice, but I think that it’s good advice none the less. Writers should write what they know about, or what they are passionate about. Don’t write just to sell books, or to please people. Write to tell a good story, one that you’ve conceived. Enjoy the process, even if it means never selling your work. I know that it sounds ridiculous, but most of the great works were created by those with passion for the craft and not for money. The point is to reach the reader and whisk them into your imaginary world, where they will grow with the characters, suffer their pain, and experience their joy in the end when the conflict is resolved.
We are usually best at what we enjoy doing the most. So if you don’t enjoy writing, find a different hobby. Publishing is a tough industry. It is difficult to make good money. When you do, it’s wonderful. But don’t expect your writing to be an overnight best seller and bring you millions (it doesn’t happen that often). Don’t expect to sell your book and get an advance large enough to support you until you sell your next book. The odds are not in your favor. So don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. I had to say that because it’s always good to include a dose of reality. However, good things can happen, and they do. Just be prepared for the rejections and be persistent.
If this is really what you want to do, keep at it. Let every sentence be better than the previous one. Remember that success is a process and not a destination, so enjoy it and learn your lessons along the way. I urge you to never ever give up. If writing is your passion, and you enjoy it, don’t let anything anyone says discourage you from fulfilling your creative dream. Think big, shoot for the stars and when you look back you’ll do so to re-live your journey and not to dwell on missed opportunities!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
ANNOUNCEMENT: CHANGE TO SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Change to submission guidelines... In order to expedite my review and reply to queries in a more timely fashion, starting today please submit your queries with the first five pages of your novel only. Send all queries by e-mail only to marisa@lperkinsagency.com. Please make sure that your format is not difficult to read or hard on the eyes. I don't mind attachments. Just don't send me viruses. If you do, you will be automatically declined. ;)
Upon review you may be asked for a full synopsis (electronically) or your complete manuscript (hard copy mailed to my NYC office). Please only submit your best and most carefully edited work. Do not pitch or submit unfinished manuscripts. As much as I love helping authors, I just don't have the time to stop reading to edit the work.
Also, please note that if you have sent a query, you DO NOT need to resubmit anything to satisfy these new guidelines. I am quite behind on my query review and response time. For this, I apologize to you all. I know that the waiting can be torture! But know that I answer every single query, which is probably part of why I'm so behind (other than the volume). If you have not heard from me, it simply means that I did not get to yours yet. When I do, you will get a response.
I have recently discovered that my spam box was accumulating some queries. I don't know how they were filtered in there, but I have some queries in there from as far back as February 26! These will be given priority and will be answered as soon as possible. After those, solicited manuscripts get second priority. All queries will be answered, and all will get the same careful attention and consideration.
I appreciate everyone's patience and hope to get caught up as soon as possible. Please note that the average review time is 6 to 8 weeks. So please don't send me follow up inquiries before that, if you must send them at all. Thanks!
~Marisa
Marisa A. Corvisiero, esq.
Literary Agent
www.lperkinsagency.com
Upon review you may be asked for a full synopsis (electronically) or your complete manuscript (hard copy mailed to my NYC office). Please only submit your best and most carefully edited work. Do not pitch or submit unfinished manuscripts. As much as I love helping authors, I just don't have the time to stop reading to edit the work.
Also, please note that if you have sent a query, you DO NOT need to resubmit anything to satisfy these new guidelines. I am quite behind on my query review and response time. For this, I apologize to you all. I know that the waiting can be torture! But know that I answer every single query, which is probably part of why I'm so behind (other than the volume). If you have not heard from me, it simply means that I did not get to yours yet. When I do, you will get a response.
I have recently discovered that my spam box was accumulating some queries. I don't know how they were filtered in there, but I have some queries in there from as far back as February 26! These will be given priority and will be answered as soon as possible. After those, solicited manuscripts get second priority. All queries will be answered, and all will get the same careful attention and consideration.
I appreciate everyone's patience and hope to get caught up as soon as possible. Please note that the average review time is 6 to 8 weeks. So please don't send me follow up inquiries before that, if you must send them at all. Thanks!
~Marisa
Marisa A. Corvisiero, esq.
Literary Agent
www.lperkinsagency.com
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Call for Submissions!
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: An editor from a renowned publisher just told me that she is looking for middle-grade sci-fi chapter books for boys! If you have one, submit it to me at marisa@lperkinsagency.com -- send a query letter, a full synopsis and your first chapter.
Please keep in mind that a middle-grade manuscript should be at 50,000 word count. Please submit only if your work is complete... and proofread, proofread, proofread. It must be impeccable and ready to be seen by the publishers.
I look forward to reading your work.
Thanks for reading!
Please keep in mind that a middle-grade manuscript should be at 50,000 word count. Please submit only if your work is complete... and proofread, proofread, proofread. It must be impeccable and ready to be seen by the publishers.
I look forward to reading your work.
Thanks for reading!
Children's Books on the iPad
I've been told that the iPad is rocking the children's book world. In fact, the
best selling category of iPad apps is, by far, children's books! As an author, you need to be part of this. You need to be creating content for the iPad and you need to make your current books, not only available on audio, but iPad-compatible.
My client Debra Gersh Hernandez, author of "Sneaky Snackers" (art by Eric McDicken...soon to be in book stores near everyone), has been saying this all along. And I agree. I think that he iPad and similar technologies are not just a fad. They are the new modus operandai. I other words, they are here to stay. This technology will continue to develop and envelop us to a point of no return.
I already see it with my three year old twins. They love my iPhone. In fact, don't be surprised if you call me and one of them answers! My boys not only play with it, but know how to answer the phone, take pictures and flip the screen to find other applications of interest such as the "Light Saver". They team up, one with my iPhone and the other one with Louis' and they have pretend battles with the Star Wars music playing for effect as they swish and clonk each other and fall to the floor in mock agony. Yes, they are little terrors... but technologically inclined non the less.
They are not alone, however. Children now a days are subjected to all of this technology at an early age, and so it becomes like second nature to them. A friend that has a teenage son asked her why they still make kids use paper and pen to write with in school when clearly it is a skill that he will never use! She was so flabbergasted that she posted this on twitter.
The point is that as writers and members of the publishing industry we need to be aware of the medium in which we will be offering our work. This isn't a job solely for the publisher any longer. The high demand for the availability of our books in multimedia mediums has trickled down to us.
So be ready... and get iPadding!
...All this talk about the iPad and technology makes one wonder where will it all lead. With the iPad, applications, e-books, MP3s and audio books, what will happen to our good old fashion books? Will we still use paper 50 years from now? Or will books become obsolete?... I will leave that thought with you to ponder further.
Thanks for reading!
best selling category of iPad apps is, by far, children's books! As an author, you need to be part of this. You need to be creating content for the iPad and you need to make your current books, not only available on audio, but iPad-compatible.
My client Debra Gersh Hernandez, author of "Sneaky Snackers" (art by Eric McDicken...soon to be in book stores near everyone), has been saying this all along. And I agree. I think that he iPad and similar technologies are not just a fad. They are the new modus operandai. I other words, they are here to stay. This technology will continue to develop and envelop us to a point of no return.
I already see it with my three year old twins. They love my iPhone. In fact, don't be surprised if you call me and one of them answers! My boys not only play with it, but know how to answer the phone, take pictures and flip the screen to find other applications of interest such as the "Light Saver". They team up, one with my iPhone and the other one with Louis' and they have pretend battles with the Star Wars music playing for effect as they swish and clonk each other and fall to the floor in mock agony. Yes, they are little terrors... but technologically inclined non the less.
They are not alone, however. Children now a days are subjected to all of this technology at an early age, and so it becomes like second nature to them. A friend that has a teenage son asked her why they still make kids use paper and pen to write with in school when clearly it is a skill that he will never use! She was so flabbergasted that she posted this on twitter.
The point is that as writers and members of the publishing industry we need to be aware of the medium in which we will be offering our work. This isn't a job solely for the publisher any longer. The high demand for the availability of our books in multimedia mediums has trickled down to us.
So be ready... and get iPadding!
...All this talk about the iPad and technology makes one wonder where will it all lead. With the iPad, applications, e-books, MP3s and audio books, what will happen to our good old fashion books? Will we still use paper 50 years from now? Or will books become obsolete?... I will leave that thought with you to ponder further.
Thanks for reading!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Making the Right First Impression: Don't Screw up your Query Letter
Query letters are the author's foot in the door. The introduction, the first impression, and often the only chance a writer gets with an agent. So needless to say, the quality and the completeness of the query is quite important. Most authors know this, and accordingly do extensive research and put a lot of work into drafting a letter that is as perfect as they can muster. And so they should, because they will often not get a second chance to make a good first impression.
Yet, in spite of the importance of saying and including the right information to portray oneself in the best possible light, many authors fall pitifully short of meeting the basic requirements for a successful query. I personally think that there is no reason whatsoever for this to be the case. Or should I say...there is no excuse for it.
When it comes to queries, no author should get it wrong. There are simply too many resources out there and, as one would suspect, there is never a shortage of information on the internet. Any blog, article, interview, report, posting by an agent will usually provide enough information on what should be included in a query and how it should be organized and drafted. Many of their pages, even published authors' Webpages include samples. (Go to Nicolas Spark's Website. His website is probably one of the best. He includes all sorts of advice and resources. In fact I often tell my authors to set up their pages in a similar way. Mr. Sparks has some terrific samples of his own queries on the site. I think that they are some of the best that I've seen.) There are also, of course, a number of very helpful books as well. See Lori Perkins' "The Insider's Guide to Getting A Literary Agent" and "Guide to Query Letters" by Burt Thomas.
What do I look for in a query? Its simple. Your letter should tell me about your novel. It should give a brief summary of the plot, the genre, and the word count. You should tell me why the novel is so special that your target market will want to purchase it. If your novel resembles another novel, or a mixture of novels or movies, let me know. Then you should tell me about yourself. Include any information that is relevant to selling your book such as your training, awards, other works you've written, and anything that you've published.
Also, just as important as the substance, is the format of your letter. Your letter should not only be well written, but it should be neat and easy to read. Use one font, no italics, no bolding. Use a typical letter format. That includes a header, paragraphs and your signature (you'd be surprised at how many people exclude their e-signature). Don't cut and paste things from other sources because that often makes the letter choppy and difficult to read. No literary agent has the time to spend twice the amount of time on a letter trying to figure out what you're saying...and most wont.
One of my major peeves is when a letter starts by talking about a character as if we were in the middle of a conversation. No letter should start by saying, "She was hot, it was a balmy southern summer day...." Some sample letters out there actually condone this. Please don't do it.
The letter is just that, a letter, and so it should flow as such. Don't miss your chance to show a prospective agent that you can write, organize, promote, and be a good professional.
Good luck!
Yet, in spite of the importance of saying and including the right information to portray oneself in the best possible light, many authors fall pitifully short of meeting the basic requirements for a successful query. I personally think that there is no reason whatsoever for this to be the case. Or should I say...there is no excuse for it.
When it comes to queries, no author should get it wrong. There are simply too many resources out there and, as one would suspect, there is never a shortage of information on the internet. Any blog, article, interview, report, posting by an agent will usually provide enough information on what should be included in a query and how it should be organized and drafted. Many of their pages, even published authors' Webpages include samples. (Go to Nicolas Spark's Website. His website is probably one of the best. He includes all sorts of advice and resources. In fact I often tell my authors to set up their pages in a similar way. Mr. Sparks has some terrific samples of his own queries on the site. I think that they are some of the best that I've seen.) There are also, of course, a number of very helpful books as well. See Lori Perkins' "The Insider's Guide to Getting A Literary Agent" and "Guide to Query Letters" by Burt Thomas.
What do I look for in a query? Its simple. Your letter should tell me about your novel. It should give a brief summary of the plot, the genre, and the word count. You should tell me why the novel is so special that your target market will want to purchase it. If your novel resembles another novel, or a mixture of novels or movies, let me know. Then you should tell me about yourself. Include any information that is relevant to selling your book such as your training, awards, other works you've written, and anything that you've published.
Also, just as important as the substance, is the format of your letter. Your letter should not only be well written, but it should be neat and easy to read. Use one font, no italics, no bolding. Use a typical letter format. That includes a header, paragraphs and your signature (you'd be surprised at how many people exclude their e-signature). Don't cut and paste things from other sources because that often makes the letter choppy and difficult to read. No literary agent has the time to spend twice the amount of time on a letter trying to figure out what you're saying...and most wont.
One of my major peeves is when a letter starts by talking about a character as if we were in the middle of a conversation. No letter should start by saying, "She was hot, it was a balmy southern summer day...." Some sample letters out there actually condone this. Please don't do it.
The letter is just that, a letter, and so it should flow as such. Don't miss your chance to show a prospective agent that you can write, organize, promote, and be a good professional.
Good luck!
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