Category Archives: Events

Covers and BEA!

Just in case you haven’t heard yet, the cover reveal for Sing Sweet Nightingale is coming soon. In fact, it’s coming so soon that counting down to that date doesn’t involve three-digit numbers anymore!

There are only 15 days until I get to share my cover with the world! And, to make this already exciting event even more awesome, the first people to see the cover are going to be with me at BEA in New York! We have a lot of really cool things planned, so mark your calendars for May 29th, 2013. My book will get a face and I may or may not have (okay, fine. I will definitely have) something pretty to give away to commemorate the occasion.

Check back here for more details as soon as I’m cleared to share them. I hope you love the cover as much as I do!

I HAVE AN AGENT: Part 2

I should be working on revisions right now. So, obviously, I’m writing the second part of my I HAVE AN AGENT story instead. You know, AS YOU DO. Also, a warning: this is long.

A journey (c) L. Emerson

Strange as it may seem, this story actually starts in 2008. I was querying my first book Fallen (which will never ever see the light of day again). On my shortlist of agents was a guy named Ted Malawer who worked at an agency called Firebrand. I submitted and then, lo and behold, he wanted to see more! He read more and enjoyed it enough to bring it to his company’s acquisitions meeting only to find out someone had just signed a similar project. He couldn’t represent the book.

Disappointed, but also hopeful, I went back out into the world. Until I finally realized that I had written myself into so many corners with the structure of the plot and the world and the characters that the only way to fix it was to scrap the whole project and start over. Which I tried to do. And it got even worse.

That book went away. I worked on other things, projects that may or may not ever see the light of day. I haven’t decided yet. Also, not the point of this story.

THEN, I wrote Sing Sweet Nightingale. This book spoke to me. It possessed me for an entire month and forced me to write it all down. I won an award. I met the editors from Spencer Hill. With this interest, I sent out a round of queries.

Ted Malawer had left Firebrand and now worked at an agency called Upstart Crow. He was also closed to submissions. However, someone else at his agency was accepting queries and she was interested in young adult! Yay! So, I put Danielle Chiotti on my list and queried her along with a few others.

They ALL rejected the book. In very polite, nice ways. But…

I STILL didn’t have an agent.

HOWEVER, Danielle Ellison and Patricia Riley at Spencer Hill loved Sing. They wanted it. I was more than thrilled to let them buy it.

Happy and slightly confused, I tried to figure out what to do from here. I had a book deal, but no agent. Did I need an agent anymore? Did I want one? At this point I knew I could survive without one for a while, but I did want representation in the long run. I want to be a full-time author. I want to be able to support myself and whatever size family I end up one day having from the sales of my novels. I want to write in a wide range of YA subgenres and I want someone to help me navigate the market to make the best decisions I can both for my books and my career. I want an agent.

I just didn’t know how to get one. How do you query someone with a book that’s already sold? I didn’t have any other projects completed and I highly doubted anyone would want to sign an author who didn’t have anything they could sell in the near future.

Bruce Coville, Me, and Michael Stearns

In the meantime, I revised a ton based on Danielle and Patricia’s suggestions. Entire subplots and even a character was removed from the story. It was a lot of work, but I came back with a better version of the book when I was done. Didn’t think it would be possible to get an agent with it, though. Because, you know, it’s still been sold.

Then, in January, I went to the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference in Miami. While waiting on my edit letter for Sing Sweet Nightingale, I’d started writing this fantasy novel. Totally different from anything I’d ever tried, I wasn’t sure if the story was working or not. So I signed up for a 10 page critique. Luck and fate paired me with Michael Stearns, co-founder of Upstart Crow Literary where–for those who’ve lost track–both Ted and Danielle work.

He loved the pages. He said only kind things, gave me a couple of notes for expansion/revision, but generally just kept telling me how much he enjoyed the pages and that he would have willingly read more. He asked me about where I was in my career and I explained my slightly odd predicament.

“Send me your book,” he said. “I’ll take a look at it and maybe I can pass it along to one of my agents.”

Literally grinning from ear to ear (seriously. Ask some of the people who saw me that night. Muppet flailing ensued!), I went to the end of the night party and sat down while the music was blaring to email Michael my book. I was giddy enough to ignore the little voice in my head telling me, “Shouldn’t you wait until the morning when the adrenaline wears off?”

I didn’t listen to that little voice. I emailed away and sent out several other queries the next day. And then I waited.

In the next couple of weeks, I gathered a couple of rejections (all very polite ones). I kept Michael up to date on some news I received while I was waiting and he promised to get back in touch soon.

And then I got an email from Danielle Chiotti. Michael had passed the book to her and she’d started reading it immediately. Fifty pages in, she emailed me to set up a call. Four days later, we had an hour and a half-long phone call during my lunch break and talked about everything book and career and agent related. She was awesome. She even laughed when I told her she’d actually rejected this very same book last year.

“Really?” she said. “I can only think it may have been one of the interns who read this one because I don’t remember seeing it.”

So an old draft of the book couldn’t get past her intern gauntlet, but my new version she loved. Which I was totally okay with! Possible moment of awkward passed by without a blink and in the middle of the conversation she assured me that this was an official offer of representation.

“I would love to work with you!” Danielle said. “I think you have a very strong career ahead of you.”

Considering that those words were almost verbatim what I’d always hoped my future agent would say to me, I was hooked.

It’s only been a few weeks, but in that short space of time Danielle has already proven herself invaluable. Not only for career things, but for sanity things. Talking me down from crisis moments and making sure I kept my eye on the important things. I’ve heard it said that agents are part therapist and I can only say YES. They are. And I couldn’t be happier with mine!

So, there you have it. We’ve caught up with today and now the world knows my very strange story of how I queried and cajoled my was through almost an entire agency. 😉 What my experience with everyone at Upstart has taught me over the past couple of years, though, is that they’re all knowledgeable, passionate, funny, and kind. And I am lucky to be working with them all! It also goes to show you that you never know how things may work out and that just because you get rejected by an agent doesn’t mean the doors leading to that path is closed forever. You may just have to figure out how to jimmy open a window! 😀

Fun, Fate, and Farewell

I am a HUGE Stephenie Meyer fan. Seriously. I’ve been a fan since Twilight first released and have been going to different signings and events since 2006. So far, I’ve been to Nashville, Phoenix, Miami, and Los Angeles specifically for Stephenie Meyer events. When I saw she was doing a signing in Coral Gables yesterday? Yeah. I was totally there. Especially since it was a Host-centered event and The Host is the ONLY book of hers I never got signed. Problem solved. 🙂

Because fate is a funny thing, I ended up standing in line next to a girl named Michelle Madow. She’s an author and was passing out bookmarks for her self-published series which starts with Remembrance. We started talking and slowly realized we’ve known each other for years! We were both early addicts of the Twilight Lexicon, fanfiction writers, and a bunch of other coincidental things. So the two hours standing (we were both really early) in line breezed by! In addition to also selling her debut traditionally published novel for a March 2014 release and apparently not being able to take a bad picture, Michelle is energetic and really fun! Check out her books and if you see a blonde girl wearing sequins at a book event this year, go say hi! It’s probably Michelle.

It’s been so long since I was at a Twilight event I forgot how much fun they can be. Book events in general, actually. I’m starting to go to more this year and it’s awesome! Definitely looking forward to the rest of the amazing events on the lineup. What are they? Well, BEA in May/June and Vegas in November! Hopefully I’ll get to sprinkle some other events between the two, but even if I can’t at least I know I have two weekends of awesome to look forward to!

In other news, my revision on Sing, Sweet Nightingale has officially begun. As of this morning, I am in editing mode. So, yeah… this post may be my last coherent one for a while. My disappearance is for a good cause, I swear! 😉

There’s something about this week that equals short posts…

… but oh well!

I’m about to drive down to Miami for a Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference! Three days of writing talk? I am SO looking forward to this!

I shall recap when I return! But, honestly, that may not happen until Wednesday…

<3

2013 is already getting booked up fast!

I started double checking my calendar for scheduled events to make sure nothing important overlapped and I realized OMG. I’m going to be really freaking busy this year!

Between book and personal trips/events/weddings, I will be visiting Miami (three times), Manhattan (twice), Maryland, Vegas, Orlando, and a few other places I haven’t decided on yet. Considering that in 2012 I was lucky to go to BEA in Manhattan once, I’m so looking forward to this year of epic travel plans! I’ve also signed myself up to write four books, am about to tackle the edits on Sing, Sweet Nightingale and still have to fit my day job in there somewhere because it’s paying my bills right now.

If anyone ever suggests becoming a writer means you’ll have a lot of spare time, I might die laughing. 😉

I’ll post pictures and updates here and on Twitter/Facebook as the year goes by, so keep checking back to see all the exciting things in store for us this year!

Now I should probably go back to the day job before they realize I’m not doing anything…

The Story Of How Crashing A Party Changed My Life

Once upon a time there was a girl who absolutely loved Manhattan (aka, me). Manhattan had Broadway and amazing museums and an energy that made me happy every time I visited. Then, one day, I learned that one of the world’s largest book conventions was held in this city I loved and my friend Lani invited me to go. Plans were made and hotels were booked and I waited anxiously until I could finally fly to New York.

The convention was everything I imagined it would be and the people I met were just as obsessive about books as I was. I collected more books than I could carry, made some new friends, and generally had a fabulous time. On Wednesday night, after the final full day of the convention, Lani was invited to this incredible party on a rooftop in Tribeca. Lani tried to get me an invite as well, but alas the party was full. However, Lani didn’t know New York very well and wasn’t comfortable traveling the city by herself, so I tagged along anyway, planning to sit in a cafe and read while Lani attended the party and enjoyed views like this:

By the time we arrived at the party, Lani was convinced they could sneak me in. I wasn’t too keen on the idea of spending the night in a place where the fear of getting kicked out hung over my head, but I also really had to use the bathroom, so I let Lani talk me into it. We made it to the roof (and I was able to use the bathroom) but then I was so entranced by the views from this spot that I stayed to take some pictures. And then I kinda just never left.

This is NOT from the party, I just like this picture. 🙂

Although I enjoyed taking pictures and talking to people (I even met a British girl who happened to be best friends with someone I went to middle school with in Florida! O.O!), I tried to stay under the radar and out of the way. Lani, however, wasn’t having that. Because she’s an amazing person (and should consider a second career in PR or marketing), Lani began raving about a book I wrote to an editor she’d met. The editor, whose name was Danielle, was intrigued and wanted to hear more, so Lani called me over from where I was admiring the city’s skyline and shoved me into a conversation where I probably said “Um…” about fifty-three times. Which is what happens when I’m in no way prepared to pitch my book to someone. But it still went well and Danielle dragged me across the roof to meet someone else, another editor at her press named Patricia.

“Tell Patricia about your book,” Danielle said.

So, I did. And then this happened:

Patricia (looking at Danielle): “Oh my God!”

Danielle (grinning): “I know, right?!”

At that moment, I was very glad it was dark outside because I swear I was blushing and grinning like an idiot. They gave me their cards and asked me to send them the full manuscript, which I did as soon as I had a stable internet connection.

It’s only been about six weeks from that night, but in that short amount of time they both read it, loved it, offered on it, sent me a contract, revised the contract, planned a marketing strategy for my entire series, and–now–officially announced the acquisition of Sing, Sweet Nightingale by Spencer Hill Press. 😀

I am thrilled to be working with Danielle and Patricia who both love my novel and my characters as much as I do and will help me make it the best it can be. Publication is currently slated for Spring of 2014, but you’ll be able to find new information here as it is released and, eventually, on a site solely dedicated to the series. Stick with me over the next year and a half! I can’t wait to share all the details with you!

Also, a huge thank you to Lani who honestly made this all possible. <3

Recap: BEA 2012

The first sight of the Javits Center (I’m not gonna lie) made me a little scared. How in the world was I going to see everything they stuffed inside a building this huge in only three days?! I’m telling you right now, I didn’t do it. I missed things. I missed a lot of people, books, events, talks, conferences, and I don’t even know what else. For anyone who hasn’t gone but plans on attending, it’s impossible. DO NOT go there with the hope or the expectation of seeing it all. It won’t happen and you’ll only be disappointed. Plus, you’ll end up stressing yourself out. And that’s never fun.

Technically, BEA ran from Monday-Thursday, but the main exhibition hall wasn’t open on Monday. In fact, a lot of the displays were still in pieces. I know because Lani and I walked around almost tripping on piles of plywood and rolled up carpets. We used the time to get out badges before the lines got crazy long and also to learn the layout of the floor. One thing I will say for the organizers, the exhibition hall was very well labeled. I rarely had a hard time finding my way around! Having attended more than a few large scale conventions in other industries, I know that this level of organization isn’t easy. I applaud whoever was in charge of that exhibition hall. Fabulous job!

Before flying out to NYC, I went online and looked at the schedule of talks to be given during BEA. Unfortunately, I only attended one of them. The picture here is from the YA Editor’s Buzz Panel Tuesday morning and even though I got there right on time, the room was so packed I had to stand in the doorway. I take this as a very good sign for the future of YA literature! Interest is strong and only seems to be growing. I picked up all five of the books mentioned on the panel and they all look brilliant. Trying to figure out what to read first is a problem, but it’s a really great problem to have! 😀

One thing I found amusing every time I walked into the building was the ads. For example, the steps seemed to be brought to you by Cassandra Clare. The entire front entryway appeared to be sponsored by Dean Koontz (seriously–there were posters of his book on the doors, the floor, the walls, everywhere!). And I think a book trailer for one of James Patterson’s new books was practically on loop on the TVs. Honestly, it seemed like overkill for already established authors. Just a couple of signs that said, “Hey, don’t forget this author you already like has a new book coming out soon” probably would have been more than enough. I did like the steps, though. There was more to it than pictured here and I thought it ended up looking pretty cool.

As amazing as free books are, my favorite part of BEA was the people. Authors, publishers, blogger, book lovers, booksellers, and industry pros all gathering together in one place to celebrate their shared obsession is so much fun! I met authors like Shannon Hale (pictured here signing the new Princess Academy book), Diana Peterfreund, Rebecca Serle, Lauren Oliver, Yvonne Woon, Susane Colasanti, Maggie Stiefvater (who actually recognized me from a signing a YEAR AGO in Coral Gables O.O!), Ally Condie, Kody Keplinger, Elizabeth Miles, Elizabeth Eulberg, Dan Wells, Mike Mullin, Jenifer Armentrout, Jeri Smith-Ready, Angela Corbett, Myra McEntire, Jamie Manning, Tiffany Truitt, and so many more! There’s something incredibly inspiring about being around that many creative people in the same week. Inspiring and a little intimidating!  

That being said, free books were still pretty amazing. By the end of the day on Thursday, I’d collected sixty-six books. Sixty-six! And I was selective, taking only books I knew I’d actually read or that I planned on passing on to a family member. If I’d just let myself grab anything I saw, that number probably would have been in the three digit range. Because I promised I would, I added a list below the cut of the books I adopted during BEA. Overall, though, it was awesome. I definitely plan on attending next year. If everything in my plan goes right, I may be using the time to apartment hunt, too! Come hell or high water, I’m moving to that city in 2013!!

Tessa, Brenna, and Maggie signing their short story collection
The Curiosities

Four of the Pendrell authors and their publisher

Author Title Publisher Release
Accardo, Jus Touch Entangled
Adler-Olsen, Jussi The Absent One Dutton Aug-12
Albin, Gennifer Crewel PSG Oct-12
Banks, Maya Enticed by his Forgotten Lover Harlequin
Barclay, Linwood Trust Your Eyes Penguin Sep-12
Cahalan, Susannah Brain on Fire Fire Press Nov-12
Carr, Robyn Sunrise Point Mira Romance
Catmull, Katherine Summer and Bird Dutton Sep-12
Colbert, Stephen America Again: Re-Becoming the Greatness We Never Weren’t  Hatchette Oct-12
Colman, Rebecca Heaven Should Fall Harlequin Oct-12
Condie, Ally Matched Speak
Cooner, Donna Skinny Point Oct-12
Diaz, Junot This is How You Lose Her Riverhead Books Sep-12
Doty, M. Surviving High School Poppy Sep-12
Edwards, Selden The Lost Prince Dutton Aug-12
Ellison, Kate The Butterfly Clues Egmont
Gidwitz, Adam In a Glass Grimmly Dutton Sep-12
Gillham, David City of Women Putnam Aug-12
Gratton, Tessa & Stiefvater, Maggie & Yovanoff, Brenna The Curiosities: A Collection of Stories Carolrhoda Lab Oct-12
Gudenkauf, Heather One Breath Away Mira Jul-12
Hale, Shannon Princess Academy: Palace of Stone Bloomsbury Aug-12
Han, Jenny & Vivian, Siobhan Burn for Burn Simon & Schuster Sep-12
Herbert, Brian & Anderson, Kevin Hellhole Tor
Hurley, Tonya The Blessed Simon & Schuster Sep-12
Jobling, Curtis Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf Viking
Keplinger, Kody A Midsummer’s Nightmare Poppy Jun-12
Khoury, Jessica Origin Razor Bill Sep-12
Kingslover, Barbara Flight Behavior Harper Nov-12
Koryta, Michael The Prophet Little Brown Aug-12
Krumwiede, Lana Freakling Candlewick Press Oct-12
Lehane, Dennis Live by Night Morrow Oct-12
Levithan, David Every Day Knopf Aug-12
Maas, Sarah J. Throne of Glass Bloomsbury Aug-12
Magnum, Lisa After Hello Shadow Mountain Sep-12
Marr, Melissa Carnival of Souls Harper Sep-12
McCoy, Shirlee Running for Cover Love Inspired
McEntire, Myra Hourglass Egmont
Meloy, Maile The Apothecary Putnam
Messenger, Shannon Keeper of the Lost Cities Aladdin Oct-12
Miles, Elizabeth Fury Simon Pulse
Miles, Elizabeth Envy Simon Pulse Sep-12
Miller, Ashley Edward & Stentz, Zack Colin Fischer Razor Bill Nov-12
Moyes, Jojo Me Before You Viking Dec-12
Mullin, Mike Ashen Winter Tanglewood Oct-12
Oliver, Lauren The Spindlers Harper Sep-12
Patterson, James Confessions of a Murder Suspect Little Brown Sep-12
Paul, Fiona Venom Philomel Oct-12
Paver, Michelle Gods and Warriors Dial Aug-12
Pearce, Jackson Fathomless Little Brown Sep-12
Perry, John The Art of Procrastination Workman Sep-12
Rhodes, Morgan Falling Kingdoms Razor Bill Dec-12
Roberts, Sheila Better Than Chocolate Harlequin Oct-12
Saintcrow, Lillith The Iron Wyrm Affair Orbit Aug-12
Serle, Rebecca When You Were Mine Simon Pulse
Sheinmel, Courtney All the Things You Are Simon & Schuster
Spooner, Meagan Skylark Carolrhoda Lab Oct-12
Stiefvater, Maggie The Raven Boys Scholastic Press Sep-12
Straub, Emma Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures Riverhead Books Sep-12
Thomson, Jamie Dark Lord *The Early Years Walker Oct-12
Tracey, Scott Demon Eyes Flux Oct-12
Truitt, Tiffany Chosen Ones Entangled
Various Authors The Atira International Book of Mysteries Atira Books
Wells, Dan The Hollow City Tor
Wiprud, Brian The Clause Midnight Ink Oct-12
Zhang, Kat What’s Left of Me Harper Sep-12

Events: NYC in Pictures

It’s official! I got home on Sunday and all I want to do is go back to NYC where view like this are possible:

Taken by me from a rooftop in Tribeca on Wednesday, June 6th.

Isn’t it beautiful? It was taken from a gorgeous apartment building overlooking the Hudson River during a phenomenal book blogger/author party last week. I want to go back! 

I had hoped my box of BEA books would arrive yesterday so I could do my recap post including list of amazing new TBR books, but alas, no such luck. I’m also still kind of burned out from less than my usual amount of sleep and about triple my usual amount of activity, so my brain is in zombie-mode. To make up for it, here’s another picture from my trip. Recap shall come later in the week once I have my book list in hand. 🙂

More posts to come later! I have to go back to work now.

Events: Almost Home, But Not Quite

I’m still not home, but this is the first time I’ve had a chance to write something longer than a Tweet.

If you haven’t been following me on Twitter, you can still go here and check out my posts from BEA and around NYC the past week. Once I get home I will load my pictures onto my computer and start writing up recaps of the awesomeness that was my entire trip. Even though I already knew I wanted to move to Manhattan one day, this trip convinced me that day needs to come a lot sooner than I thought. I’m in love with the village and plan on living there as soon as financially possible. 😀

Look for more on Tuesday or Wednesday!

Events: Oh, The Anticipation!

Every once in a while I get to go on a trip I’m so excited about I almost don’t want to go because then it’ll be over. In less than a week, I’ll be leaving on one of those trips.

I took this from the top of the Empire State Building in 2007.

Starting Thursday afternoon, I will be in NYC for ten glorious days! The trip is a combination of things starting with a family vacation, moving into a business trip, and ending with a visit at my friend’s house in Brooklyn. It will be fabulous and I plan on filling up more than one memory card with photos while I’m there! 🙂

The centerpiece of the visit, though, is definitely the week-long fun of Book Expo America, one of the largest book and publishing related events in the world and the ultimate gathering of booksellers, authors, and industry pros from all over the planet.I’ll get to meet agents, editors, authors, and other awesome people through a series of conferences, lunches, and events. Plus, there will be a couple hundred booths with information, ARCs, and other goodies. People bring empty suitcases with them to this event just to cart home all the stuff they collect during the trip! And to make an already amazing thing even better, I’ll be spending the week with the beautiful Lani Woodland! I haven’t seen Lani in person since… 2008, I think? So, in other words, it’s been WAY too long. 

If I have the chance, I’ll post during my trip, but otherwise I’ll do a detailed recap when I come home. Is anyone else going to be there? Come join the fun!