Mark Gottlieb

James Wade is a seasoned journalist, editor and the author of the novel All Things Left Wild. Set during the turn of the 20th century, when a botched robbery leaves a young boy dead and sets two men on conflicting journeys across untamed landscape—All Things Left Wide is a coming of age for one, a mid-life odyssey for the other, and an illustration of the violence and corruption prevalent in our fast-expanding country. All Things Left Wild is forthcoming from Blackstone Publishing.

Your novel, All Things Left Wild, is set during the turn of the 20th century in the American southwest. What is it about that particular time period and place that fascinates you?

Folks tend to consider America as settled and civilized by that time, but much of the Southwest was still divided into territories rather than states, and the lack of transportation infrastructure coupled with the rugged landscape served to essentially cut these people off from the rest of the country. Small-time criminals found it easier to thrive, while many a shady “businessman” found fortune in these areas by simply bullying their competition into submission. 

The country was only one generation removed from the Civil War, and yet it was also at the beginning of what would be the most remarkable century of progress in human history. We were essentially trying to find our footing as a nation, while also seeing the world around us modernize at an unprecedented pace. That’s something we’ve dealt with ever since, and are still dealing with today.

I’m also drawn to the Southwest, no matter the time period, because of its remarkably diverse landscape and population. The blending of cultures has created such unique traditions, food, music, and literature. 

Do you feel that the type of violence and corruption that was prevalent in our fast-expanding country of that day and age is somewhat present today but in other forms?

Absolutely. Any time there is expansion, something growing more quickly than the regulations surrounding it, then it becomes an attractive breeding ground for greed and corruption. Any new industry gaining momentum, or disruptive technology we see come to market, creates uncertainty. The corrupt thrive on that uncertainty, using it to their advantage however they can. In 1910 it was swindling settlers out of land rights or mineral claims. Today it’s fraudulent investing or predatory lending or even the spread of misinformation on social media. There’s always someone willing to excuse morals in favor of money or power.

Also, the disconnect between rich and poor was growing rapidly during this time, much like it has in recent years. From the post-Civil War 1870s through the Great Depression, the country saw a massive income inequality, and you began to have similar economic anxieties to what we’re seeing now. 

“...at some point you just have to pull yourself back from that fascination or you risk losing the pace of the story.”

What is the research process like for you when constructing the backdrop for a historical novel? Did you uncover any hidden gems along the way?

The fun part is getting to read about history, watch Ken Burns documentaries, and travel to these awe-inspiring landscapes, all while calling it "work." My wife and spent more than a year traveling the country in a small trailer, and it was seeing these places in person that really helped me understand the history.

The process could also be frustrating, primarily because you uncover so many hidden gems and you want to work them all into the novel, which is usually impossible. For example, there’s a small town called Mesilla near Las Cruces, New Mexico. It’s only a few blocks, mainly geared toward tourists, but it’s so rich in history. In the early 1900s it was the hub for stagecoaches, travelers, vendors, merchants, parties, you name it. It played such a central role in shaping that part of the world. After we visited the area, I knew I needed to include this town in the novel; but the more I read about it, and talked to the locals who’d been there for generations, the more space I wanted to give to Mesilla. But that wasn’t really conducive to the narrative, so at some point you just have to pull yourself back from that fascination or you risk losing the pace of the story.

“In drawing that human connection to the past, it brings historical events to life.”

Does writing historical fiction present its own set of challenges and limitations, or do you find writing historical fiction to be liberating?

There are certainly challenges, like wanting to do justice to the people and places of the time. But even though All Things Left Wild has historical elements, it’s a work of fiction first and foremost. I wouldn’t want anyone reading this as a history lesson, so I tried not to put any limitations on where the story might go. There are real names and events which are mentioned, but all of the characters and situations are entirely created. 

There is a certain liberation in writing a character who is from our past, yet has the same motivations, same internal struggles, etc. as we deal with today. In the novel, we see characters who are conflicted about their family, their faith, their own measure of “goodness.” Those are things a lot of us have questioned in our own lives. In drawing that human connection to the past, you can help bring it to life. 

Are there any authors or books that were of influence to your writing, or those you might enjoy reading for pleasure? For instance, Cormac McCarthy seems to come to mind...

Yes, I am a Cormac McCarthy fanatic. I consider his Border Trilogy the finest collection of prose I’ve ever read. I would hope just by having read books that well-written I could somehow draw inspiration. McCarthy was a close study of Faulkner and I think it shows immensely in his writing.

Yes, certainly McCarthy is a huge influence. In my humble opinion he is the best living writer in the world, and his prose is both inspiring and motivating. 

Flannery O’Connor is another author who I continually turn to for motivation, along with John Irving. I find O’Connor is best for voice, Irving for pacing. I also can’t stop re-reading Larry McMurtry’s Horseman, Pass By. It’s his debut novel (I believe he was 25 when he wrote it), and it’s far too good for anyone’s first try. 

I read a lot of non-fiction, be it history or philosophy or outdoor guidebooks. I read political biographies, sports writing, and anything my wife tells me is good (most recently it was Dispatches from Pluto by Richard Grant). I just finished The Liberal Redneck Manifesto, a political comedy book by Trae Crowder, Drew Morgan, and Corey Ryan Forrester. It was a wonderfully honest take on Southern politics and culture. 

For fiction I tend to read mostly older novels, only because there are so many I haven’t read yet. But there are supremely talented writers who are in their prime right now, and I try to support them as much as I can. Sometimes I’ll buy a book by an author I like, knowing I won’t be able to read it for another several months. Authors who have impressed me in the past few years include: Sarah Bird, Colson Whitehead, May Cobb, Owen Egerton, David Joy, Joe Lansdale, Ta-Nahisi Coates, and Benjamin Saenz, just to name a few. I may be biased, but I truly believe we are coming into a special era of American literature, with so many talented writers young and old. 

How did you find your literary agent and go on to get published? What was that moment like when you heard that your major debut novel would be published?

I first heard you (the incomparable Mark Gottlieb) speak on a panel in 2016 at the Writers’ League of Texas Agents & Editors Conference just down the street from my home in Austin, Texas. I was struck by your professionalism, and your sincerity when speaking about your clients. You were the first person I queried when I finished the manuscript. So, naturally, when you approached me to talk about representation I was completely on-board. I remember being camped in the Black Hills in South Dakota and not having enough cell signal to call you, so I hiked up to the top of a ridgeline holding my phone up like one of those cell service commercials. 

The pedigree spoke for itself, but it was your passion for the work that stuck out to me. You were able to have an in-depth conversation about the manuscript just a few days after I sent it to you. I always try to find the smartest person in the room and learn from them, and you fit that bill perfectly. You made the “finding an agent” part so seamless and stress-free, I assumed finding a publisher would be when the real panic set in. But I think within eight days of agreeing to work together, you sent me our first offer. 

“Trident Media Group is essentially the movie-version of what an author dreams their literary agency will look like.”

What was it like coming to New York City to see the Trident Media Group offices in-person...did things start to feel more real then?

Let’s state the obvious, first: New York is the publishing kingdom and the Trident Media Group has as impressive a castle as you’ll find. The location across from Madison Square Park, the towering building, the immaculate views—Trident Media Group is essentially the movie-version of what an author dreams their literary agency will look like. Then, you see the actual books from Trident Media Group clients: best-selling fiction, award-winning non-fiction, critically acclaimed authors, celebrity biographies. For a new writer, it was overwhelming in the best way.

For myself, as well as other authors I’ve spoken with, things may never feel entirely "real." There’s a certain imposter syndrome that permeates the creative community. It reminds you that no matter how many short stories you publish, you’ve never written a novel. Or no matter how many novels you publish, you haven’t sold X number, or appeared on X list. I asked Owen Egerton, who won the 2018 PEN Southwest Award, if he felt that recognition made him a "real" writer. His answer? “I just started thinking, well, it’s not a Pulitzer.”

I think that sort of doubt is actually great for writers. It pushes us to keep improving our craft. All that being said, did touring the best literary agency in the world cause me to feel somewhat legitimized as an author? Hell yes, it did.

Does the prospect of working with Blackstone Publishing excite you? They are very nimble and are also a leading publisher of audiobooks. I'm betting the audio version of All Things Left Wild will have amazing production value.

I think it’s always exciting to work with someone who wants to work with you. It’s also humbling, to have such a well-respected publisher be willing to make you an offer. Not to mention, the trust Blackstone has shown in me as a debut author. 

I love the idea that Blackstone is a well-entrenched publisher of audiobooks, while also being a relatively new print publisher. It provides the stability of experience, but also gives us a chance to grow together. And make no mistake, Blackstone is growing like crazy. 

Under the leadership of Josh Stanton, Rick Bleiweiss, and the entire team in both New York and Oregon, Blackstone is emerging as a powerhouse in the publishing world. They’re signing big name authors from other major houses, while still focusing on the promotion of new writers and new ideas. 

Not to mention, the folks who make up the Blackstone Publishing family are as good a group as I could have hoped to work with. Jeff Yamaguchi, Megan Wahrenbrock, Greg Boguslawski, and Mandy Earles have really nailed the independent bookstore market, which I believe is the lifeblood of the modern publishing industry. Lauren Maturo was just named a Publishers Weekly Star Watch Honoree for her exceptional publicity work at Blackstone. And I can’t imagine anyone in the business has someone as sharp as Blackstone’s Josie Woodbridge captaining the day-to-day. 

As for the audio version of the novel, I mean, what better position could we be in? Blackstone created an audiobook empire known for its professionalism and production value. I can’t imagine how cool it will be to have them putting together All Things Left Wild.

“Literary agents...are not out to get you. They want to help. In reality, they don’t get paid until you do, so they have a vested interest in your career.”

Any advice for struggling writers desperate to become published authors?

Oh, man, I don’t know. Just write. Write every damn day. Write when you don’t feel like it. Especially when you don’t feel like it. There will be inspired times, no doubt. But the difference between a writer and "someone who writes" is forcing yourself to sit down and face the story even when you’d rather do almost anything else.

Read everything, and read it often.

Learn to write a decent query letter. Make sure you put your best foot forward when seeking literary agents. And once you find an agent, listen to him/her. Literary agents, for the most part, are not out to get you. They want to help. In reality, they don’t get paid until you do, so they have a vested interest in your career.

Also, don’t get discouraged. I know it’s easy to do. I let my shoulders slump a good deal more than I’d care to admit. For me, it takes hiking, or a cold beer(s), or a pep-talk from my brilliant wife, before I can get back in the saddle. You have to find what works for you. 

Most importantly, cut yourself some slack. Do you know how hard writing is? It’s hard, folks. You’re writing something, creating something from scratch that belongs solely to you, and you’re doing it while knowing it will be rejected. Whether it’s by a magazine, an agent, a publisher, a critic, a one-star review on Amazon or Goodreads, etc., your work is going to be rejected at some point by someone. And yet, you have to be excited enough and motivated enough to continue on despite that fact. 

What can we expect next from the writings of James Wade?

I’m excited and anxious about All Things Left Wild making its debut. It will be my first time going through the process of releasing a novel, so there are a lot of unknowns there. But continuing to write has kept me grounded. While the first novel was in post-production, I was able to write a second manuscript, which was also accepted by Blackstone. That novel, River, Sing Out, is set in modern day East Texas, and deals with the vicious cycle of poverty and drug abuse in rural areas. 

John Scognamiglio is a graduate of New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in English. He started his career as a file clerk in the Contracts Department at Pocket Books in 1986 while still a college sophomore before becoming a contracts assistant. After that, he worked for the assistant managing editor before landing where he always wanted to be: editorial. From 1989 to 1992 he worked as an assistant editor in Pocket Editorial. In February 1992, he joined Kensington Publishing as an editor and was promoted to Senior Editor in 1993. In 1998 he was promoted to Editorial Director of Fiction and in 2005 was promoted to Editor-in-Chief.  In February 2017, it was announced that Kensington would be launching his own imprint, John Scognamiglio Books, in 2018.  Among his authors are New York Times bestsellers Lisa Jackson, Joanne Fluke, Leslie Meier and Kevin O’Brien. 

In all of book publishing, you are one of the biggest buyers of fiction and debut fiction by volume. How do you find the time to read and what are the commonalities in your rather eclectic list of books?

I wish I could say I read all my submissions myself, but I don’t.  My assistant reads for me and I also have an outside reader.  Usually when a project comes in, I’ll give it to one of them (unless it’s something I decide to read.  If I could, I would read every submission that comes in myself, but then nothing would get done!).  I’ll usually give them a date I’d like the manuscript to be read by; it’s usually a month.  When their reader’s report comes back to me, there’s a plot summary, as well as their opinion on the manuscript:  good, bad or otherwise.  Obviously, if they like something, I’m going to take a look at it.  If it’s something they’re on the fence on, I’ll also take a look.  If it’s something they feel is a pass, I’ll go by their report unless I feel they may be off the mark. But they know my list and my tastes and I trust them.

I seem to gravitate to debut authors.  One reason is probably because the author has a clean slate and there isn’t any sort of bad sales history that might be problematic for our sales reps.  I also like the idea of starting out with an author at square one and hopefully helping them to build a career as we go from book to book. Being an editor is a job you can do 24/7 if you’re not careful.  I do a lot of my reading when I’m commuting and on the weekends.  For me, when I’m reading a submission, it comes down to the author’s voice.  I have to be sucked into the story as soon as I start reading.  I can usually tell by the third chapter if I want to keep reading or not.

What was it like when you were working at Simon & Schuster and how did you get your start in major trade book publishing?

I was an English major at NYU.  One day, during my sophomore year, one of my professors was out sick and our class was dismissed. There was a student employment office on campus and I walked over to see what sort of jobs might be available.  Listed that day was a job as a file clerk at Simon & Schuster in their contracts department.  I went for an interview and was hired.  I used to work part-time when I had classes and full-time during the summers.  I began as a file clerk and then became a contracts assistant, drafting contracts from the deal memos that  the editors sent down.  Of course, I always wanted to work in Editorial.  After I graduated I stayed in the contracts department and  I worked my way up to the managing editor’s office. The managing editor’s office is sort of the nucleus of a publishing house, where you work with many departments:  art, production, contracts, editorial.  So, I got an overview of everything.  Eventually, an assistant position opened up in the Editorial department at Pocket Books, Simon & Schuster’s mass-market imprint, and I was hired. When I started working in publishing in the mid-1980s, mass-market was still very big.  Hardcover was the other preferred format.  Publishers did very little trade paperback.  Now, it’s the reverse.  Mass-market seems to be fading away while trade paperback is the preferred format for many readers, as well as accounts.

Working at Simon & Schuster was a challenge. There was definitely a star system in place when I worked there.  By that I mean if you were an editor who had a roster of bestselling authors, then anything you brought in was given the red carpet treatment.  If you were lower down on the ladder, well, good luck!  It became very discouraging if you were trying to build a list of your own.

Kensington Publishing is one of the largest of the independent book publishers. What experience do you feel independent book publishing offers authors that a big five publisher cannot?

One of the joys of working at Kensington is that everybody here works together as a team and everyone’s books are important.  Our authors interact with many people from many different departments, all with the same goal of making that author’s book a success.  

Can you tell us about the elements you look for in a good story and is there a particular kind of book you are currently seeking?

As I mentioned earlier, it comes down to the voice.  I have to be pulled into the story as soon as I start reading it.  I’m a big fiction reader.  99.9% of my reading is fiction.  If I read any sort of non-fiction, it’s usually a memoir or biography.  I have a fondness for suspense thrillers, as well as historical fiction.  Horror, too!  I was a huge Stephen King, Dean Koontz, John Saul and V.C. Andrew reader when I was a teen.

There are various book publishing imprints at Kensington, such as Lyrical Press, Pinnacle, Citadel, etc. What did you set out to do in creating your eponymous imprint, John Scognamiglio Books? With my imprint, we wanted to shine a spotlight on new authors and new voices.  So far, most of the novels have been coming of age stories, although I did also acquire two novels of historical fiction from you!

You worked with Alan Hlad on his novel The Long Flight Home, the story of two people brought together and driven apart by World War II—later rekindled when the skeleton of a messenger pigeon, carrying a coded message, is discovered in a chimney. What was it like working with Hlad on this profoundly unique novel?

Working with Alan was great.  When I buy a book, the material has to be there.  I’m not looking to rewrite/rework an author’s vision of their story. All I’m trying to do is fine-tune it and make it the best that it can be.

You also worked with Diane McPhail on The Abolitionist's Daughter, a personal narrative dealing with the struggles of imperfect souls to do right in a time of bitter conflict—a view of Southern Abolitionism, a deadly civilian clash, and the emerging role of women in a world depleted by the bloody conflict of men. What was it like working with her on this incredible historical novel?

It was the same experience as working with Alan.  A pleasure.  When I send an editorial letter, the goal is to work with my author.  I don’t “tell” an author want to do.  I make suggestions in my editorial letters, not demands.  

What are you reading for pleasure right now?

The only time I get to read for pleasure is when I’m on vacation.  While I’ll read a lot of magazines and newspapers when I’m working – because the articles are short and don’t take up a lot of time -- I have to give the manuscripts I’m working on my full attention.  I don’t like starting a novel and then not being able to get back to it asap.  I’ll be going away vacation at the end of next month so my reading pile is growing!  I’ll be gone for a week and there will be travel time, so I hope to read at least four or five novels.  Right now on the “coming with me” pile are:  GHOSTED, by Rosie Walsh, AN UNWANTED GUEST, by Shari Lapena, NUMBER ONE CHINESE RESTAURANT, by Lillian Li, THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU, by Liv Constantine and THE SILENT PATIENT, by Alex Michaelides.

Do you have any advice you could share for hopeful writers eager to become published authors?

The hardest part of writing is getting that first draft done. Once it’s done, you have something to work with and revise.  Many of my authors have told me that they find the revision process to be the most enjoyable.

Can you finish this sentence? I love reading because...

Malcolm X, the 1960s American Black Rights activist, was born in the ghetto and barely went to school. Yet his views were sought by world leaders and his book. The Autobiography of Malcolm X, is deservedly a classic work of political literature. Oh, and it has sold over six million copies. over a million in the first eighteen months...

How he got from insignificance to world fame in a few fast-paced years is an amazing story, but at the heart of it is a small collection of books that he came across in a prison library while serving a sentence for larceny.

Because Norfolk Prison Colony, a progressive-minded facility in Massachusetts, had a remarkable feature: a very substantial library, hundreds of old volumes, donated by a millionaire named Parkhurst. History and religion had been his special interests and the library’s books reflected that.

However, when Malcolm X arrived at the prison, he could barely read. So he taught himself, very slowly, by looking up almost very word in a kind of illustrated encyclopedia. He says that he would spend days just reading the dictionary, and that he had never imagined that so many words existed! The word aardvark particularly stuck in his mind: a long tailed, long-eared burrowing African mammal’ that eats insects.

“...the books made the prison bars melt away.”

Malcolm says the books made the prison bars melt away. He had never been so free as he was there in that prison. In fact, he would read so much that the prison routine of "lights out" began to enrage him. But he discovered he could read secretly by the light of the corridor. He slept no more than three or four hours a night from then on.

The first books and the ones that impressed him most were collections of scientific and historical facts, called Wonders of the World, as well as Will Durant’s The Story of Civilization, and H.G. Wells’ monumental Outline of History. Black culture came with W.E.B du Bois’ Souls of Black Folk, and Carter G. Woodson’s Negro History. He also read about Gandhi’s campaign to push the British out of India, and of the history of China and the opium wars, and the signs put up by the "vicious, arrogant white man: Chinese and dogs not allowed." And he read Uncle Tom’s Cabin, but that was almost the only novel that he did read.

Because above all, Malcolm explored philosophy.

From Nietzsche, Malcolm took the idea, central to his politics, that Christianity is a slave ideology, a religion fit only for slaves. However, completely unlike Nietzsche, he then presents Islam, instead, as a liberation theology.

He says that of Western and Eastern philosophies he came to prefer the latter, seeing Western philosophy as essentially unacknowledged borrowings from the East—a view I have argued myself, to an equally deaf audience!—but his attempt to "Africanize" philosophy’s history is forced: "Socrates, for instance, traveled to Egypt," he said.

He recalls, rather randomly, the German philosophers Schopenhauer, Kant and Nietzsche but quickly dismisses them, saying that they spent their time arguing over useless things, and probably laid the ground for the rise of Hitler too. Spinoza impressed him though, all the more because he was black—a black Jew. But ultimately, he says, the whole of Western philosophy "...wound up in a cul-de-sac." A racist cul-de-sac determined to hide the black man’s greatness.

This view itself, though, draws on his prison reading of those two historical surveys which came with a grand, philosophical sweep. H. G. Well’s A Short History of the World includes a very subversive account of "the real Jesus" while Will and Ariel Durant’s Story of Civilization is a monumental, let us not say hubristic, enterprise to offer a "philosopher’s perspective" on the world and everything in it.

“...Malcolm X had a 'thirst for truth' and that he...found satisfaction in philosophical writing more than in any other kind of texts.”

What we can draw from all this is that Malcolm X had a 'thirst for truth' and that he seems to have, at least to start with, found satisfaction in philosophical writing more than in any other kind of texts. It is remarkable to see that he sought to bring some of the driest, most abstract ideas into modern political debates.

And, as his ghostwriter, Alex Haley, makes subtly clear, Malcolm X always retained something of a philosopher’s mindset. If in public he was not prepared to admit any doubts, in private he acknowledged gaps in his theories and uncertainty as to their foundations.

In his own personal epilogue for the autobiography’ Alex Haley writes that any interesting book that Malcolm X read could get him going about his love for books. "People don’t realize how a man’s whole life can be changed by one book," he writes, and returned again and again to the books he had first come across while in prison. Books like the newly published The Loom of Language by Frederick Bodmer, which explains where words originate and come from.

Actually, speaking of Alex Haley, he loved stories, especially moral tales form the Bible and adventure ones. His grandparents house, where he lived as a young child, "was the only one in Henning with a library, and it was well stocked. A black traveling bookseller would come around, especially in the Fall, when people had money from the cotton harvest," notes Robert Norell in his biography of Haley, adding that books usually cost one dollar, except if they were bibles. Bibles were more expensive.

Kenny Porter is a professional writer living in West Michigan. He's most known for content development, writing comics, copy, blogs, and fiction. He graduated from Grand Valley State University with a BA in Writing. The writing program at GVSU allowed him to create his own curriculum, which he used to focus on fiction, writing for the web, genre studies, and manuscript development. He started his career in writing during high school and has since gone on to publish short stories, write articles for online magazines, and has won the first Top Cow Talent Hunt for Writing.

Zach Wilcox is a cartoonist based in Philadelphia. He holds an MFA in Sequential Art from the Savannah College of Art and Design and a BS in Digital media from Drexel University. The goal of his work is to encourage young readers to get excited about art as a narrative tool and inspire future creators. When he isn't working on comics he enjoys time with his dog Finn and his three nephews.

Porter and Wilcox are the co-creators of the forthcoming graphic novel from Scholastic/Graphix, The Fearless Rider, in which a young girl and her pet ferret run away from home on their tricked-out bicycle on the first day of school to find her best friend who moved away and recapture her life before everything went wrong—pitched as a slice-of-life story with tone and setting of a Miyazaki film.

What do you enjoy about the comic book arts medium and what do you feel the graphic novel form of storytelling affords authors and creators?

KP: Comics have always been a part of my life and what I love most about them is that there are no limits to the kinds of visual stories you can tell. The great thing about original graphic novels is it allows you to break away from the single issue format of monthly comics to develop a pace that’s unique to the story. That’s something that Zach Wilcox and I are enjoying a lot with The Fearless Rider.

ZW: Graphic novels afford the reader a sense of control that you don’t get anywhere else. Being able to dwell on a panel or moment, or absorb a whole page at once, is such a unique and intimate experience. When you’re making something like that it’s sort of fun to imagine how the reader is going to interact with the work.

“I wanted to bring that same love of anime, manga, and live-action shows to Kara’s character.”

Have any anime/manga or comic book creators influenced The Fearless Rider, your forthcoming graphic novel? For instance, Hayao Miyazaki and Osamu Tezuka seem to come to mind.

KP: Miyazaki is definitely a huge influence on the tone of The Fearless Rider. I initially pitched it to Zach that way, as if it were a lost Miyazaki film about a girl who sets out to find her missing best friend. There’s also some influence of my love of Super Sentai and tokusatsu shows with the fake magical girl character Shinpi Rider that the main character adores. I grew up in a generation where Toonami was broadcasting these amazing shows from Japan that we had never heard of before, and I wanted to bring that same love of anime, manga, and live-action shows to Kara’s character.

ZW: Absolutely. I’m always finding new inspiration from other artists and people like Miyazaki really ignited my love for visual storytelling when I was young. The expressive nature of his work is something I’ll always be chasing.

“He lets the comic breathe and trusts the reader to immerse themselves in the story.”

The art of The Fearless Rider seems to be a mixture of manga influences, such as the gekiga or "dramatic" style of storytelling, often seen in the work of Tezuka. Your graphic novel also has many western influences, with inklings of ligne claire, the Belgium style of bold line comic illustration, often seen in Hergé's The Adventures of Tintin. How did you arrive at this style of art? Is it simply in vogue right now in comics, or has comic book illustration and storytelling been further globalized?

KP: From the start I wanted The Fearless Rider to have this kind of feel. I read a lot of manga and Franco-Belgian comics, so I’m always using those as an influence in terms of pacing and style. Also, Zach’s artwork completely fit the tone I was going for. I didn’t even consider anyone else for the project and called him right away with the idea.

ZW: The way Kenny addresses pacing and dialogue is something I really love. He lets the comic breathe and trusts the reader to immerse themselves in the story. I don’t know exactly how the style for the comic came about but I’m sure a lot of it has to do with his narrative structure and the world we’re building. Also, I love older comics like Tintin and Little Nemo!

Why a young girl's pet ferret as a character in The Fearless Rider...why not something more common, such as a cat or dog? Is there something more interesting or special there?

KP: I think it honestly has to do with my love of the movie The Beastmaster as a kid. He had a pair of ferrets named Kodo and Podo. I watched a lot of genre movies in elementary school and middle school, so I always thought that ferrets would make great adventure companions.

ZW: I always wanted a ferret when I was younger but that was a no-go from my parents, because apparently they have a bit of a smell. They are just so cute, who could care! I think it also fits Kara as she isn’t the type to have a basic pet. She’s unique in a lot of ways.

“...I’m still learning the ins and outs of the publishing world. It’s been a really exciting journey so far!”

How did you find your current literary agency and go on to get published with Graphix/Scholastic? What was the submissions process like?

KP: I found my current literary agency, Trident Media Group, after doing a Kickstarter for my original graphic novel Barnstormers!, which I created with artist Renny Castellani. I was contacted by you, Mark Gottlieb, during the Kickstarter and started developing a new project for the book market. From there, it was putting together the pitch with Zach and sending it out into the world. Graphix/Scholastic contacted us about the initial pitch and we fine-tuned the project from there.

ZW: I sort of let Kenny take the lead on this. The Fearless Rider will be my first published book, so I’m still learning the ins and outs of the publishing world. It’s been a really exciting journey so far!

Writing a graphic novel is so different from writing a miniseries or ongoing monthly title.

What do you feel the comic book publishing experience has been like with a larger independent book publisher like Scholastic, versus a direct-to-market comic book publisher such as IDW? Is the direct market holding comic books back?

KP: I’d say the pace is what’s mostly different. Writing a graphic novel is so different from writing a miniseries or ongoing monthly title. I enjoy both the traditional comic book publishing side and the larger independent book publishing side. Each has their own challenges and format that let me experiment with comic book storytelling.

ZW: I’m excited to work on a project I'm so passionate about for a long period of time. The struggle of smaller projects is tough because you spend so much time looking for work that you may not get as much done. I can’t wait to really sink my teeth into something more substantial.

“...I always let whoever I’m working with have their input in the storytelling process. It’s collaboration at every stage of the game.”

It is hard enough writing a story. Does also illustrating a story present its own set of challenges, or do you find that it is liberating in some way?

KP: Writing visually is a whole different skill set, so I always try to think like an artist (as best as I can) and I always let whoever I’m working with have their input in the storytelling process. It’s collaboration at every stage of the game. I’m just lucky to be working with someone as talented as Zach.

ZW: Kenny has been a blast to work with. He has a clear vision here and helping him to craft it is easier because of that. It’s always hard to bring a world to life but the back and forth of working with a writer takes a huge weight off my shoulders.

You get to be any comic book/manga/anime/video game character from whichever world of your choosing. Who do you choose to be and why?

KP: I would almost always choose to be a Green Lantern. Having that power ring and being able to fly through space and create insane constructs would just be too much fun. I recently wrote a Guy Gardner story for DC Comics and it was a dream come true to be able to play in that pocket of the DC Universe.

ZW: I’d say Link from The Legend of Zelda. The design of those game worlds are so immersive and surreal. Plus that outfit is tops!

“If you do great work and put yourself into your stories then people will resonate with that and will want to share them as well.”

Might you be able to share any advice with those still hoping to get their graphic novels published?

KP: I would say find a collaborator that you really gel with creatively, put your heart and soul into the book, and worry about making a great comic before worrying about publishing. If you do great work and put yourself into your stories then people will resonate with that and will want to share them as well.

ZW: Just create. As much as you can, as often as you can. Keep putting your creative energy out there and don’t be afraid to make connections. Rejection is a huge part of life so don’t let that stop you! Also, try to keep your stories small at first. Short sixteen page chunks are a great way to work and create a varied portfolio.

What can we expect next from the world of The Fearless Rider?

KP: I definitely have ideas for follow-ups and spin-off stories, even if they don’t directly connect with the main thread. The road is always wide open for more adventures.

Alejandra Green and Fanny Rodriguez are casually known as "Arey and Fy." They are the authors of the popular webtoon-turned-forthcoming graphic novel Fantastic Tales of Nothing, in which a vast continent with ages of lore, traditions and conflict plays host to the adventures of an unlucky boy as he travels from the Mourning Prayers to the Courts of Power and probably gets in more trouble that he can handle. Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins will be publishing. Alejandra "Arey" Green is a concept artist and animator from northwest Mexico. Arye likes to think of herself as patience in the flesh, a lover of the sea and surfer of whales (although she'll deny that). Fanny "Fy" Rodriguez is a user interface designer and illustrator from northeast Mexico. She never sleeps, is a mountain enthusiast, and has weird taste in music (she won’t deny that).

What initially attracted you both to the comic book arts medium of storytelling? Do you also feel that the fantasy genre affords a vast canvas for storytelling?

AG: Working on a comic format for storytelling pretty much conveyed what we both enjoyed doing- both graphic and written ideas.

I thought about working on a short film of sorts as a personal project around that time. However, animation is both resource and time consuming for only one person to work on. Funny enough, I had never been attracted to comic books up until now! The idea of trying out a new medium for me to explore was too exciting to ignore. This is honestly a new world for me and I cannot be more grateful to Fanny for dragging me in.

Either be fantasy, science fiction or any other genre; I believe any subject can be explored into an endless road of possibilities for storytelling as long as the characters, their actions and growth appeal to the audience.

FR: I’ve never gave much thought about it until now, I have notebooks from 7th grade where I did some comic panels and a friend did the next and so on. I guess I’ve always been attracted to the idea of telling stories through pictures more than only words, you not only tell the story you give the reader the idea of what you imagine creating it.

Definitely, fantasy and other fiction genres are only limited by the creator (and sometimes, the page limit marked by the editor).

Having worked with animation studios, what has been each of your favorite projects to work on and why?

FR: We didn’t work in big animation studios, but for my part I’ve been more involved on web design and development until I met Ale. We met in a video game outsource studio, where we worked on concept art and design for mobile, PC and console video games. You can even find our names in some credits (as an outsourcing studio, sometimes there’s only the mention of it and not the artists) like Heroes of Dragon Age, Plants vs. Zombies, Agents of Mayhem, Darksiders 3 and Prey 2. More than a project, my favorite part was when I got to be the leader of the 2D art team, working with a lot of amazing and talented artists and learning from them and the process of creating assets for video games.

AG: What a dream it would have been! Although I don’t think I would’ve had the opportunity to work on Tales of Nothing if I ever worked for those companies. (Or even meet Fanny)

I did however, worked with a small animation team for a feature film project in which I had the pleasure to meet amazing artists and friends within the industry. Visual development has always been my favorite part when working on the animation field, which I learned a lot from.

During my time there, we had the opportunity to work on a short film for a national contest (we made it to the finals!) and I have to admit, working on the credits illustrations/design was my favorite part!

“...you can’t rely on the platforms alone to get your work known.”

Your forthcoming graphic novel, Fantastic Tales of Nothing, began as a popular webcomic. Do you now regard publishing online via webtoon sites such as Tapas and Line Webtoon to be a springboard for discovery and success? Are there any limitations to staying within the webcomic ecosystem where one is published only digitally?

AG: Tapas did made it easier for us by promoting Tales of Nothing through their app and webpage’s Spotlight sections. However, when using such tools one should be careful and keep in mind their terms and conditions, and how your work can be affected by it.

Most webcomic authors I know use such platforms as a segway to self-publishing through funding campaigns, once the project has reached a popular audience on its own, especially when starting a new project.

FR: Both platforms are great ways to publish if you can’t create your own website, and make your work accessible to their the public that it’s always looking for something new to read. However, you can’t rely on the platforms alone to get your work known. As Ale said with Tapas Spotlight with Fantastic, we were lucky on that.

I don’t think there are limitations, if you want to continue publishing your comic online for free there are paths you can take to support you, like Patreon, Kofi, Kickstarters for publishing, Gumroad, etc. More than a limitation, you gotta know it’s big work what you going to do, constantly and that’s something some new artists and readers don’t grasp sometimes.

I'm reminded of Nimona, Boxers & Saints and Anya's Ghost when I look at your graphic novel Fantastic Tales of Nothing. Are there any comics or graphic novelists that have influenced your work, or are there any comic creators you both just read for pleasure?

FR: I’m more a video games than a comics/graphic novel person. I grew up (and still are) playing video games like The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy and more, they became a big influence for me to start drawing and writing. Art-wise I look up to a lot of artists, maybe all artists is a better statement. When we started Fantastic Tales of Nothing I took a lot of influence from Mary Blair, Eyvind Earle and Vincent Van Gogh for painting the backgrounds. On writers, maybe I can say Espido Freire and Douglas Adams.

I read for pleasure, a lot of things! Started a compilation of short stories by Ursula K. Leguin, a couple of friends gifted me Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones and The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang that I already binge read past week. I’m also following/reading some comics like Saga by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples, Coda by Simon Spurrier & Matías Vergara, and Isola by Brenden Fletcher & Karl Kerschl.

AG: I’m fairly new to this whole graphic novel/comic world, so my collection isn't as big as Fanny’s. My all-time favorite author has been a manga artist, Hiromu Arakawa on Fullmetal Alchemist and Silver Spoon. Last year I had the pleasure to meet both authors Ale Gamez and Axur Eneas through their latest novel Mas Alla de las Ciudades. I also bought Nimona after you, Mark, mentioned it to us, lovely stories worth checking out!

“...it was so amazing seeing all the work we have done finally take form.”

It's hard enough writing a story...does telling a story with illustrations add more work and present its own set of challenges, or do you each find it to be liberating?

FR: Yes definitely! Trying to communicate the actions and moods we are thinking about certain scenes it’s a big challenge but it’s great at the same time. I’ve learned so much because of it and still am. When we finished the rough version of the whole book to send to our editor, I contained my tears; it was so amazing seeing all the work we have done finally take form.

What do you find that working in a collaboration offers that working as an individual storyteller cannot offer?

FR: There are so many things. First, you’re not alone; you’ve got another person’s point of view that helps you see things that you wouldn’t have noticed if you were working by yourself. When you have troubles, or are stuck trying to illustrate/write something, the other can help out by guiding or giving advice. Working with Ale, it’s the absolute best, and I’m not saying it only because she’s my best friend, both of us are very different in the way we solve problems, paint and think. I’m very emotional and impulsive; she’s more centered and practical. I like to think we complement each other and that makes our work easier for both of us.

How did you find your current literary agent and go on to get published with the Katherine Tegen Books imprint of HarperCollins? How exhilarating did it feel to learn that you'd be getting published?

FR: Okay, this one is a funny story: we thought you were spam, Mark! When I got the notification and saw the big box of text I was about to delete it, but then noticed it wasn’t like the usual spam we got. I shared the comment with Ale, both of us being very skeptical about it. So, before answering you we did a little digging about you and Trident Media Group. It took us a moment to think about it, but at the end we said, “Why not?” We weren’t expecting such a quick reply, either.

When we finished our first call with you, we were blank, in a good way. Imagine when you called us, I think it was a month later, telling us Katherine Tegen was publishing us; we were blank again! Looking at each other in disbelief with a dumb smile on our faces, quite nervous of overreacting with you on the line. After we finished the call with you, both of us began to laugh. I think we didn’t do anything else other than smile and worry for a bit, then smile again. Nothing was done that day (no pun intended).

If you could each be any character in any fantasy or comic book world, which character would you be and why?​

FR: I can’t decide. Not because I would like to be on many worlds, mostly because I kind of like it here. But if I have to choose something, maybe I’ll be the Doctor, just to be able to travel through space in time. Explore the universe, meet historical figures and just experience ancient times for a little bit. Oh, how I would love to see what a dinosaur really looked and sounded like.

AG: Most of Arakawa’s female characters have a strength to strive for, I’d definitely choose Riza Hawkeye and her will to give all her best to achieve her goals in supporting the people she cares for.

“The right literary agent can help you take strides of progress when seeking publishing opportunities...”

Do you have any advice for unpublished graphic novelists hoping to get their work published?

FR: Don’t hold yourself back because you don’t know this or don’t know that. You will only learn to improve if you do the thing, instead of having it as an idea wandering in your head. And share your work! Yes, there’ll be mistakes and critiques, learn from them instead of letting them get you down. How else will someone know you got this great story on your hands?

AG: Just do it! Keeping your work out there will open up possibilities for your growth as an artist and as an author. The right literary agent can help you take strides of progress when seeking publishing opportunities—don’t give up, be patient and keep on working ideas that can get you where you aim for.

What can we expect next from the world of Fantastic Tales of Nothing?

FR: Well, if everything goes alright, maybe more stories of the past and beginning of the world, also more adventures! Maybe outside Nathan and friends.

A Publishing Journey by Alan Hlad

My publishing journey was incubated by childhood experiences. My mother, an artistic woman and voracious reader, instilled in me a passion for music, reading, and writing. She bought me loads of books, and she would often sit patiently with me as I read aloud, fumbling through sentences. When I was eight-years-old, Mom created an enduring experience for me on a cold Thanksgiving afternoon. She and my father were preparing dinner while a medley of Tom Jones, Neil Diamond, and Engelbert Humperdinck albums spun on a stereo, and I was getting in the way by playing in the kitchen. To keep me occupied, Mom retrieved an old typewriter, paper, and a bottle of White-Out, and she asked me to write a story. Over the next hour, I typed—using two fingers—a poorly constructed tale. But when my relatives arrived for dinner, I managed to sell my literary masterpiece, damp with correction fluid, to my Uncle John for twenty-five cents. I have my mother to thank for this wonderful memory. And as I look back, I think I could have gotten a better deal if I’d had an agent.

Influenced by an entrepreneurial father—who owned two small grocery stores, claimed to have walked uphill both ways to school, and believed that his military service was a cakewalk when compared to working on his parents’ farm—I chose a path to study business at Bowling Green State University. But during college, I didn’t abandon my passion for writing; I used my elective courses to enroll in literature and creative writing classes. When graduating, I made a list of my top two dream careers. The first was to someday become an author, and a distant second was to own my own business. But when faced with the reality of paying my own bills, I gratefully accepted a job with a large property & casualty insurance company.       

I expected my career in corporate America to be temporary. But through persistence and hard work, I was fortunate to achieve success, and progressed through leadership roles and eventually became a senior vice president. During that time, I continued my writing endeavors by keeping a journal of my stories that I carried with me on business trips. I took snippets of free time to write on planes and in hotel rooms. Also, I took every opportunity to write business articles and volunteer for industry speaking opportunities. I was thankful for the experiences and rewards I gained through my corporate career, but I still had a deep desire to achieve the goals that I had drafted years earlier in college. Having developed a breadth of business relationships, I decided to leave the corporate ranks to establish an executive search firm. The new business grew quickly and, more importantly, being in charge of my own schedule gave me the flexibility to focus on writing. I wrote each day. I attended numerous writing conferences. I joined Akron Writers’ Group, which has been invaluable with developing writing skills. And in the autumn of 2017, I finished a historical fiction manuscript—set during the London Blitz of World War II, when British Services used homing pigeons across enemy lines—titled The Long Flight Home.

Like many aspiring authors who plan to query their manuscript, I made a list of my ideal literary agents and agencies. Mark Gottlieb of Trident Media Group was at the very top. I deliberated for weeks while polishing a query letter. I only have one chance to make a first impression, I told myself. And as I sent out queries, I prepared myself for inevitable rejection. But I was delighted when the story gained interest, and I was thrilled that one of the requests for a full manuscript submission was from Mark.

I didn’t expect to hear anything for months. But less than a week after sending the manuscript to Mark, I received an email from him while my wife, Laurie, and I were on a Sunday hike with our golden retrievers. The email said that he liked the story and wanted to discuss representation. I was excited to call Mark, but with spotty cell reception in a national park, as well as the fact that we had been carrying doggie waste bags for the past few miles, I thought it would be best to schedule a call. We spoke the following morning, and I was immediately impressed with Mark’s professionalism and knowledge, as well as the capabilities of Trident Media Group. Convinced that Mark and Trident were the best fit for me, I accepted his offer for representation. Less than forty-five days later, Mark arranged to sell the manuscript to John Scognamiglio for his eponymous imprint at Kensington. One year later—and six months before the release of The Long Flight Home—Mark arranged a deal for two additional books with Kensington. I’m deeply thankful and proud to have Mark as my agent, and I’m honored to have my first three novels published by John Scognamiglio at Kensington.  

I often reflect on my publishing journey, which was fostered many years ago by my mother’s encouragement to read and write. At times, I wonder what might have happened if I had chosen different paths. But I don’t dwell on past choices. I like to believe that good things can happen, regardless of which routes one chooses. For me, the paths I have taken—both long and short—have helped me reach my goal of becoming an author. And for anyone who aspires to be a novelist, I encourage you to be a voracious reader, writer, and—most importantly—never give up on your dreams. 

   Bio

Christopher Hinz won the Compton Crook award for best first novel and was nominated for the John W. Campbell award for best new writer for Liege-Killer. From a forested realm near Reading, PA, he crafts stories in a range of media: screenplay adaptations, short stories, graphic novels, comics for DC and Marvel. His seventh prose novel, Starship Alchemon, launches in November. 

How did you first come to writing?

I fell in love with science fiction at an early age and wrote my first “book” – four pages in a school notepad – somewhere around age eight. Teens and early twenties featured subsequent efforts but it wasn’t until around age 28 or 29 that I developed enough self-discipline to get serious about the craft.

What do you feel the SFF genre affords writers?

Primarily a sense of openness toward new or revitalized ideas. No other form of fiction kick-starts the imagination into exploring its most exotic frontiers, and none offers such an unlimited canvas on which to create. The trick, of course, is seeking balance between the macroscopic and the microscopic: tempering SFF’s cosmic freedoms with equally vigorous probes into the depths of the human heart.

Any other new and exciting books we can expect to be forthcoming from you?

Besides Starship Alchemon in November, Duchamp Versus Einstein, a novelette co-written with Etan Ilfeld, arrives Oct. 8th. Also released earlier this year was Liege-Killer The Graphic Novel, making 2019 an unusually fertile period on the publishing front – sort of an authorial version of a rare planetary conjunction. With 2020 foresight, I predict another new novel for later in the new year.      

In your book Starship Alchemon, we see an atmosphere of escalating paranoia and multiplying dangers, where the crew must penetrate the nest of secrets to stop an evil presence from reaching Earth. Can you tell us more?

I’ve always been drawn to stories where character development corresponds to the three-part lattice at the core of the human animal. In other words, we might be said to possess an operational consciousness incorporating physical, emotional and intellectual selves. Ideally, our three selves act in concert, yet in practice they’re often at odds. Most of the “drama” in our personal lives and throughout the social sphere emanates from the underlying neurological conflicts among this tripartite structure.

In Starship Alchemon, the crew faces a being whose evolution led to a fourth state of consciousness, which grants it unusual and dangerous abilities. The best novels heighten suspense by bombarding the characters with inescapable troubles until survival seems impossible, and that’s all too true aboard the Alchemon. Each crew member must deal with the presence of this exceptional being while navigating the unique aspects of their own latticed selves. The novel’s net effect upon readers, I hope, will be a thematic afterglow, the special satisfaction arising from having one’s perceptions about what is possible altered and enriched.     

Any interesting writing habits or writing rituals you could share?

Playing three or four swift games of FreeCell prior to every writing session. I rationalize the habit as a perfect way to warm up the prefrontal cortex for creative endeavors. But maybe it’s rooted in a more evolutionarily ancient region of the brain, where I just want the gut satisfaction of beating a competitor.     

What was it like when you first received nominations for the John W. Campbell Award and Compton Crook Award?

I was surprised and honored when my first novel, Liege-Killer, earned such acclaim, particularly when it won the Compton Crook award. Being somewhat of an autodidact – no formal training for authorhood – and having spent at least 18 months in the isolating frenzy of the creative cocoon – the joy and bane of every writer – the nominations and strong reviews served as confidence amplifiers.    

What’s it like working with Angry Robot Books?

After many years jumping from publisher to publisher, it’s been great putting down roots. Angry Robot has been incredibly supportive of my work and has paired me with thoughtful editors. By its nature, the writer-editor relationship exists in a state of tension, each side tugging on a story to bring it closer to their mindset. A.R. has a solid understanding of the dynamics of this relationship, aware that if both sides approach a book with open minds and a willingness to compromise, the ultimate work can’t help but be improved.     

How did you find your way to your current literary agency Trident Media Group?

Like many writers in the profession for a number of years, I’ve had more than one agent. Some were good, some not so good and some… well, the less said the better. Connecting with Mark at Trident has been rewarding on a number of levels, and being represented by such a powerhouse agency lessens having to worry about the business side of the equation. Knowing that negotiations and contractual matters are in the hands of seasoned pros means I can concentrate on the writing.       

Do you have any advice for hopeful writers looking to become published authors?

Wish I could offer something original but the classic three Ps – passion, practice and persistence – can’t be beat. Learn to love the writing experience at its most fundamental, ass-to-chair level, where the crafting of sentence/paragraph/chapter becomes its own reward. Become a ruthless self-editor; rewrite or even discard a previous day’s efforts should that ephemeral critic that lurks in your creative firmament – and which will grow stronger with exercise – fails to spark. And if you’re truly serious about wanting to be published, adopt the hardcore attitude that you won’t give up the dream until they pry your cold dead fingers from the keyboard.         

Can you finish this sentence? “I love writing because…”

As an author, I often receive questions from writers and students about literary agents. Specifically, how to find a literary agent. Up until recently, I would respond by launching into a discussion about query letters and book synopses, writers forums and agent wish lists, proposals and comparison books, etc., etc.

Now, I tell them what I wish I could tell my younger self: it's not about simply finding a literary agent. It's about finding the right agent for you.

I found my wonderful agent when I decided to take a risk and try something new. I saw that an online writers group I belong to, Savvy Authors, was hosting a "pitch fest" on their blog featuring a handful of agents and publishers. I had never before participated in anything like a pitch fest—whenever I queried agents it was through their website, by sending an email or, occasionally, even mailing an old-fashioned printed letter—but I figured all I had to lose was a couple hours of my time. So I clicked on the link to check it out.

“I'm so glad that I ultimately didn't let my own bias get in the way of finding my dream agent!”

Mark Gottlieb caught my eye because it seemed like my novel manuscript was exactly the kind of book he was looking for based on his agent statement. When I Googled his name and read some interviews with him published online, I was even more excited to submit to him. Funnily enough, up until Mark, I had mostly just queried women agents about my novel. As a writer of contemporary YA novels featuring female protagonists and love stories, I (wrongly) assumed that my book would have a better chance of resonating with a female agent than with a male agent. I'm so glad that I ultimately didn't let my own bias get in the way of finding my dream agent!

On the surface, approaching an agent through something like an online pitch fest might seem like a piece of cake, because instead of a long query letter, you only have to write a few sentences about your book—most pitch fests, like the one I participated in, have strict rules and word limits. However, I quickly learned that summarizing my entire novel in just three compelling sentences was a million times more challenging than writing a longer query letter! I spent a good hour rephrasing and honing my three-sentence pitch. Then, crossing my fingers for luck, I submitted it, which entailed publishing it as a comment on the blog post about Mark Gottlieb. The pitch fest rules explained that if an agent was interested in your idea, they would contact you. But I honestly did not have very high hopes. I could see there on the page how many pitches Mark was getting—it was starkly apparent that mine was just one small fish in a very large pond. Still, I felt proud of myself for putting my idea out there and giving it my best shot.

Well, imagine my surprise when I received an email from Mark within a couple days, expressing interest and asking to read my entire manuscript. As I sent it off to him, again crossing my fingers for luck, I told myself not to get too excited. I also prepared for a long wait. Agents had requested to read my manuscript before, and it was usually months before I heard back from them.

Within a week, Mark Gottlieb called me on the phone, apologizing for the delay in responding to me and explaining that he had just returned from the Frankfurt Book Fair. I was completely floored. He said that he loved my book and told me in detail why and what he loved about it. I could tell right away that Mark "got" my book—and not just that one book, but my writing style as a whole. That's when I knew he wasn't just any literary agent; he was the right agent for me.

“...I wanted an agent who felt like my partner in the publishing business.”

Before signing with Mark, I had two previous agents. When I signed with my first agent, I was so excited simply to have an agent that I didn't think to consider how the agent treated me. It was a pretty lopsided relationship; I felt so lucky to have her that I was afraid to ask her for anything. The agent would send me vague notes requesting major rewrites of my novel because it “just wasn't there yet.” I would spend weeks diligently rewriting and send her a new draft. Months later, she would send back an email saying she had read the new draft and it “still wasn't quite there yet.” This went on for years, through two separate novel manuscripts, until we eventually parted ways. She never actually sent out any of my work to publishers, and looking back I'm not quite sure why she signed me as a client in the first place. She clearly didn't resonate enough with my work to be in charge of selling it to others. From her, I learned that I wanted an agent who felt like my partner in the publishing business.

My second agent did actually send out one of my novels, but seemed angry at me when it didn't sell. It got to the point where my gut would sink when I saw her name in my inbox, as I braced myself for one of her terse emails. We parted ways after I sent her the new novel manuscript I had spent nearly a year working on, and she curtly responded via email that it “wasn't my best work” and that I should “write something else.” I realized that I wanted an agent who was interested in representing me throughout my career, not just for one book, and who would actually pick up the phone and call me to discuss things.

“...I could tell that he is respected and admired by editors across the industry because of the way my work was quickly read and considered.”

Right away, I could tell Mark was a different kind of agent altogether—a rare kind, I believe. He is encouraging and supportive, while also being realistic and giving honest feedback. I trust his judgment wholeheartedly, but he also asks for my opinions. He calls to discuss what is going on with my submissions, to explain things to me, to answer my questions. He never seems rushed or makes me feel like I am bothering him. And he is very good at what he does. Not only did he sell my debut novel to a publisher I am thrilled to work with—keeping me in the loop during every part of the process—but moreover, I could tell that he is respected and admired by editors across the industry because of the way my work was quickly read and considered.

So, if you are looking for an agent, by all means visit writers forums and read agent wish lists. Hone your query letter and book synopsis. Learn all about proposals and comparison books. But don't forget that you are part of the equation, too! The best agents are champions for their clients throughout the process. Set your standards high and hold out for the right agent who truly "gets" your writing—who makes you feel supported and also pushes you to grow into the best writer you can be.

I got the chance to sit down with two authors who have a surprisingly optimistic view about politics and democracy. John Gastil is a professor at Penn State, and Katie Knobloch is an assistant professor at Colorado State University. They have collaborated on research for more than a decade, and Hope for Democracy: How Citizens Can Bring Reason Back Into Politics, forthcoming from Oxford University Press, is their first book together.

How did you come to writing, or did writing somehow find you?

JG: I’ve always loved writing. When I was in junior high, I wrote a terrible epic somethingorother about a space battle. Derivative garbage, I’m sure, but I was hooked.

KK: My family still jokes about a long fairy tale I wrote in the third grade called “Princess Marie’s Dream.” I wouldn’t say that I always love it, but it’s always been a part of my life.

Are there any books or authors that have influenced you along the way?

KK: Katherine Cramer’s Talking About Politics was pretty transformative for me. It was one of the first times that I’d seen a political scientist take citizens seriously. Michael Schudon’s The Good Citizen also helped me understand that as democracy evolves so does our understanding of what it means to be a citizen. Both gave me hope that we can find ways to make democracy better.

JG: In college I discovered books that used social science to make compelling arguments. Alfie Kohn’s No Contest challenged the assumption that competition is good for us, and Barry Schwartz’s The Battle for Human Nature argued that behaviorist psychology was ideology more than science. I can only aspire to write so well.

“There is real reason to worry and to resist the forces that undermine our democracy.”

The title of your book is Hope for Democracy: How Citizens Can Bring Reason Back Into Politics. The state of the U.S. government seems pretty bleak--is there any real hope for democracy?

JG: There is real reason to worry and to resist the forces that undermine our democracy. Our system is threatened every time elected officials try to make it harder to vote or they try to distort the process to make some votes count for more than others. That shows a contempt for democracy itself. Fortunately, there are counter-trends, and we bring those to the foreground so that readers can appreciate the reform efforts that are strengthening democracy in the US and other countries.

KK: Like John, I don’t think the problem is democracy itself. The problem is that our governing institutions are becoming less democratic. Many of the things we take for granted as democratic institutions are still "new," or they were built in distant historical contexts. Too often, politicians reshape those institutions to bolster their own authority while diminishing the public’s power. Maintaining democracy requires reforms that ensure the public’s access to good information and let them shape our collective decisions.

What are a few key ways that we as a society can improve our system of government and elections?

KK: I’m a big fan of anything that makes voting easier. Vote by mail and extended early voting are two small changes that could be implemented nationwide. We also need to create opportunities for people to talk to and learn from one another. Some cool processes like Participatory Budgeting or the Irish Constitutional Convention give citizens the chance to learn about, discuss, and make decisions regarding public policy. Those reforms also give people real power, which they exercise responsibly. In Participatory Budgeting, community members get to decide how a pool of government funding gets spent. The Irish government has held referendums on recommendations from their public processes, resulting in the legalization of both same-sex marriage and abortion. Their success shows that change is possible.

You write about how concerned citizens are finding new ways to make their governments more democratic and effective. The central case study in your book is the Oregon Citizens' Initiative Review. Why has the Oregon process been so effective?

JG: The Citizens’ Initiative Review uses a small randomly selected group of voters to study a ballot measure, then write a one-page analysis that goes in the official voter pamphlet. This project has worked well partly because it began as a modest project. The Review never tried to take on too many different initiatives, and it kept its focus on a simple task--writing just one page of key findings and pros and cons in simple language voters could understand.

KK: That’s exactly right. As a result, we saw the Review panels deliberating well over four or five days. And voters found the Reviews helpful when it came time to vote.

“I hope that we continue to see more new voters and that people begin to understand that their votes really do matter.”

What do you think this next election cycle could bring about in our country?

KK: It’s harder than ever to predict what’s going to happen in elections, but I’m excited by the increase in voter turnout in the 2016 midterms. I hope that we continue to see more new voters and that people begin to understand that their votes really do matter.

JG: I’ll stick my neck out and make this forecast: the Democratic Party will have a dozen viable candidates competing for media attention through the entire primary. Heading into the convention, the leading candidate will have a thin margin and no majority because the Democrats don’t have winner-take-all primaries. The raucous convention that follows will give voice to attendees, who could choose a nominee who embraces a bold policy agenda focused on fighting corruption and empowering citizens. This could be a persuasive message for an electorate that still feels shut out of Washington after having elected a populist outsider in 2016.

“We wrote a book that tells stories about real people fighting for democracy.”

Is it liberating to work in a collaboration in the book writing process? What's it like working with a co-author?

KK: Yes. I often get to the point in writing where I can’t really read what I’ve written anymore. Being able to hand it off to a co-author gives me a break from the work and lets me see it with fresh eyes when it comes back. Collaborating also makes me a better writer. John is funny and makes great analogies. Trying to speak with one voice forces me to push the boundaries of traditional academic writing.

JG: And Katie’s writing kept me grounded. We wrote a book that tells stories about real people fighting for democracy. When I needed to bring a new academic theory into our story, I’d remember how concrete Katie could make that information, then I’d try to do the same.

How did you find your current literary agent and get your latest book published with Oxford University Press?

JG: I attended the Pennwriters annual conference in Pittsburgh in May 2017, just a few months into the Trump presidency. The agents I met with were excited to work on a book that offered a hopeful message about politics. In the end, I chose you, Mark because of your reputation, your interest in representing an author—not just a single book, and the power of Trident Media. We settled on Oxford because of their success publishing books on democracy and because the editor we worked with there, David McBride, is a wonderful collaborator. David’s irrational and enduring affection for The Big Lebowski also helped seal the deal.

Oxford University Press seems like a terrific and prestigious publisher for those writing close to, or within, academic publishing...are you excited to work with OUP?

KK: Absolutely, particularly for my first book. Oxford has published some of the most important works on democracy, like Iris Marion Young’s Inclusion and Democracy and John Dryzek’s Foundation and Frontiers of Deliberative Governance. It’s humbling and a little intimidating to share their same publisher.

“Work hard, do your best, and then let it go.”

Do you have any advice for writers looking to become published authors?

JG: The best advice I can give is to find a co-author like Katie. You want someone who thinks differently from you but shares your sense of humor and style, a diligent collaborator who inspires you to sharpen your argument and your words. Having a friend writing alongside you can make an otherwise solitary task into a joyful collaboration.

Holly Chisholm is the artist of Just Peachy comics, which Booklist has called "thoughtful and poignant." Her popular Instagram account for Just Peachy comics was her compromise between drawing and journaling; it helped her record how she was feeling at the time of being diagnosed with depression and work through some of the darkness. At first it was scary to put her deepest thoughts and fears out in the open, but the responses and messages of support from droves of fans made Chisholm realize how much it was needed to talk about mental health. After about six months of making these comics, she decided to quit her job and freelance part time so that she could dedicate more time to making and promoting Just Peachy. In the future, Chisholm is hoping to make another book, and would love to be able to do this full-time, while raising awareness about mental health and her personal struggle with depression.

What do you feel the comic book arts medium of storytelling affords the author/illustrator?

About two-thirds of communication is non-verbal so being able to express what's happening visually can sometimes tell a richer story than if it was just written down. Since my comics are about depression and mental health, the medium of comics made sense to me as a way to better convey how I was feeling, even when I couldn't fully explain it in words.

Are there any comic creators or graphic novels that were of influence to you in creating your illustrated book, Just Peachy? For instance, Adulthood is a Myth and Hyperbole and a Half seem to come to mind.

Yes! Hyperbole and a Half's Adventures in Depression was a real awakening for me. I felt that the story perfectly described what it is like to be depressed, but was able to also make me laugh out loud while I was reading it. Another great comic is @obtuseengel on Instagram. His comics often have very few words and somehow perfectly expressed some of the exasperation and tiredness that comes from being depressed. His comics are what inspired to me to start sharing my work on Instagram.

“Just putting pen on paper helped me feel less lousy...”

What was your personal inspiration behind your Just Peachy comics?

I had recently been diagnosed with depression after a pretty terrible breakup. I was living alone in Los Angeles at an incredibly stressful and toxic workplace, and felt like I was slowly falling apart. I finally went to a therapist and psychiatrist. Around the same time, I discovered Josh Engel's work on Instagram, and was inspired. I had been drawing for as long as I can remember but had fallen out of the practice. I decided I was going to hand-draw a comic every day as a way to get through some of the tougher emotions I was going through. Just putting pen on paper helped me feel less lousy and seeing that people liked my comics as my following began to grow made me feel like I was doing something important.

The Mental Healthy Fairy character in your book is reminiscent of an overbearing parent or guidance counselor. Where did you inspiration come from, and why is it so hard to take the Mental Health Fairy seriously?

Mental Health Fairy was basically inspired by a lot of blogs and articles I read when I was searching on how not to feel like a giant pile of garbage.

I think it is really hard to understand mental illness from the outside looking in. A lot of the advice these articles give like, "Exercise every day," and "Hang out with family and friends," can sometimes sound like "Just climb Mount Everest on a unicycle" to a depressed person.

The dark and faceless character of Depression in Just Peachy reminds me of the figure featured on the cover of Osamu Dezai’s No Longer Human, another book that deals with depression, anxiety and loneliness. Why is it fitting that the character of Depression should be depicted in this way?

Weirdly enough I had been drawing this character for a long time before I was diagnosed with depression. I think I must have recognized some sadness in me that I couldn't quite identify in my teenage years, and I would draw him as a way to personify the sadness. The circle where his face is supposed to be is actually hollow, which for me is how depression feels; a big hollow feeling in your chest, that makes it seem like nothing matters. He changes in height and size in some of my comics to show how heavy my depressive feelings were at the time. He is dark with no discernible features because depression feels like something scary and shapeless that I can't seem to escape

“I hope that people suffering from mental illness will feel less alone because of my book...”

It seems that we’ve all suffered from depression and anxiety at one point or another, or at least know people who have… Do you think that people without depression and anxiety can still enjoy Just Peachy? What do you hope readers will take away from reading your book—is there a light at the end of the tunnel?

I hope that Just Peachy can help explain what depression and anxiety is really like for people who haven't experienced it, or who have a loved one going through it. I hope that people suffering from mental illness will feel less alone because of my book, and maybe even be able to laugh a little bit at how silly depression and anxiety can be at times.

How did you find your current literary agent and go on to get published?

Someone from Bored Panda reached out to me and asked if they could feature my work on their front page. I agreed, and the post was very successful. A few days later, you, a literary agent from Trident Media Group reached out and told me you thought my comics would make a great book. You helped me put together a book proposal and it was picked up by Skyhorse Publishing.

What have you learned from the book publishing experience as a debut author?

I have never actually had to draw my comics on a deadline so this was a first for me. I had to take a more methodical approach to writing the comics, as I knew I couldn't wait until the last minute to finish them. It forced me to be a lot more organized.

“It helps to have an audience of people who you think you would be interested in a book before you go out and try to find a publisher.”

Do you have any wisdom to share with writers hoping to become published authors?

It helps to have an audience of people who you think you would be interested in a book before you go out and try to find a publisher. Thankfully, now with Instagram and Facebook, this is a lot easier than it was a decade ago. I would also suggest finding a literary agent who can submit your book proposal for you because they already have the connections and relationships to publishers and have knowledge of what publisher would be a good fit.

What might we be able to expect in the next book from you?

Rather than give up a love affair with words, old writers, with decades of footprints in the book trade, simply change genres, refurbish stories, and stay delightfully crazy.

My falling in love with storytelling happened at nap time in my grandmother’s bed. It was some time in the year of 1949. She fell asleep in the midst of reading a story. I did not, and poked her with my elbow to get her voice going again, a voice honed on decades of reading the Bible aloud, with its old-world rhythms. Since my grandmother seemed to worry that I would be the first female in our family to go to prison, she dropped me off each Sunday in her church’s Children’s Class. There, I heard Bible stories that were older even than my grandmother, a realization that led me to my first profound thought: if stories could last so long, they must be something we need. Like air, food and water—or a good purse.

“I called writing the magic of silent language.”

I decided then I wanted to be a storyteller. I saw each sentence as the fingerprint of a particular mind left on what started out as a blank page. I aimed for that—not just to last, but to have the chance to burrow down into the soul of a reader where my existence might influence another life. I called writing the magic of silent language. I could write words I could not even pronounce. To me, it was becoming a link in a chain of existence, one mind to another. And at the age of eight, I turned in a novel to my third-grade teacher written totally in dialogue about a dog who wished to sing. A dog whose mother could not even shut up. Now after more than fifty years of the writing life, here’s what I can tell you:

1. If you are in high school, and on a Saturday morning, find you’d rather stay in your room and write something, than meet your friends at the just-opened hamburger fast food joint (in my case, Krystals), nor join them at the bowling alley—where an all-night birthday party has allowed parents to say, "Yes, you can be there, because you won’t be driving around getting into some kind of embarrassing trouble"—you’re a writer.

“This is your signal that gobs of sweat, as well as the agony and the ecstasy of carving a perfect sentence, lies in wait for you.”

2. In college, if the revered professor of creative writing allows you into his class, then introduces you to famed visiting writers, such as, in my case, Eudora Welty and Robert Penn Warren, you can assume you have the write stuff. Then, if in loose moments, you hear your professor make comments that seem to come from his jealous streak, you can assume you definitely have promise and have entered that dangerous phase, in which Old Hemingway cautioned, saying something similar to "having promise is like syrup. Some won’t pour." This is your signal that gobs of sweat, as well as the agony and the ecstasy of carving a perfect sentence, lies in wait for you.

3. If you are so curious about the life of another person, that you will sit down next to a stranger and strike up a conversation, then keep them in your memory, along with the way the lines in their face curve when they speak, the way their fingers move, the sound of their voice, and the way you preserve them with genuine affection, then you have the makings of a toolbox.

4. When the publisher of your first novel loves your New York Times Review, and also the reviewer for the Chicago Tribune says he can’t get your characters out of his mind, and yet your publisher fires you, explaining that your work “does not sell,” and “your work is too much like so and so, and seems to have no reason for being…” you go out and buy a new typewriter and eventually a computer to write your next novel anyway, not only because you have faith in yourself, but also because you can’t shut off the valve of words that flow from your first love affair. Well then, you are a writer with grit.

“...you know you have an obsession with what you have told yourself you were meant to do.”

5. When you discover that your basic temperament has no patience for performing in public. If you hate, like the dickens, to be the center of attention, but bite your lip and learn to do it anyway and develop media skills, honing a hidden talent for sparring with commercial radio hosts, and prepare witty remarks for almost everyone, you know you have an obsession with what you have told yourself you were meant to do.

“...being an author who teaches can unveil the best part of yourself: the one who is kind and generous, humble and in awe of another’s imagination.”

6. If you are asked—and you surely will be, after publishing something—to be part of a writing faculty to teach aspiring writers, you will discover that being published is no license to stomp on someone else’s work. There is not ever permission to snip away at someone’s dream. When you feel a reverence for the passion that has called an aspiring writer to write, you realize being an author who teaches can unveil the best part of yourself: the one who is kind and generous, humble and in awe of another’s imagination.

“And you know you have finally reached nirvana, that bus stop where there is freedom from pain and worry and you have made peace with the disturbing desire that set you on this path in first place.”

7. And then, if you are lucky enough to live long, as I have, you will have desk drawers full of unpublished work, and your university can ask for your papers, so that one day, some young scholar might discover that your love affair could be worth studying for a graduate degree, and you begin seeing how you can switch from writing novels to essays, to nonfiction, to children’s books, to... And a wise voice whispers, skip poetry; poets suffer enough. And you know you have finally reached nirvana, that bus stop where there is freedom from pain and worry and you have made peace with the disturbing desire that set you on this path in first place.

8. It is then that you can give thanks for what pushed you to a life dedicated to the love of words and the power of story. You have not watered down your ideals, your passion, your jaw-gapping reverence in the presence of a well-written sentence from a questing mind. And when those qualities are recognized by a good agent who becomes a business friend and supporter, well... you can write your own rock song about getting satisfaction from sticking it out in a love affair that caught you young and would not let you go, so that, by then, you grasp the final truth… You have become the story.

Shelley Fraser Mickle grew up in a small cotton town in Arkansas, graduated from the University of Mississippi and studied writing at the Harvard Extension School and Wellesley College. Her first novel, The Queen of October, was a New York Times Notable Book and a Library Journal top 10 book of l989. Her second novel, Replacing Dad, won a Friends of American Writers Award and was made into a CBS/Hallmark Channel movie starring Mary McDonnell, academy award nominee for her role in Dances with Wolves. Shelley's latest novel The Occupation of Eliza Goode, researched and written over seven years, illuminates women's history, featuring a camp-follower prostitute during the Civil War as she transforms herself from prostitute to laundress to nurse to officer's wife. Her forthcoming book is Borrowing Life: The Story of the First Successful Organ Transplant, weaving history into a story of significance—one of the most valuable scientific discoveries in the 20th century—where two Nobel Prizes were awarded to American surgeon Joe Murray and British zoologist Peter Medawar for this science, distributed by Simon & Schuster.

Tina LeCount Myers is a writer, artist, independent historian, and surfer. Born in Mexico to expat-bohemian parents, she grew up on Southern California tennis courts with a prophecy hanging over her head; her parents hoped she'd one day be an author. Tina lives in San Francisco with her adventurer husband and loud Siamese cat. The Song of All is the first book of the epic fantasy trilogy The Legacy of the Heavens. Her latest book from the trilogy, Dreams of the Dark Sky, publishes February 2019 from Night Shade Books.

The Song of All and Dreams of the Dark Sky reads more like "Shakespeare" fantasy than "X-Men" fantasy. Do you see the series as leaning more toward literary fiction, or fantasy genre fiction—or can they be read by both audiences?

Of course, my hope is that my books appeal both to readers of literary fiction and genre fantasy fiction. The two readerships are not that mutually exclusive. Readers of Shakespeare and X-men are likely interested in the same things: complex characters, a rich, detailed world, and great storytelling. The relationship between Magneto and Xavier feels very Shakespearean to me. One of the things that I tried to do in writing these two books was give equal attention to both language and fantasy elements. My hope is that readers will find a turn-of-phrase or description as compelling as a sword fight and vice versa.

What do you feel the fantasy genre of storytelling affords you as an author writing closely to that medium?

When I describe The Legacy of the Heavens series to people, I say, “The story is about two ancient warring tribes in the Arctic tundra, and a flawed man who is trying to save his son. It also includes parallel worlds accessed by song, psionics, sequential hermaphroditism, reindeer, and epic sword fights.” Where else but fantasy can a writer have that kind of latitude to explore such diverse elements? Anything is possible in fantasy storytelling.

“...I was equally interested in exploring how to layer mythology over science.”

In addition to your familial history, what drew you to the setting of your novels in the frozen northlands with characters drawn from Scandinavian mythology?

Part of the decision I made in world-building was predicated on the initial debate, and subsequent bet, I had with my husband, to write a fantasy story with science as a foundation. For me, that meant looking at the world I live in and that humans evolved in to find an other-worldly location. I chose the Arctic tundra because of its harsh climate. To survive in the cold with very little sunlight in the winter suggested the possibility of interesting adaptations due to evolution. This region also has a rich mythology to draw inspiration from. So, while my Finnish ancestry played a role in the setting of the story, I was equally interested in exploring how to layer mythology over science.

How did you go about obtaining literary representation and then go on to get published?

The Song of All went through seven edits, including two professional editors, before I thought it was ready for submission. Then I turned my attention to the synopsis, which I still think is one of the hardest things to write. I rewrote the synopsis ten times with the help of one of my beta readers. The query came next. I used every available resource out there to craft my query letter. I researched literary agents both in the Guide to Literary Agents and online. I did Twitter pitches, through #PitMad, to hone my logline (Twitter was still 140 characters then). I also attended writers’ conferences that featured literary agents and book editors. It just so happened that at my second writers’ conference, the San Francisco Writers’ Conference, I pitched you. You were my last literary agent of the day. The "time’s up" bell rang about a minute into my pitch. I was so flustered, but you weren’t phased at all. You asked for the full manuscript and a couple of weeks after that you took me on as your client. If I remember the timeline correctly, you sold The Legacy of the Heavens trilogy within three months of going out on submission.

The Jápmemeahttun—or what I consider akin to "dark elves"—from your novels are unique, in that they can change between male and female—at will. While sequential hermaphroditism does indeed occur in nature among species such as the clownfish, what inspired you to write that aspect into your characters?

The Jápmemeahttun were my way of thinking about and talking about "elves" without ever using that term. I was curious about what living a couple of centuries might look like. What might some of the problems be? What might some of the possibilities be? In particular, I wanted to consider what a social group might look like if individuals experienced both genders, in terms of their physiology and gender roles. So, I did look to nature for examples of hermaphroditism, in particular the sequential form—male to female and female to male—and how it might be evolutionarily advantageous. But while there are some species that change sex at will, the Jápmemeahttun go through a very specific biological process that allows them to transition from female to male in their lifetime.

“The learning curve for me as a debut author in the publishing industry was steep, and I was certainly grateful to have a knowledgeable literary agent...”

Now that you have published your second novel within The Legacy of the Heavens series, what have you learned from the book publishing experience?

The learning curve for me as a debut author in the publishing industry was steep, and I was certainly grateful to have a knowledgeable literary agent, like you, who was open to questions. With the second book, I am discovering that the learning curve is getting even steeper, particularly in terms of balancing my time between, promoting the first book, while preparing the second book for publication, while writing the third. I was raised to be self-sufficient, but I am now seeing the importance of building a team and getting help for things that I just don’t know how to do.

Irjan, the lead character of your first novel, goes through some tremendous character development in the story. What is the driving force behind his drastic change of character and what drew you to that particular literary device?

Irjan’s character development in The Song of All centers on a crisis of conscience, and what happens when the life of revenge and violence that he had relied on no longer served him. In particular, I wanted to explore the consequences of Irjan’s choices, both in his life and in the lives of the people he loved. I think a crisis of conscience or a life crisis is something that most people can relate to. How we handle it also ripples out, maybe not a dramatic as in Irjan’s case, but I do believe that actions have consequences, both intended and unintended.

The audiobook edition of The Song of All, narrated by Ulf Bjorklund, is particularly unique, given that he has a Swedish background and the novel is set in the Saamiland of Norway, Sweden, and Finland. What was it like working with Bjorklund on the pronunciations and character voices of your audiobook edition?

It was an absolute pleasure to work with Ulf and director Max Bloomquist, and the entire team at Brilliance Audio. Max’s background is both Swedish and Finnish, so it really was a Scandinavian production. Max and Ulf also worked with Thomas A. DuBois, the Halls-Bascom Professor of Scandinavian Studies, Folklore, and Religious Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, to make sure they had the correct pronunciation for the Saami words. I always go and listen to the audiobook before I give a reading to make sure that I have the correct pronunciation. I think Ulf really captured the essence of the characters, and I hope to work with him again in the near future.

“You have to love your story before anyone will.”

Do you have any advice for writers out there, aspiring to become published authors?

I would say, write for yourself first. You have to love your story before anyone will. Then, be clear on why you want to be published, because that will inform your decision-making along the way. After that, I think persistence, combined with a positive attitude, is crucial.

Can you give us a sense of what’s to come from The Northern Ones, book three in The Legacy of the Heavens series? Please, no spoilers!

Kim Taylor Blakemore is the author of the novels The Companion, Bowery Girl, and Cissy Funk. She has been honored with a Tucson Festival of Books Literary Award, a Willa Award for Best YA Fiction, and a Regional Arts & Culture Council grant. She teaches Craft of Fiction and Historical Fiction with PDX Writers in Portland, Oregon. Please visit her at kimtaylorblakemore.com

What do you enjoy about writing with the historical fiction genre?

I am drawn to women’s stories, which are sometimes found haphazardly, looking through letters or diaries in a historical society archive, and sometimes feel as though glimpsed through a doorway opened just a crack, a fleeting moment caught in time.  When I read histories of “big” events, I look for the particulars. I often wonder what was going on at home? What were the women up to? What were the particulars of their lives?  These are often found tucked in diaries and letters. In The Companion, I wanted to know what happened to a female charged with murder in 19th century New England – and then, of course, because I write historic suspense, I needed to write out how she got there in the first place.

The technological restrictions also set up lovely puzzles – what happens when you need to get in touch with someone immediately and there’s not a phone, not even a telegraph? No cars, no electricity, forensics at its beginning stages, hoop skirts and petticoats quite a detriment to running away, no video or recording devices, arsenic found on every household shelf – how difficult can murder be?

If you could go back in time to any historical period, at any place and be anyone, when would you choose, where would you be, and who would you be?

Elizabethan England to meet the Queen. I’ve wanted to meet Elizabeth I ever since I was a child. She is fierce and frightening and marvelous. Though I think I’d be quaking in my boots and forty pounds worth of skirts.

Do you feel that your historical novel, The Companion, could only be told in today’s day and age, before going on to become a timeless story?

Inherently, the story is about love and obsession, two very human traits. Greer Macallister (Woman 99) said it best in her early review of the book: “Love’s transforming power makes not just angels, but monsters.”  We’ve seen that theme played out before – Othello, Frankenstein when you get right down to it, Rebecca – and it’s timeless one. We humans have a thing for love and all its jealousies. 

What’s the research process for historical fiction like? Do you find it to be endlessly enjoyable or painstakingly difficult?

I love research. I can’t even go on vacation without sussing out an area’s historical societies, monuments and museums and then adding that to the trip’s agenda.  I’m compelled to find out who came before and find the echoes of their voices. 

It is a highlight to talk to reference librarians and archivist and researchers to learn specifics of a time and place. Rebecca Stockbridge, reference librarian at the New Hampshire State Library, was my rockstar during the writing of The Companion. She found amazing materials for me, including the annual prison reports for 1854-55 and the various warden’s notes on the “annoyance of keeping women” in the prison (the asylum was bandied as an option for the six female inmates). Brian Buford at the NH State Archive tracked down the original court papers for Letitia Blaisdell, a woman who had been found guilty of murder in 1849, including the jury’s final decision that she was guilty and would hang. (Her sentence was later commuted.)

And I find inspiration for new stories, because every bit of ephemera comes to me with a what-if? attached... 

Do you also find there are inherent limitations to writing historical fiction? (For instance, aliens from outer space couldn’t suddenly land on a Civil War battlefield in a historical novel). What are some of the less obvious limitations?

Oooh, an alien landing at Gettysburg. Hm. I think Connie Willis could make a cracking story from that! Seriously, the limitations are what I look for – the mores, the worldview, the milieu. I want to experience someone existing in their time rather than dropping a petticoat on a thoroughly modern woman and giving her free rein. 

Your novel bears similarities to Burial Rites by Hannah Kent and Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. Are there any other authors or books that have been an influence to you in your writing, or books and authors you just enjoy reading?

Daphne DuMaurier. No doubt. She’s the master of the reveal, feeding one small bit of information at a time until all the pieces add up to a terrifying whole. And her settings are so vivid, characters in themselves. Emma Donoghue for the complexity and language. I recently read The Silent Companions, which literally scared me to the point I heard the damn things in my own house. Thanks for the chill, Laura Purcell…and also thanks for that awesome not-at-all-expected ending. I enjoy a lot of styles of books – romances and adventures and crime. I read a lot. Three to five books a week. I come from a family of voracious readers, so I thank my mother and father for passing on that habit. 

Is the experience of publishing with Lake Union Publishing, the women’s fiction imprint of Amazon Publishing, very different from working with a big five publisher or indie publisher? What have you found to be the most rewarding part of the book publishing experience so far?

My experience with Lake Union has been wondrous. I’ve worked with other big five publishers, and Lake Union operates much the same as a traditional publisher, at least through the editorial and production process. I had an acquisitions editor who worked through two revisions of the book with me, then rounds of developmental edits, copy edits, line edits…all the while, the marketing team worked on taglines and blurbs and cover design. The area where they different is in the approaches to marketing because they’re, well, Amazon. They have a rather good handle on that.

I think the most rewarding part has been working with such knowledgeable and creative people, and the incredible support Amazon Publishing gives its authors. I feel really blessed to be part of this team and imprint. Lake Union is a class act.

How did you find your current literary agent? And get your book published with Lake Union?

I had sent out queries to a group of agents whom I had researched and thought would be a good fit for the book. Most importantly, I was looking for a good fit for a writing career and having someone that wanted to work in the long term through multiple projects. I had both watched and read interviews with Mark Gottlieb, and then read more on Trident Media Group, and the scope of his knowledge and successful sales in both publishing and book-to-film really sold me on submitting my work to him. His turn-around was really fast – I received an email a couple days after he requested the full with questions about some elements in the book. We discussed those for a bit, and by Friday he’d offered representation. 

Once I accepted, he immediately sent the manuscript to a few editors he thought would be interested in the book, including Alicia Clancy at Lake Union Publishing. She loved the book but had some ideas she wanted to run by me for changes prior to making an offer, so the three of us hopped on a call. Alicia walked me through ideas that were awesome and I wished I’d thought of! And we all thought – this is going to work out. I can’t even put into words how much her edits and advice deepened the story.

Do you have any advice for hopeful writers looking to become published authors?

Number 1: Finish the book.

Number 2: Give it a good edit and get feedback from honest writing colleagues. 

Number 3: Trust the story and believe in it. 

Number 4: Rejection is not personal. All you need is one yes. 

Number 5: Pick up a pen and write another story. 

Number 6: See Number 1.

What can we expect next from the writing desk of Kim Taylor Blakemore?

I had the pleasure to sit down with Inc. Magazine’s columnist Dakona Shane to discuss the process of entrepreneurs getting published, prior to his article Ever Thought About Pursuing a Book Deal? Here's How to Get Started …here’s what he asked me and what we discussed in this Mark Gottlieb Agent interview.

 What do most thought leaders/entrepreneurs get wrong when it comes to trying to publish a book?

 On occasion I have seen a number of things outside of the norm when thought leaders/entrepreneurs set out to publish a book. Namely, many writers do not realize that they need to have a platform in place before trying to publish a book. For example, people would more likely want to read a book by agent Mark Gottlieb with one million social media followers, than agent Mark Gottlieb with just a few hundred social media followers. Book publishers want to work with an author that has a million social media followers, since even if just a fraction of that audience buys the book, the publisher will still be in good shape financially. That is also one of the reasons why publishers love authors that do speaking engagements at events with hundreds, if not thousands, of audience members. Speaking at such events presents opportunities for authors to sell their books to audience members.

 Thought leaders and entrepreneurs that set out to write a book need to make certain that they have a strong platform in order. There are obviously books written on the subject about how one goes about building a platform but it helps to have one organically in place. A platform can also mean a number of things, whether that is a huge social media following, a massive newsletter subscriber base, tons of website visits, ties with powerful organizations and so on. An example of a piece of my platform would be my Jericho Writers Mark Gottlieb literary agent interview. 

 What makes non-fiction book publishing different from other segments?

 Nonfiction is unique in that it can be sold to a book publisher based on a proposal and a sample chapter or two. That certainly saves more time and effort than trying to write an entire manuscript and then sell it! This is because nonfiction is more so idea-driven, since it tends to be about the subject matter of the book. (Fiction is a lot more about the quality of the writing and the story itself, leading to a fiction author becoming a household name by extension of their writing. Fiction needs to be sold on a full manuscript because editors will not know where the story ends otherwise). Readers seek out nonfiction books with a specific purpose or prescription in mind. So editors that read nonfiction proposals can see where a book idea is headed from the book proposal and get a good sense of the writing from the sample chapters.

 The other thing that is unique about nonfiction is that the platform is not only key (mentioned earlier) but the author should also be an authority on their subject matter. A simple example of an authoritative writer would be a history professor from Yale that has chosen to write a history book on World War II; or a world-renowned and respected spiritual guru that wants to write books on the subjects of mindfulness, spirituality and wellness; perhaps the owner of a tech giant company that wants to write a business book about where technology could be taking us in the future of industry, etc. Readers tend to want to hear from experts in their fields. 

 What's the best way to land a book deal in 2019? What has changed over the past 10 years that entrepreneurs should know about?

 The book publishing landscape has become highly data-driven. Publishers now like to drill down on what the sales numbers of a book could be by examining comparative and competitive books. It is important for authors to hold their work in high esteem by making the right kinds of comparisons. Writers need to be familiar with the current publishing trend lines by looking at bestsellers lists such as the New York Times, USA TODAY and the Amazon Top 100. Part of what goes into the data drilling is the author platform that I mentioned before. 

 The publishing landscape is also currently something of a buyer's market with publishers wanting to focus their attention on publishing a select list of books to the best of their abilities. This puts the pressure on to make sure authors get it just right when it comes to the writing and publishing of their books. The mantra among some book publishers has become, "Fewer, bigger books." An writer needs to present their book as the very next big thing to be published.

 From an agent's perspective, what things immediately make one writer stand out from the rest?

 I speak about this a bit in my Writing Coop literary agent Mark Gottlieb article. A strong hook and elevator pitch and a well-written query letter will always make a writer stand out. The hook should be concise and unique and the elevator pitch needs to be attention-grabbing. It also helps to use good comparisons, such as “My book is such and such book mixed with this or that book.” A writer should know how to describe about their work with ease and in a way that is attractive to a listener or reader. 

 From there, I will often look at the meat and potatoes of the writing itself alongside the idea behind the book by looking at the description of the material in the query letter. Then I turn my attention to the writer’s bio to see what type of relevant writing experience or relevant writing credentials they might have. Do they have an MFA or have they attended prestigious writing workshops or writing conferences? Maybe they have publications in magazines or journals. That is usually contained within an author bio paragraph where the author’s platform can be mentioned, and links to a website or social media pages can be provided.

 Once an author has what they believe is a good idea for a book, what's the next best step?

 Normally, I would say that the author should simply write the book, especially if they have the writing bug. Although I think it is also worth doing some market research to see how similar books are performing in the book publishing marketplace. I would encourage writers of a potential book to assemble a list of competitive and comparative titles. Such a list is comprised of books in the marketplace they feel are similar in some way. These books should be bestsellers published within the last five years. That is one way for a writer to hold their books in high esteem but to also see how well their own book might perform in the marketplace and to see if there is room in the marketplace. Some towns just ain't big enough for two books. 

 After a bit of market research, the writer should begin writing the manuscript, or writing one to two sample chapters. The sample chapters should be assembled with a book proposal if it is to be a work of nonfiction. A writer will want to polish the writing and the proposal by getting feedback from other writers or at conferences and workshops. When ready to approach a literary agent, the author should have a query letter (cover letter) ready to accompany their submission materials. That way, when it comes to the moment of there is Mark Gottlieb at the Writer Conference they are ready to go.

 Is self publishing a book a viable alternative to traditional publishing today?

 While there once was a better time in the self-publishing space, eBook sales have by and large leveled off. Furthermore, mostly genre fiction is read in the eBook space, compared to nonfiction, literary fiction, illustrated books and children's books. Now there is simply a glut of material out there and an author really needs to be a marketing guru in order to get their book to stand out in the overcrowded self-publishing space. Not only that, self-published authors have undercut each other's prices where it's now a race to the bottom in terms of competitive pricing. That is why there are so many $0.99 eBooks. Authors selling at that level need to sell many eBooks with such a small profit margin. It becomes the McDonald’s hamburger effect of needing to sell many thousands of hamburgers for it to make good business sense.

 For the authors that were wise enough to diversify their business portfolios, they are now much better off in the long run. In approaching literary agents and traditional book publishers, authors that went traditional or “hybrid” (by publishing in both spaces) were able to get into other revenue streams such as print, audio, foreign rights and even film and TV adaptations of books. It has become harder to engineer self-published authors back into traditional book publishing after they remained in self-publishing for too long. I have not seen many traditionally-published authors return to the self-publishing space. Mostly, I have seen authors very pleased with the transition into traditional publishing, especially before the bubble burst in self-publishing.

Michael Mejer is an established, trusted digital marketing expert in the non-fiction business book space. The culmination of years of experience in publicity, marketing, and sales in this niche has empowered him to help dozens of authors take their social media platforms to the next level to help promote and grow their books, brands, and businesses.

How did you find your way into the space of digital marketing, particularly for that of authors and their brands?

I started my career working at a PR agency where we specialized in non-fiction, business book publicity and marketing. It was right around then that social media started to become a more prominent vehicle for authors to market their personal brands and book(s). After working with dozens of authors on developing their social media presence I realized there was going to be a growing need for it, and decided to branch out on my own and create my own agency.

What’s the discovery process like when writers want to work with you? Do you make an evaluation of their online presence via their social media accounts and website(s) to see areas for improvement, and does anything else go into that discovery process?

First, I evaluate an author’s online presence to have an understanding of what they’re currently doing and what it looks like they’re trying to accomplish. From there we have a conversation about their current strategy, how they execute on that strategy, what’s working, what isn’t, and what we can do together to achieve their goals not just with their new book, but they’re personal brand as a whole. Ideally, all of this takes place eight to twelve months before the official publication date of their new book.

“The cost of entry for the opportunity to have your voice heard is much lower than what it was in years prior to the digital world taking off.”

Has the new digital landscape of marketing for authors created a lot of opportunities that the print advertising world hadn’t previously allowed for, perhaps due to limited space and cost? Does digital marketing also allow for a better system of measuring the metrics, click through rate, impressions, or success behind the marketing of a book?

Absolutely. The cost of entry for the opportunity to have your voice heard is much lower than what it was in years prior to the digital world taking off. The beautiful thing about marketing online is that you have a very clear view of what’s working, what’s not. This gives you a clear, confident sense of where you need to double down and spend more time, energy, and resources to promote yourself. Spending thousands of dollars on print ads, billboards, and things of that nature is very costly and difficult to determine whether or not that effort is producing any results. The new digital landscape of marketing for authors has created a lot more opportunities at a cost of entry that almost anyone can afford.

When you work with authors on their marketing, do you also interact with the marketing/publicity department at the author’s publishing house in order to coordinate your efforts?

100%. It’s always a good idea to be on the same page as the current marketing and publicity team that the author is working with. If a publicist tells us they’re working on coordinating an interview with a particular outlet or reporter, my team and I make sure we follow and engage with that individual via the author’s social media platforms. It’s a great way to complement the PR efforts on campaigns.

As someone who has done a lot of work with marketing/promoting nonfiction business books, do you feel as though you’ve carved out a niche in that particular area? Do you also work with other types of nonfiction, as well as fiction?

It takes a much different approach to market a non-fiction business book than it does a fiction book, and it’s a niche that Experience Digital Marketing is working hard to dominate and make a name for itself in. If I feel we could deliver 110%, the furthest we’ll deviate away from business books is personal development or self-help books. At the end of the day, we know what we’re great at and want to provide as much value, knowledge, and results to our authors as possible.

“...publishers and agents are big fans of working with authors who already have an established online presence.”

In one of your online articles, you write, “The publishing industry has undergone a lot of changes in the last decade, and if you're still thinking it works the same way it did back in 1998, you're going to be in for a rude awakening.” Are you able to speak to one or two of the major ways in which book publishing has changed since then for literary agents and authors?

There are so many ways that publishing has shifted in the last decade, but from all the conversations I have with authors, the one thing they almost always tell me is that publishers and agents are big fans of working with authors who already have an established online presence. They’re always excited to talk to you when they see that you’ve already laid the foundation for your personal brand before they invest a minute into you and your book.

Publishers seem to only be able to devote their very best attention from their marketing/publicity departments to their lead titles and key titles. That leaves the marketing/publicity departments at publishing houses spread thin for other authors at the publishing house. How much of the burden of the marketing/promo has fallen on the shoulders of authors in today’s book publishing landscape?

It used to be the publishers that would be the marketing and publicity machine behind you and your book. Now, you tend to get support from the publishers for about one to three months after publication and then you’re on your own. You’re responsible for generating traffic to the Amazon page, media coverage, book signings, etc… That’s not to say that it’s impossible to launch your book successfully. What this means is that you need to be more committed to being in control of your marketing efforts after the publication date, which could play to your advantage if you put the time and effort into building a great team around you that can execute the right strategy for your book.

I see that your organization has done some work with the Michael Magro Foundation (non-for-profit, 501c3 organization) which focuses on helping families battling pediatric cancer and other illness. What appealed to you about this type of charitable work and how has your company helped that organization?

I’m a huge believer in the philosophy that we can all give back in some way, shape or form. The Michael Magro Foundation does a tremendous job of helping families battling pediatric cancer and other illness. Whenever they have an event they need help promoting my team and I are always there to design whatever flyers, logos, or graphics they may need. It’s the least we can do to support such an incredible organization.

Are there any books out there on book marketing that you might recommend to authors as a good starting point?

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World by Gary Vaynerchuk. Hands down, one of the best marketing books for someone looking to leverage the power of social media to promote their brand.

Andrew Buckley is an editor for a small press, a professional copy and content writer, and a cohost for a geek movie podcast. He is the author of The Perils of Growing Up Werewolf series. His forthcoming book is The Fate of Freddy Mitchell, book one in the Dead Kid Chronicles, about when the fates of the underworld fail to capture a young soul at his scheduled time of death, and the very fabric of the universe begins to unravel—while the fates scramble to correct their mistake, he is forced to deal with a chatty crow, dark and sinister creatures hunting him through the night, a murderous gang of soul hunters, and the fact that he no longer appears to be as alive as he used to be. Andrew now lives happily in the Okanagan Valley, BC with one beautiful wife, three kids, one cat, one needy dog, and a multitude of characters that live comfortably inside of his mind.

Many of your books seem to have a humorous bent to them. What do you feel the comedic storytelling medium affords authors?

I’ve always thought comedy was a great way to break down barriers as it comes with an inherent sense of relatability. I don’t know that it’s quite as safe to do so today as it was ten to twenty years ago as people seem to take far more offense to things these days (thanks, internet)! However, comedic storytelling gives you the opportunity to attack a story from a different angle. It skews perspective and allows you to explore something in a different way. Also, who doesn’t love to laugh? Go on, name someone! Can’t, can you?

Are there any particular authors or books that have influenced you as a writer?

My favorite book of all time is The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. It was the first real humorous bit of fiction I read back when I was around eleven or twelve years old. I’ve since read it twenty to thirty times. Adams' humor struck me as something special. It wasn’t that he was just being funny, he was doing it in such a smart and satirical way that it was impossible not to fall in love with it. His asides and tangents were almost as entertaining as the main storyline. He made a robotic sliding door have a personality! The man was a genius! I later also fell in love with Terry Pratchett’s work, and later still with Neil Gaiman (more Neverwhere than American Gods). Douglas Adams in particular has always had a strong influence on my writing and my sense of humor in general.

“I’ve always found a lot of inspiration in fairy tales and myths, and stories that teach some sort of moral lesson.”

Your children’s middle grade fiction series, The Perils of Growing Up Werewolf, begins with the title of Hair in All the Wrong Places…does it contain an important message about going through puberty?

It does! At least I hope it does. I’ve always found a lot of inspiration in fairy tales and myths, and stories that teach some sort of moral lesson. When I started writing about a teenage werewolf, I wanted to run his werewolf transformation story parallel with his journey through puberty. While the main character, Colin, is dealing with his new powers as a hairy creature of the night, he’s also struggling with hormones, girls, and homework. The lesson I wanted Colin and the readers to learn in that story is that even though your body changes as you get older, you’re still the same awesome person.

Werewolves seem to be the perfect engine for exploring what it means to go through bodily changes. Did any other monsters, such as vampires or zombies, previously come to mind?

The subject of teenage zombies was already covered very well by Isaac Marion’s Warm Bodies. I’d considered a vampire at one point, but it felt like they’d been done to death (pun intended). I always thought I had a really great werewolf story inside of me (I loved Michael J. Fox’s "Teenwolf" movie when I was a kid), and while this book started out as an adult werewolf novel, it quickly became apparent that the main character was meant to be a tween. The werewolf changes of more hair, confusion, and hunger, is basically puberty in a nutshell. What I’m saying is, all teenagers are werewolves.

Hair in All the Wrong Places was a Hollywood Book Fest, New York Book Fest, and San Francisco Book Fest Honorable Mention recipient. What was it like to win so many honors for your first foray into middle grade fiction?

It was certainly an honor to receive such honors. Joking aside, it’s always nice to be recognized for work you produce. Writing middle grade fiction was a surprising turn for me and occurred when I had young kids who wanted to read something I’d written. Hair in All the Wrong Places was the answer to “Dad, why can’t I read your books?”

“Being able to speak with teachers, librarians, and parents has been a great way to spread the word about my books...”

You seem to do a lot of speaking engagements at schools and libraries. Do you find these events to be a helpful way of connecting directly with your readership of parents, teachers, librarians and students?

In the last three years I’ve spoken to thousands and thousands of students, from elementary to middle schoolers, to high school students and beyond. It’s an interesting byproduct of writing for a younger audience. Connecting with students who have read or want to read my books has been amazing. I get lots of messages asking questions about the story and about the characters. Being able to speak with teachers, librarians, and parents has been a great way to spread the word about my books and word of mouth has been one of the driving forces behind me getting an increasing number of requests for speaking engagements.

How did you find your current literary agent and go on to get future books published?

Well it was a tricky process. I had to wait for a full moon, there was a sacrifice involved, and a lot of Latin. Once the incantation was over, the hellfire had all fizzled out, and the portal was completely closed, and there stood you, Mark Gottlieb from the Trident Media Group. Okay, fine! I didn’t summon you through some elemental dark magic. I was reading acquisitions for a small publisher and met you when you submitted some queries. What struck me was that we shared a similar sense of humor and so we hit it off. Your dedication and hard work has resulted in five of my books being sold to publishers. You're a supportive agent who has been instrumental in my career as an author and is always looking for new ways to push further, something I truly appreciate.

Earlier in your career, you were working as an editor at Curiosity Quills Press. Has a background in editing helped to inform your novel writing career?

It certainly has, without a doubt. For one thing, it introduced me to my agent. But working as an editor and consequently working with other editors has been one of the best learning experiences of my life. Every single time I work with an editor, without fail, I learn something new. As a consequence, my writing is constantly improving.

“...while it’s not an easy thing to get published, it’s the authors that persevere and keep trying that make it in the end.”

What have you learned from the book publishing experience, now as an author of multiple books? Do you have any wisdom to share with writers hoping to become published authors?

I teach a novel writing course that I developed and the final week in the series is dedicated to talking about the publishing industry. The main takeaway, and the best advice I can share is that while it’s not an easy thing to get published, it’s the authors that persevere and keep trying that make it in the end. If you quit after your first rejection letter, you’re 100% guaranteed to fail. However, if you keep going, take the rejections as they come (I received over a 100 rejections for my first novel) and continue working on your craft, you’ll get there in the end. Oh, and keep writing. That’s important. Nothing worse than a writer that doesn’t write.

Can you tell us a bit more about your forthcoming book The Fate of Freddy Mitchell, book one in The Dead Kid Chronicles series?

I’ve been reading since before I knew how.

According to my mother, I often pored over picture books, spouting gibberish and pretending I was reading aloud during my toddlerhood. I had the alphabet down pat when I arrived for my first day of junior kindergarten. The first time my mom took me to a library, I walked out with two tote bags full of twenty or so books.

Really, it’s no surprise that I went to school for English and writing, or that I pursued writing and editing in a professional capacity.

As a writer, I’ve offered writing and editing advice as a guest on several blogs, published a few creative pieces, written several instructional e-books on English grammar, and drafted many long-form stories. I’m rarely not writing, even when my writing is held tight to my chest, meant only for myself.

As an in-house editor at Scribendi, I’ve edited over 3,500,000 words in the last three years, revising documents from every field and by writers of every skill level. I know how to maintain an author’s voice while providing the necessary corrections and suggestions to help the author improve the writing they want perfected.

“...skill sets for writing and editing, so intertwined and yet so vastly different, can inform each other.”

What I hadn’t realized until recently was that the skill sets for writing and editing, so intertwined and yet so vastly different, can inform each other. Indeed, I’ve learned much about being a writer and writing from being an editor and editing, and vice versa.

What being a writer has taught me about being an editor

The importance of an author’s voice

As an editor, it’s easy to accidentally make a client’s document your own, if you’re not careful. You might think, "This sentence would be much better if it were written like this" or "Adding this sentence would really improve this paragraph." You might even think, "I’ll just delete this part because it doesn’t add much."

What’s wrong with this is that writers cherish their voices. This makes the job of an editor even more difficult, because not only must they correct all the errors in writing, but they also must maintain the author’s voice. We all have our own writing voices, and, as a writer, I can say that we want nothing less than an editor changing our voice during editing. It was one of my biggest fears in submitting one of my manuscripts for professional editing.

“...good editing means making an author’s writing the best it can be—not forcing your own idea of what writing should be onto a piece of writing.”

What I learned from my fear of an editor changing my voice is that good editing means making an author’s writing the best it can be—not forcing your own idea of what writing should be onto a piece of writing.

The necessity of the revision process

Let me be frank: when a good editor has decimated your document, marked up your writing with the dreaded red pen, and left you nothing but bits and pieces of your original work, it’s painful.

I once submitted a manuscript for professional editing and received feedback that would require major edits that could take months. Although I thought my draft was pretty clean (after all, a professional editor had written it), I quickly realized I’d only been through step one of the revision process—the first draft—and much rewriting awaited.

It became clearer to me that editing is a necessary part of the writing process. Although I’m an editor and my writing is pretty clean, I am not special. Everyone can benefit from editing.

The final say on any word is the author’s

Editors want to perfect writing. It’s in our coding. We look at a piece of writing and draw out every way it can be improved. That includes clarity, flow, tone, structure, content, and much, much more. We might suggest massive or minuscule edits, knowing that, once all are accepted, the document will be perfect and ready for submission.

Simultaneously, writers have their own ideas about writing. They might discard necessary edits simply because they feel the writing sounded better before editing; whether it did is sometimes subjective. It is also sometimes objective. Writers with a concrete idea of the form of their writing may be stubborn to change it, and writers who despise the editing process may be too lazy to.

“In the end, what writers change is completely their say. That’s how it should be. After all, it’s the writer’s name on the writing, not the editor’s.”

When I submitted a manuscript for professional editing, I implemented many of the suggested major revisions. I also discarded some, whether I believed the editor was suggesting a subjective edit, I felt the writing was better in its first draft, or I just didn’t feel like making the change. In the end, what writers change is completely their say. That’s how it should be. After all, it’s the writer’s name on the writing, not the editor’s.

What being an editor has taught me about being a writer

The writer’s obligation to serve their readers

Many beginning writers struggle with adhering to document writing conventions. For example, a scientific researcher might not know how to structure his or her first research paper. This is a problem because such papers follow a fairly conventional format (i.e., Abstract, Introduction, Methods and Materials, etc.) that readers expect. When such a paper does not follow this format, the writing does not serve to promote the reader’s understanding.

Similarly, some veteran writers struggle with the notion that their writing is for readers. As an example, I write many poems just for me. A problem would arise if I chose to submit such poems for publication because these poems were not created to serve readers. Thus, readers would probably struggle to understand them, and these readers would benefit very little from reading these poems.

“...knowing writing conventions and writing for readers are very important aspects of successful writing...”

As an editor, I’ve seen both issues many times. Both signal that the writer has failed to meet the aim of serving the reader. As such, knowing writing conventions and writing for readers are very important aspects of successful writing; without either, writing fails.

The need for constructive criticism

Editing often involves criticism. Such criticism should always be constructive, but in some cases, editors still risk offending writers. After all, much criticism is difficult to hear. We all want to be good at what we do, and hearing we need to improve on weak aspects can be difficult.

However, a good editor does not avoid communicating criticism constructively simply to spare the feelings of a writer. If the writing could be improved, thus improving the writer’s craft, it’s much better to share criticism.

As an editor, I know this. As a writer, I have struggled with it. It’s not fun to hear that you’ve failed to successfully craft a sentence, paragraph, or even a full document. Like the heavy revision that can come with editing, criticism is both an inevitability and a painful part of being a writer. However, it is one that allows us to improve. Taking criticism seriously, not personally, can allow a writer to go from mediocre to great.

The notion that only what is on the page matters

It doesn’t matter that the concept of your story is flawless, unique, and relatable unless you can communicate it in writing. Only what is on the page matters. Your ideas can be the best of the best, but if you cannot get them on the page, readers will never know.

“...for your story to stand out, how you tell it is far more important than what you say in it.”

What you have to say in writing may be totally irrelevant if you cannot say it in the right way. How you say something is always more important than what you say, especially in a world of adaptations, sequels, and reboots. According to many, originality is dead. That means that, for your story to stand out, how you tell it is far more important than what you say in it.

Editors focus on crafting writing that says what it has to say in the way that makes the most sense (and is the most correct). From editing so many client documents, I learned that form is just as important as content (if not more!).

Conclusion

Being a writer taught me how to be a good editor, and becoming an editor taught me how to be a better writer, in all these ways and more. While the skill sets are intertwined in many ways, they are inherently different, and each can motivate the other, as I’ve seen in my career thus far.

Our practices can and should inspire each other. If you’re an editor who doesn’t write, I encourage you to try writing a short story. If you’re a writer who doesn’t edit, I encourage you to offer to do so for a friend or family members. (Based on the frequent editing requests I get from my own friends and family members, they will definitely have something that needs editing). It’s possible that you’ll learn a lot, just like I did.

Plus, we could always use more editing writers and writing editors in the world. After all, who better to tinker with the written word?