The Fangirl Interviews Kathleen Ortiz

Kathleen Ortiz (or if you have no idea who I'm talking about she has been known to go by KOrtizzle or That-agent-with-the-T-Rex-avatar) is an Associate Agent and Foreign Rights Manager at Lowenstein Associates.  If you'd like to read more about her she always has interesting tweets and blogs over at Neverending Page Turner.

I had e-mailed a few agents asking them to do an interview for my blog, but Ms. Ortiz decided to present me with a challenge and wanted some creative questions.  What?  The typical "What are you looking for in a manuscript?  How did you get into agenting" wont do?  So, I had to get creative and within a few hours of sending her the questions I got the responses.  They are some of the most fun questions and answers I have done with this blog and Ms. Ortiz' emails have been cracking me up all day and anyone is lucky to have this lady as an agent!  BUT not only did these answers crack me up, they gave me a real view into who Ms. Ortiz is as an agent, a person, and really what she is looking for in her queries and manuscripts.  I can safely say that I've been KOrtizzled!

 (Note:  Yes, in the picture above Ms. Ortiz does resemble Reptar!  Thanks for noticing!) 


Magan:  What is your reaction to people that say you don't need a literary agent? How do you convince them otherwise?


KO:  I point at Janet Reid and let her put them in their place.

No, seriously. I’ll only do so much to explain to someone why they need an agent. Life’s too short to argue and beat a concept into someone if they’re not willing to see the whole scenario. If they educate themselves by looking at agent blogs, success stories, horror stories and more, then great. If not and they choose not to go the agent route, I salute them and truly wish them the best of luck.


Magan:   Not that I'm a stalker of your tweets, but you talk about going to classes, agenting, and having a social life. How do you balance all of these things?

KO:  Red-eye chais are my bff. I tend to look like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sGlETQIMUo). When you have the ability to stop time after consuming caffeine, you’d be surprised what you can accomplish.

I’m lucky to have amazing friends, family and clients. I’m very transparent with everyone, so friends and family know that I take my job very seriously and so I’m not always available to go out on a whim. On the flip side, I know the importance of taking time out to be social and just chill. I’ve found a balance that, while busy, is comfortable for me. I wouldn’t take on a client or project unless I know I can dedicate 110% of my time and effort into it.

Plus I graduate in May. Peace out, grad school.

Magan:  Proudest moment and most stressful moment as an agent?

KO:  Proudest moment was definitely making my first deal. I may have shot out of my chair and danced a happy dance (and no, I refuse to tell you what that looks like).

Most stressful moment was the day I had to make a decision on which ereader to buy (I know, tough gig, right?). (hey! It was a tough choice! P.S. iPads rule)

Magan:  Why the T-Rex? Is there some inside agenting story to it?

KO:  Oy. I knew this would come up one day. And if it wasn’t for the fact that Jaime already shared this story in this video (http://kortizzle.blogspot.com/2011/01/happy-birthday-to-me.html), I probably wouldn’t share it.

So a while back, I was up late at night, working on some emails, and I saw Jaime pop online. I knew she’d probably have a cow that I was up at 3 a.m. on a work night (apparently my clients are convinced I never sleep *snickers*), but I decided to IM her and ask a Q anyway.

After getting chewed out, she asked for my thoughts on a blog post. Kinda went like this:
Jaime: “What do you think about a blog post on ?”

Me: *pauses* *reads IM again* *rubs eyes, convinced I’m seeing things* *reads again* *types* “Tyrannosaurus rape? I don’t get it.”

Jaime: *pauses* “LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL”

Me: *reads again* “Oh. Thesaurus rape. Like when writers abuse large words. Oops.”

20 min later my avatar was a TRex as an inside joke between us.

2 min later, I went to bed.

Almost a year later, it’s still a TRex. And if I change it, people will come after me with pitchforks.

Lesson here: don’t change your avatar. You’ll be stuck with it. And people will make fun of your short arms.

Magan:  Now for the dreaded query questions... What is the most overused or cliched thing that you are seeing in queries?

KO:  Girl meets boy…boy has supernatural / paranormal powers / creature…girl falls for boy even though he’s too ‘dangerous’ for her…girl doesn’t care and hooks up with him anyway.

Magan:   Are there any certain characters you are dying to see come into your slushpile like a teenage alien or non-brooding vampire?

KO:  I’d loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee to see a male POV romance – especially contemporary. But something real, in a true teen voice. Guys (especially teens) do not look at a girl walking down a hall and think, “and her hair rustled in the wind like corn in a field.” (Sounds tacky right? Like corn in a field? What? Exactly. No matter how you spin it, it’s so not what a guy would think.)

I really want to see a girl who’s A) not ‘plain’ and doesn’t understand why every guy falls over himself to be with her (aka -- has a clue) and B) doesn’t have a hardcore chip on her shoulder and hates everyone except ‘the one’.

*Note: this doesn’t mean I don’t like ANY book with these elements. I’m just saying that I see a lot of it and want to see something different.

Magan:   If there was any character (whether literary or from TV or cinema) that you would like to hang out with in real life who would it be and why?

KO:  Oh man. I’m about to break my own rule.

Damon from VAMPIRE DIARIES. *droooooools* Though I think it’s more so Ian Somerhalder himself. He’s just ah-may-zing.

I think I’d love to chill with Bennett from DECEPTION by Lee Nichols (DROOL); Bones from Jeaniene Frost’s NIGHT HUNTRESS series (though he’d never leave Cat for me – sigh); Jennie McGrady from the Jennie McGrady mystery series (small house book; but I was addicted when I was 7 and 8 – she’s smart, not whiney, and kick ass); the MCs from my clients’ books (which I wish I could spill here, but I can’t – but can I just say that if we got together and had a party, I would probably never leave because it would be THAT much fun); and Magnus from Cassie Clare’s MORTAL INSTRUMENTS series (um, glitter + warlock = amazing).

Oops…you said ‘one’ character…well…..

Magan:  Favorite book, movie, TV show?

KO:  Too many to list. Seriously. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.

Magan:   Words to live by?

KO:  For writers: “You can't just have your characters say how they feel! That makes me feel angry!" --The Robot Devil (Futurama)

In general: “It’s hard to fail, but it’s worse never to have tried to succeed.” –Theodore Roosevelt

Thanks again Ms. Ortiz!  And I hope everyone else is as KOrtizzled as I am!

Fangirl Friday

Interview with Agent:  Suzie Townsend

Suzie is actively looking for fiction and non-fiction: Middle Grade and YA novels (all subgenres, but particularly literary projects), adult romance (historical and paranormal), and fantasy (urban fantasy, science fiction, steampunk, epic fantasy).  Specifically, she’s actively looking to build her adult list.

The Fangirl decided to try and do something new and also interview agents, editors, and other publishing professionals for the Fangirl Friday segments.  Lets face it, Ms. Townsend was a likely choice for my first in this series of publishing professional interviews because she's very active in the realm of Twitter and blogging and she likes science fiction, so of course I Fangirled out when she agreed to do an interview and promptly sent her answers to my questions!  (Note these aren't alot of the typical questions one asks an agent, but I loved her responses and it gives an insight into what she likes to read and how she works!)

Magan:  So I guess I’ll start with the beginning as I ask these questions. I read in another interview that you had started out as a teacher before you became an agent. Is there anything that you’ve taken from being a teacher and been able to apply it to being an agent?

ST:  I definitely took the work ethic I had from teaching and applied that to what I'm doing now. I was--and still am--that crazy person who's always at my desk working after everyone else has gone home. But in terms of the actual work, I edited and graded papers and essays as a teacher and I taught rhetoric at the AP level, which I think helps me now when I'm editing manuscripts. Recently I was talking to an author who's working on his second book in a series about how we could flesh out a particular character and add a level of emotional depth and complexity, and it was easier to explain using examples from other authors. And of course, as a teacher I managed the academic career of a lot of my students, either because they came to me needing help or because I saw a potential that they hadn't recognized yet. Managing an author's career is very different, but being able to look at an individuals needs and goals, and then working through problems that arise comes in handy in both avenues.

Magan:  Did you find it difficult to make a career change from school teacher to agent? I have to admit that I’m very impressed that you went from teacher to intern to agent.

ST:  Thanks! Actually it was pretty hard. I'd been teaching for six years and for the last two, I was really frustrated and feeling like the job just wasn't right for me. But I didn't know what else to do. My sister was working as an editor with textbooks at the time and kept telling me how much she loved it and I thought "I could do that!" But thinking that and making the change were two very different things. Unfortunately I was in San Diego and most of publishing really takes place here in NY. So I had to really commit to the idea that I was going to try something else and move. Then in late 2008 when I got to NY, publishing companies weren't hiring. A lot of them were laying people off. One publishing company, I thought I had an "in" with since I knew one of the vice president's, told me they'd let go of 1% of their workforce. Plus I was someone with no industry experience yet coming in with a masters and a level of income that was higher than the starting salary. It didn't exactly make me an ideal candidate. Luckily, I sort of expected that. I mean, I hoped I would get a job right away, but I expected it to be hard, and I expected to have to start over. I applied for anything that sounded interesting--including unpaid internships. On January 4th, I interviewed for an internship at FinePrint and got the job. And that was obviously the turning point for me. I realized within the first week that I loved working at an agency much more than I ever liked teaching. I just knew this was it for me. I always tell people that I'm lucky that FinePrint loved me too and offered me a job as an assistant, because I am, but I also put in a lot of work. As an intern I was supposed to come in twice a week. But after a few weeks I started coming in three days, then four, and then five. I took a ton of work home with me. I got to the office early, I stayed late, I read any manuscript that needed to be read, no matter the genre, and I asked a lot of questions about what I could do better. Essentially I did everything I could to show how valuable I was and how passionately I wanted to work her. And it worked.


Magan:   I’ve read that you used to spend your summers writing when not teaching. Do you still write or do you plan on writing to be published aside from agenting?

ST:   Every once in a while, I think of a cool idea and write something down, but I had to face the tough truth that I'm a much better editor than a writer. I also think to be a writer, you have to really want to write. No matter how hard or how much you complain, you still have to wake up every day and feel driven or compelled to write. Otherwise, how do you get through the hard stuff. I just don't really have that. Sometimes I think, "oh that'd be cool" or "I could write that" but then I get bored and I'd just rather read something by someone who's better.


Magan:  Aside from agenting and writing, I’m sure that you’re also an avid reader. Is there anything that you’ve read recently (whether a client’s work or not) that you have loved? What drew you into that story?

ST:  I'm an insane reader. For a long time, I didn't know anyone who read quite as much as I do. Then I got into publishing and "found my people" but even still, I have sort of a book buying problem. For published books, right now I'm reading Twilight's Dawn by Anne Bishop, and I've heard this is her last book about the SaDiablo family from her Black Jewels Trilogy, and I'm loving it. The trilogy is by far my favorite of the nine books in that world, but this is definitely a really good read. I also just finished Courtney Summers' new book Fall for Anything (I loved her first two books: Cracked up to Be and Some Girls Are), and it's such a powerful grief story. I also finally read The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney which was amazing--such a powerful story, told in a new way. I read it straight through in one sitting. In terms of my clients, I recently re-read the fully edited, in book form, copy of A Brush of Darkness by Allison Pang, which is an amazing new adult urban fantasy that comes out January 25th. And I'm so excited for Dan Krokos' False Memory which comes out from Disney*Hyperion in summer 2012 (I know that's far away). But I just finished reading his first draft of the sequel and it kept me up until 4 am because I had to finish it before I put it down, and then I couldn't stop thinking about it and I couldn't fall asleep.


Magan:   Do you have any new client work that’s coming out that you are really excited about?

ST:   Always! I have five client books coming out in 2011. A Brush of Darkness is the first adult book I've worked with, and Allison is a fantastic writer. Hannah Moskowitz's second YA novel Invincible Summer comes out 4/19/2011 from Simon Pulse and it's about two brothers who fall in love--and sleep with--the same girl. The sequel to Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers, Original Sin, comes out 7/5/2011, and it's fantastic! And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky, the story of a 15 year old girl suffering through late onset chicken pox with only a typewriter and her well worn copy of The Bell Jar to keep her company, also comes out in July. And then Hannah's first middle grade novel, Zombie Tag comes out in the fall of 2011.


Magan:   If you could spend the day with any character (whether literary or from film or television) who would it be and why?

ST:   This is so hard! I definitely want to spend the day with Walter Bishop from Fringe because whatever he does is always a combination of brilliant and hilarious. I'd also want to spend the day with Caddy Compson from The Sound and the Fury simply because that demise of that whole family--thus the story--really revolves around her yet she's never actually a physical presence in the book. I always wanted to know more about her. Truthfully, though a lot of my favorite characters...I don't know if I'd really want to spend a day with them. I love reading about Katniss Everdeen, but I wouldn't make it a day in the Hunger Games.

Magan:  You’ve been closed to queries for awhile, but is there anything that you are really looking for in the slush pile? Is there anything that you don’t want to see? Have you become pickier since you’ve built up your client list?

ST:  I closed from 11/15 to 1/5 so that I could take time to catch up on everything in my inbox and devote more time to editing client manuscripts. I don't ever want to say I don't want to see something, but I can say I'm a little tired of YA paranormal. So much of it really feels the same as things I've already read. Same with dystopian YA. I'd love to read something different, but I just haven't seen much "different" lately. I would love to see YA thrillers or YA horror, something where the reader and the characters don't know if what's happening is paranormal or not. I'd also love to see more adult fiction--fantasy, urban fantasy, historical and paranormal romance. I'm definitely pickier now that I have 18 clients, simply because I don't have as much time as I used


Magan:   If your life were to be made into a movie who would you like to have be cast as you and what would your theme song be?

ST:  My life would be entirely too boring to be a movie.  (Note:  The Fangirl disagrees) And my soundtrack would have everything from Christina Aguilera to Eminem to Shinedown to The Used. It would be all over the place.




Magan:   Favorite book, movie, and TV show?

ST:  I love Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff, and the Kushiel series by Jacqueline Carey. Movies is tough because again I love so many, but some of my quick favorites are Inception, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Things Behind the Sun, The Shawshank Redemption, and my all time favorite is Lucky Number Slevin. My favorite TV show is easy. Fringe. It's the best written show on TV.


Magan:  Words to live by?

ST:  "This above all: To thine own self be true." Hamlet, I, iii

Fangirl Friday

Interview with new agent Weronika Janczuk

Weronika is a former freelance editing rockstar turned agenting rockstar. As of August 2010 she is the newest agent with D4E0 literary agency where she is still looking for that dream manuscript in the slushpile.  When not agenting she is currently working on a historical YA novel WHERE THE DOVES FLY and will be attending NYU this fall.  Weronika and I met on Twitter and I have been a huge fan of her professional attitude, willingness to help others, and just overall awesomesauceness!  If you would like more info about her you can check her out at www.weronikajanczuk.com.

Magan: Congrats Weronika on becoming an agent! How did you begin this all come about? What kind of training do you have?


Weronika: I began as an acquisitions intern at Flux, where I worked with Brian Farrey, in addition to a few editors at Llewellyn, the New Age non-fiction imprint. That internship has been the most defining experience of my career so far.

Soon thereafter, I began to work with Jenny Bent at The Bent Agency and Bob Diforio at D4EO; I also worked in different capacities for Kathleen Anderson at Anderson Literary Management, Mary Kole at Andrea Brown Literary Agency, and myself as an independent freelance editor.

Bob promoted me to associate agent at the end of July 2010 and I now work solely for D4EO. The jump up to agent came at the right time, as I was starting to look for different positions (as I’m moving to NYC at the end of August), and Bob and I both agreed that I could start handling my own clients while assisting with his submissions.


Magan: For anyone wanting to query you what are you looking for?

Weronika: I’ve never been a few-genre kind of person; it’s good writing that is the drug for me. As a result, I represent pretty much everything—single-title romance, women’s fiction, literary fiction, commercial fiction, thrillers/mysteries/crime fiction, horrors, fantasy/sci-fi, memoirs, and nearly every kind of commercial non-fiction.

Magan: What do your friends think of you being a teenager who already has your dream job?

Weronika: I don’t think any one of them understands how huge this is. They’re all happy for me, of course, but there’s a disjoint between their understanding of how the publishing industry runs and our—writers’—understanding of the industry. It’s hard sometimes because I have nothing to show for it, and I won’t for another few years, until the first of my clients’ books is published and I can show a physical copy.

Magan: Are you still going to be editing? Or have you put that aside? Will you edit for your clients?

Weronika: I am no longer available to work as a freelance editor since it creates a conflict of interest, in a way. I will, however, be completely an editorial agent. I can’t imagine submitting projects cold, without revisions and even rewrites. If anything, I’ve honed my editorial eye over these different jobs, and I plan on putting that eye to good use.

Magan: What is something that you definitely aren't looking for or something that you are seeing in queries that writers shoudl be aware of?

Weronika: I don’t want to see any YA unsolicited. I write YA, and I am friends with many YA writers, but please do not query me with a YA. My associate Mandy Hubbard is the MG/YA agent.

As for queries, I’ve seen a lot of long queries come through my inbox. In 98% of the cases, a very short and brief query letter would be sufficient. I will often not even read the query and skip instead to the ten pages that I request be attached with queries—it’s all about the actual writing.

Magan: What can you bring to new writers and why should they query you?

Weronika: -- I am a new agent, which means that I am very actively looking for new clients and have room on my roster to add additional writers.

-- I have a lot of energy, which means that writers can expect a lot from me in terms of editorial suggestions and submission rounds. This also means that I spend a lot of time reading about the industry and finding new venues of information. I will do whatever I can to get my writers book deals.

-- I know many editors, thanks to my internships, informational interviews, attended conferences, and networking. This immediately makes submissions easier for me.

-- I’m part of an agency with an incredible reputation and I work for someone with decades of experience in the industry. This means that we have a lot of power in terms of foreign and subsidiary rights, and this also means that all contractual negotiations are the absolute best.

-- I’m very picky, which means that if I offer you representation, you have an agent who completely adores your book and knows immediately where she will try to place it. I’ve always followed publishers and their imprints, and at the very least I have an understanding of why some books do better with some houses, etc.

Magan: How do you plan on balancing college, a career as an agent, and a social life?

Weronika: I plan to maintain a very small client list, first of all. I also have experience in handling different workloads; I graduated from high school working three different jobs without a problem, and now I have the opportunity to both work with clients I want to work with and to take the classes that I will enjoy the most. Immediately my workload is lighter.

Magan: You originally were going to pursue being a writer, are you still pursuing that or are you putting that aside for agenting?

Weronika: I still write—instead of handling four different internships and positions, I’m now handling one position, which still leaves me with a lot of time. Not much has changed.

Magan: Favorite book, movie, food?

Weronika: If I had to say one, my favorite book is THE SHADOW OF THE WIND by Carlos Ruis Zafon.

My favorite movie is a set of three, actually—the Oceans Trilogy.

As for food, lasagna from my favorite restaurant in the Twin Cities.

Magan: Famous last words?

Weronika: Go in search of your dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity.

(Thank you, Paulo Coelho.)

(Late) Teaser Tuesday

There are worse things in life than failing out of college- such as having your parents receive the letter that you�ve been kicked out.




Now to appease her parents, self-proclaimed sorority princess Libby Gentry is packing up her Prada bad and heading to work for her great aunt's newspaper in tiny Elsbury, Louisiana. She's pretty sure she can tackle the swamp and deal with her great aunt and tomboy of a little cousin, but what she doesn't know is if she can handle is the local town playboy Blaine Crabtree. Throughout the roller coaster ride of young love, Libby and Blaine take every twist and turn from a bar brawl with an ex, crazy co-workers with orthopedic shoes, jealous little cousins and run-ins with the law. Can their relationship survive Blaine's reluctance to say the L-word, and when he finally says it, it may be too late.
 
 
That would be your teaser for MY PAPER HEART.  Still on submission.  A rejection today did get me down, but I got to keep on going.  I talked to a friend today and she put it this way, "It's kind of like having a child.  I mean there is alot of work and sacrafice that goes into it, but in the end it's worth it."
 
Now granted I actually don't know if I can physically have children, but it does make sense.  MY PAPER HEART is like my first born.  I love this manuscript so freaking much that it's insane, and it truly does just take one agent to love it as much as I do.
 
I'm also freaking out because I forgot THE MOST IMPORTANT PART of a query the other day...the salutation.  Oh yeah the "Dear Ms. Agent."  I feel like a big doof.  I do have a little personalized blurb at the bottom, but ughhhhh.  I feel like I should send something and be like "Hey I'm sorry that I forgot that, I feel horrible."  We'll see when and if I do it.
 
In other news...I'm bummed about the rejection so I can't sleep and I need to sleep because work is busy.
 
Enjoy my teaser...give advice...find me an agent...
 
xoxo
The punching bag

Interview with Author/Agent: Mandy Hubbard

Mandy Hubbard is the author of Prada & Prejudice, You Wish, and five other to-be-published novels for teens. She is also a literary agent for D4EO Literary, where she represents authors of middle grade and teen fiction. She is currently living happily ever after with her husband and young daughter in Enumclaw, Washington.

Mrs. Vee:  In the NY times best seller "Prada & Predjiduce," you've created the character of Callie, who is headstrong with a knack for science. How did you come up with her character?

Mandy:  *Ahem*, P&P is most definitley not an NYT bestseller. That's still on the to do list. ;-)

(So...I went out and bought a few more copies and may be giving some away soon :)

Callie was a really, really hard character, actually-- I tried everything with her. The girl she is now is a product of many revision requests.

Mrs. Vee:  In your novels you have strong female protagonists that lead your stories. What came first the story or the characters and how did you come up with each?

Mandy:  The story/concept always comes first with me, and then I choose a character which will create the most conflict. For instance, with YOU WISH, I knew the story would be funny and flirty and goofy in an over the top, vaguely disney movie style way. So I created a character who could be the polar opposite of that-- dark, sarcastic, and cynical.

Mrs. Vee:  Besides your own lead female characters, who are your favorite literary character and what do you like about them?

Mandy:  I like strong, intense, but flawed characters. The heroine in GOING TOO FAR by Jennifer Echols is a good example.

Mrs. Vee:  How much of your own life experiences, and yourself, do you put into your novels? Is there any research that you had to do for your novels and how did you go about doing that research?

Mandy:  I put small aspects of my personality into my books, sure, but 99% of the character is fiction.

On research, P&P was very intensely research oriented. I watched movies, played on google, read books, etc. Remind me never to write a historical again!


Mrs. Vee:  How did the author/agent thing come about? Did you fall into it or how did you start agenting?

Mandy:  I became very involved with the submissions of my own work and eventually ended up scoring an internship with a great literary agency. The rest is history.


Mrs. Vee:  Is the world of agenting like mean girls with the newer agents being envious and fearful of older agents or is it more of a community in which you all help eachother out?

Mandy:  VERY community oriented! The veteran agents have been incredibly helpful for me. I had to call one up in the middle of an auction to find out how to handle an unusual situtation.

Mrs. Vee:  Why should aspiring authors, like Magan, query a newer agent, like you, and what are you really looking for in new authors?

Mandy:  Mary Kole, of Andrea Brown Literary, explained this far better than I could: http://kidlit.com/2010/06/02/newer-vs-established-agents/

As far as what I'm looking for? Spectacular writing.And authors who are willing to work hard and revise.

Mrs. Vee:  As an agent and author I'm sure that you have seen your fair share of rejections or had to dole them out. How do you deal with rejection and what is your advice for others on how to deal with it?

Mandy:  Everyone handles them differently, and you should do what works for you. As far as me, I just focused on the next thing-- firing off another query letter, working on a new project, etc.

Mrs. Vee:  Since we are all anxiously awaiting the release of YOU WISH, (comes out August 5th, four days after my birthday, just saying it would be a great gift,) what can you tell us about the novel? If you got to cast the character in a movie, who would you case in the leading roles? (This includes the Ken doll!)

Mandy:  I kind of think Zac Efron would be a hilarious Ken doll. And for Kayla, I'd love Emma Roberts. Maybe Taylor Momsen for Nicole, the bff. As for Ben? Not a clue. ;-)

Mrs. Vee:  You and I have talked before about our mutual love for Glee, Gossip Girl, and Simone Elkeles "A Perfect Chemistry." What attracts you to these shows and novel and is this something us writers should take note on?

Mandy:  For me, they're either heavily focused on romance, or its pure frothy fun. I love both. :-) Still dying to find that spectacular, intense romance in the slush pile, like Elkeles' PERFECT CHEMISTRY.


Mrs. Vee: Since I tend to get a little fan girl everytime that I talk to you, is there anyone you've talked to that you admit you get a little fan girl for?

Mandy:  Oh, sure, I am fangirly for a ton of authors, though they tend to be authors I actually know. Becuase when I love a book, I usually just email the author and talk to them. Love Jennifer Echols, Lauren Barnholdt, Elizabeth Scott.... I could go on.

Mrs. Vee:  Are you planning on doing any book tours or signings especially in the midwest? (Just saying I may know a writer who knows a good place for gelato and would love to meet you).

Mandy:  Hee, not any time soon! Maybe if my books do spectacularly well....

Mrs. Vee:  Favorite food, book, movie

Mandy:  Food: Pasta
Book: NO WAY can I say just one. We'll name of OF the many: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Movie: Empire Records

Mrs. Vee:   Any famous last words or advice?
Mandy:  A published author is an amateur who didn't quit. Don't quit.

For more information on Mandy as an author or an agent, check out her website http://www.mandyhubbard.com/

An Open Letter

This is an open letter to a certain agent (No names mentioned...i will not embarass her that much) as to the reasons why you want me as a client.


Dear Ms. Agent Majesty of the book universe,

As you know, (if you are reading this...are you reading this? Because if you are that would be SWEET!) My name is Magan and I wrote a book.

It's actually really funny. I think I'm kind of funny... I mean you did say that my first chapter made you laugh and that was something that you couldn't ignore. I do firmly believe that, as I have quoted in my book, "Humor and food can fix anything." Which I really believe that. I think if all the world leaders got together and had an Iron Chef competition we may be closer to World Peace. Okay actually that might not work. The Prime Minister from France would probably prepare some awesome French dish that everyone would be jealous of and then the Italian Prime Minster would get all angry because he would think that he had the best dish. Then it could could be WWIII. That would make a GREAT reality show though.

I literally just proved nothing to you there, except for the fact that I think about cooking and food alot. Which is why my book is AWESOME. I talk about food and actually have people eating. I even incorporated my own attempt to make prailines in the book. Which does lead to the next point that there is so much of ME in my book and writing. I read so much writing were there are unbelieveable characters and situations. No,no I dont' do that. I truly did get my heel stuck in the wooden plank floor of a pool hall and fall. It was not pretty.

Not only does my book contain bouts of humor, my love of food, and so much realness, BUT I'm also willing to put those all into action to promote it. My grandmother-in-law has agreed to teach me to make prailines (so I won't burn down the kitchen...again). I am willing to go to every book store in America and stand with a box of prailines in one hand and a copy of my book in the other. (I would TOTALLY buy the book if the author did that. Okay, no I may not. I would actually probably pick it up and then put it down somewhere else in the store while I ate the prailine.)

In short...I want you to want me...I need you to need me. Okay now I sound creepy. But I just want to say that that one bit of positive feedback made my WHOLE week. I was so happy I even went to the gym! It was like eating a whole box of Girl Scout cookies! A big chocolate/carmel happiness laced in an e-mail from an agent. I want to work with you. I want you to help me make this novel the best darn thing it can ever be and for you...I will promise to promote the heck out of it! I would offer you prailines...but they are picky little buggers and wont set in the right temp so they probably can't be mailed. I do make one heck of a Lasagna though...

Anywhooo....Enjoy...we'll see if you read this, but if you don't well I just kind of put out all my weird little quirks for my loyal 8 fans! WOOO GO LOYAL EIGHT FANS.