How should I go about getting an agent?
Querying [i.e. a letter pitching your work] is the general route. It’s vital to be specific and narrow down which agents you reach out to by making sure they are a) accepting new clients and b) are looking for books in your genre. Querying without focus can be a burden on everyone’s time including your own. Some helpful information on a query letter can be found here and a query tracking database that many find helpful is right here. I personally used Writer’s Market as a starting point. For illustrators and picture book authors, this Writer’s Market guide is more specific for that area.
I want to write a novel. Any tips?
The biggest piece of advice for writing I can give is to just do it. Just write. Work through the angst and the self-doubt and get that first draft on the screen. Often we are stifled by the fears of what will happen or what may never happen but we have to try or we’ll never know. As Amy Poehler has said about writing: You do it because the doing of it is the thing. The doing is the thing. The talking and worrying and thinking is not the thing.
I suggest two vital books that inspired me and gave me advice on writing:
On Writing by Stephen King
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
Will you please visit my classroom for a school visit?
I love to meet students and talk about my books. It is one of the biggest perks of being an author for young people! For school visits please contact my booking agency hello@theauthorvillage.com.
What is the secret to happiness?
Koala bears, of course.