Ask Nathan Bransford! Guest agent from 02/07 - 12/09!

Epiphany said:

Hi Nathan,

On your blog you say to definitely mention whether or not I have an MFA. Would it also be appropriate to mention if I am currently in the program and haven't graduated yet, or if I was accepted into a program and will be attending in a few months?

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Kitty Pryde said:

Hi Nathan!
I have an early MG novel that's 7K words. It's written at a similar level/length to some of Matt Christopher's sports novels, Judy Moody & Stink books, or the Junie B. Jones series. I've heard this age group called middle grade, early middle grade, early grade, and chapter book...what do I call it while querying? I just don't want anyone to see "early middle grade novel" and "7000 words" and think I'm nuts or anything.

Thanks for being an awesome writer-helping machine!

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queen13 said:

I never seem to ask the right questions on these forums, but here goes. Do publishers and agents look down on stories where one perspective is in first perspective and the other person's is in third perspective? Secondly is 87,000 words too much for a first time ya author? How do publsihers feel about the excessive use of italics?

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LaFemme said:

Hi Nathan

Do you know of a site that lists the top agents who represent either fantasy or YA novels?

If anyone else on this board does know of such a site, I would appreciate your help in this regard.

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Cyia said:

There's a thread going on this, but I thought I'd ask an agent's opinion, too.

How open do you think a publisher would be to a YA novel geared toward girls with a male main character? There's still a prominent female character in it, but the POV is the guy's. Does MC gender matter at all?

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brightlyiburn said:

I seriously hope I'm putting this in the right place. I've been looking around for a while now trying to find the answer or at least where to put the question.

Here it is: I work at a review site. Not a huge world famous one, mind you, but fairly popular and gaining. Do I include this information in a query? Is it the sort of thing agents and editors want people to be straightforward about?

I really don't want it to look like I was trying to hide something should they find out about it later.

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Nymtoc said:

Hi Nathan,

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]In a mystery novel I'm writing, I am inclined to write the first chapter from the POV of Character A, but the rest of the book from the POV of Character B. Maybe it will work, but I'm concerned that the switch might lead the reader to expect a multi-viewpoint book, which--except for the first chapter--it isn't.[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] So I thought I might simply call the first chapter a prologue. (The action is continuous. Such a prologue would not be a flashback or flash-forward.)[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

However, I recently attended a panel discussion of editors and agents here in New York, during which one agent indicated that prologues are old-fashioned and [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]that he would not want to read any mystery manuscript that included one. His attitude seemed a bit extreme to me. Are prologues really so passé?[/FONT] [/FONT] [/FONT] [/FONT]

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Evvie said:

Mr. Bransford

I'm a freshman in college and a Creative Writing major and am considering a double major in advertising/Public relations or just a minor in marketing. I definitely want to be a writer, but I also want to work on the other side of publishing. What does it take to become a literary agent? I know there is no set degree, but is there one or a combination that would aid me best in this career?

Also, do you have to live in NY or California? I'm from florida and I have already inquired to 3 agencies here if they take on interns and most work out of home offices so unfortunately they don't. I know the Knight Agency is based out of Georgia so I may try them.

Anyway, what will help me best to pursue this career? Will I have to spend many years in NY or California or just back and forth? I know many agencies are proving the stereotype "only agencies in NY thrive" wrong. I'm sorry for such a long question, but there really isn't much on the subject that I've come across in my research.

Thank you for your time.

Elizabeth

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telford said:

Hello Nathan,
Well, I'll give you the long story/short. I have completed my MS and approached about a dozen agents and recieved a dozen rejects. That's okay, I know how it is for rookies. So, being science fiction, I sent the MS to the two biggest SF publishers in NY. After a year, no reply. Not surprising in this climate. I began to wonder if my novel was not as wonderful as I thought. So I put a sample out on the net and got very positive feedback from both male AND female readers. I am very cautious about approaching anyone on the web, especially when they promise me the moon. So here's the question. How in the world do I score an agent or publisher. Thank's for your time and I will appreciate any input.
Regards,
Telford

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waylander said:

Step 1 - write a killer query letter and post it in the Share Your Work thread here so that writers more experienced in agent-seeking can offer you guidance. Look at Queryshark.blogspot for guidance on constructing this letter. Search through the agent blogs for more advice and examples of successful queries.

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Addicted2writing said:

Mr. Bransford.

I have written a YA supernatural suspense and am starting to wonder if it has crossed over into the adult audience. The MC’s are in the senior high age bracket. I do believe that it would interest both age groups. In my query would I say it is ‘crossover’ or would this put the agents off?

You did make this comment a few years ago in this forum:

“To me the separation between YA and adult is not thematic, it has more to do with pacing. When you read a YA novel the pace tends to happen quicker, the books tend to be shorter, and things happen in a more straightforward fashion, on the surface. In an adult novel, even an adult novel about high schoolers, things unfold more slowly, there tends to be more subtlety and ambiguity. In other words, I think the YA/Adult split is more about the telling than the themes.”

I also know you are not a stickler for word count, but have suggested that 40-60K is average for YA.

This leads to my next question: My novel is just over 80k and has a very exciting fast pace on the surface (most ‘things happen in a straightforward fashion’). On the other hand, there are also a few sub-plots and twists that link up like pieces of a puzzle (subtleties and ambiguities that unfold more slowly). It is these subtleties that when put together provides the answers the reader has been asking throughout the book. So as you can see; I have a problem working out where to fit it. I still think it is crossover, but I am not the expert (wink).

Thanks in advance for your valued advice.

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RoseMarie said:

Hi Nathan (assuming you are still checking on this)

Alright, much to my sheepishness, I cannot work a forum. I can learn how to use a brand new program on a computer within an hour but forums are evil to me lol. I'm hoping I did this right.
So my question for Nathan is this....

If someone wanted to briefly tweak the history of someone historical, is that acceptable?
For example; Queen "Bloody" Mary was really a vampire.
That's just an example and isn't true (so far that we know of lol) so would we get in trouble for writing such a thing? I'm assuming it would be alright if it was labeled fiction, but one can never be too sure.

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Addicted2writing said:

I know I am jumping the gun here, but I am a dreamer and now and then I do find myself wondering. If I was fortunate enough to land an agent and then be taken up by a publisher who was keen on a series (and therefore offers a 3/4/# book deal). How long is a writer usually given to complete each subsequent book in that series? Am I wrong to assume it might be about a year between books? Does the first book still get printed in the same time frame as stand-alones? Or do they hold back on the printing until they are satisfied that the next will be completed to their deadline/specifications?

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SoloArtist said:

Hi Nathan, based on this sort of thing, are we screwed? Has the publishing industry taken that drastic a nosedive recently?

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dlenee said:

Hi Nathan,

I've been reading your responses here and decided to go to the last page to see if you're still here. I can't believe that you are...and politely answering questions to boot! You are a saint. I'm only on page 20 and wanted to read everything. Otherwise, I'd end up asking you something you've already answered dozens of times.

I don't have a question yet, but I wanted to congratulate you on your novel, JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW. Way to go!

When I'm ready to submit, you'll be first on MY list!

Danielle

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JustLaurie said:

Is there any place for contemporary fiction in a college-setting, especially when trying to obtain an agent?

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Autodidact said:

Hi thanks you're wonderful we love and appreciate you.

I'm considering developing a book proposal for a YA book tentatively titled Brave Souls and Beautiful Spirits: A Book of Gay and Lesbian Heroes for Young People. My question: is the whole idea of a book of gay and lesbian heroes for YA audience ridiculous? Might a potential controversy actually sell some copies? If I did a perfect job on the proposal, would anyone (other than Allyson Books) consider such a thing?

And thanks we love you you're wonderful

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xcomplex said:

Ok so what if I sent a query like a year ago and I didn't get a reply from you. Can I query a new project that is so much better since I have really grew with my writing?

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