The Manuscript Academy #MSWL

We are so grateful to Emmy Nordstrom Higdon, agent at Westwood Creative Associates, who has offered to teach a free workshop for you all about the elements of querying—interest, emphasis, tension—that keep a busy agent reading in 2024.

Get your free ticket (or replay ticket!) here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/emmy

The event is Tuesday, May 7, 8:30pm ET—and comes with a replay, in case you can’t make it live.

This workshop is appropriate for all experience levels—whether it’s your first query or your 100th draft, come for the 101 basics, the checklists, the how-to’s—and leave with a real understanding of how you can use these skills to give an agent a 360 “I can’t wait to read more” reading experience.

Emmy (they/them) represents across age categories + genres, specializing in identity-driven works. They work in both fiction and non-fiction, from PB to adult, including commercial, upmarket, book club & literary. They specialize in contemporary books grounded in reality, with and without speculative elements. Mystery, thriller, suspense, romance, romcom, women’s fiction, LGBTQ2S+, magical realism, fabulism, horror, graphic, narrative non-fiction, true crime, religion + spirituality, humanities + science.

We are thrilled to introduce Ali McLafferty, author, teacher, and most recent winner of the as-yet-untitled (Manuscript) Academy Awards.

Ali was nominated by agent Melissa Edwards (Stonesong Literary) for this gorgeous fantasy novel that brings up a lot of issues in our world as well.

We discuss how she polished her query, how many drafts she did of her first page--and what she learned along the way.

Learn more about Ali at https://www.alimclafferty.com/.

Full transcript at https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-ali-mclafferty

TIMESTAMPS:
Feedback on Allie's query letter and first page (00:10:09) Julie and Jessica provide feedback on Allie's query letter and first page, discussing its strengths and areas for improvement.

Allie's revision process for the query letter (00:15:24) Allie discusses her process of revising the query letter, including feedback from friends and an editor, and the changes she made.

The query letter (00:20:22) Discussion on the effectiveness of the query letter's opening and structure, focusing on the emotional impact and the feedback received.

First page of the manuscript (00:21:44) Analysis and feedback on the opening page of the manuscript, highlighting its grounding effect and the portrayal of the character and setting.

Writing process and first draft (00:24:04) Discussion about the unique experience of the book's creation, the absence of significant revisions, and the influence of personal connection and understanding of the material on the first draft.

Genre and target audience (00:35:28) Challenges in defining the genre and target audience for the book, particularly in conveying the blend of fantasy and imagined scientific systems, and the potential for pitching to adult audiences.

Rejection and perseverance (00:34:15) Acknowledgment of the emotional impact of rejections and the importance of perseverance, as well as the advice on finding rewards in the process and maintaining determination.

Pitching and query letter adjustments (00:38:05) Consideration of pitching the book as adult fantasy and the potential adjustments for the query letter to cater to an adult audience without compromising the narrative drive.

Author's website and future queries (00:39:25)

Advice for Writers (00:41:49) Allie shares her advice for aspiring writers, emphasizing the joy of writing and the importance of perseverance.

Touching Moments (00:44:03) Allie recounts a touching moment when her husband was moved by a part of her first book, emphasizing the impact of writing on loved ones.

We love this creativity-packed episode with Melissa Vogan (née Melissa Warten), former editor at Macmillan, current editor at Epic For Kids.

We discuss:
*“Just enough” art notes - and how they’re useful for every genre
*How you can guide the focus of your reader through sensory language
*How to get to the heart of your story
*How to disagree with an editor or agent's feedback
*How to create your first visual work after writing only text-based projects

And much more!

Transcript and timestamps here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-melissa-vogan

Book a consultation with Melissa here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/melissa-warten

Melissa Vogan (Warten) is an editor at Epic for Kids, the leading digital reading platform for children, where she works on IP comics development projects for readers ages 12 and under, including the smash hit series Cat Ninja. Prior to Epic, she spent more than five years on the editorial team at Farrar Straus Giroux Books working on picture books, middle grade, young adult, and select nonfiction and graphic novel projects.

Her notable editorial work includes the popular Cat Ninja and Bright Family franchises, New York Times bestselling titles We Hunt the Flame and We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal, and award-winning titles by Maurene Goo, Barbara O’Connor, Sarah Allen, Hanif Abdurraqib, Tegan and Sara Quin, and Tillie Walden. Melissa is a graduate of Boston College and the Columbia Publishing Course. Find her on Twitter: @melissa_warten

You may remember Julia Alexandra from our episode in the fall when we went over three query versions with her (good, better, best): Well, she now has an agent! Ellen Goff (HG Literary) joins us with Julia to discuss balancing plot, character, and world--if your fantasy novel will hold up without your fantasy elements, which we're now calling "The Goff Test"--and how you can optimize your queries for your most likely success.

Julia now not only has an agent but a book deal as well!

Listen to her earlier episode here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-julia-alexandra

Learn more about Ellen here: https://www.hgliterary.com/ellen

If you've ever had trouble with point of view in your work, wait until you hear the advanced logistical world author Nia Davenport had to navigate for her new novel, Out of Body, which she pitches as Freaky Friday meets Get Out.

Not only does she have best friends, crushes, confused parents, and a villain on the loose--but she weaves it all into a story of identity, personal growth, and becoming an adult in a world where adults can't be trusted.

This is a great work to study if you're struggling in any of these areas--plus, it's FUN. It's a new twist on something familiar, that formula so many in publishing love.

Full transcript here: http://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-nia-davenport

Learn more about Nia here: https://www.nedavenport.com

TIMESTAMPS:

**Character development and world-building (00:03:29)**
Nia explains how she visualizes her character's journey and the unfolding of the plot like watching a movie.

**Creating mystery in the opening chapter (00:06:12)**
Nia discusses the decision to keep the first chapter mysterious and how it sets the tone for the story.

**Maintaining character voice in different bodies (00:07:39)**
Nia talks about the challenge of maintaining the character's voice regardless of the body she is in.

**Nia's publishing journey (00:10:25)**
Nia shares her journey from teaching to becoming a writer and the process of finding her agent, Caitie Flum.

**Advice for aspiring writers (00:17:54)**
Nia advises writers to breathe, take it slow, and keep perfecting their craft, emphasizing the importance of perseverance.

**Developing character relationships (00:19:18)**
Nia explains the power dynamic and genuine friendship between the characters Megan and Elsie.

**Magic and Technology in the Story (00:22:54)**
Nia discusses the use of magic and technology in her book, playing with the reader's perception.

**Empathy and Societal Conversations (00:27:22)**
Nia discusses the current generation's ability to have conversations about socio-emotional health and empathy.

**Tension and Gaslighting (00:34:20)**
Nia discusses the theme of gaslighting and the decision to leave the protagonist feeling isolated for a significant portion of the book.

**Testing Safety and Vulnerability (00:36:33)**
The protagonist's actions to test the safety of the people around her and the vulnerability of teenagers.

**Identity, Race, and Kindness (00:39:09)**
Nia talks about the theme of identity, race, and the importance of choosing kindness and compassion.

**Writing Difficult Subjects (00:41:18)**
Nia advises writers to write what they love and are passionate about, rather than trying to fit into trends.

**Inclusivity in Publishing (00:43:33)**
Nia encourages writers to find a supportive writing community and emphasizes the importance of diverse voices in traditional publishing.

Tennessee, 1960. One extraordinary team of women--and the first all-Black women’s track team--found glory at the Olympic games in Rome. Here in America, their success was "an impossible dream come true."

Now, author Aime Alley Card tells us her personal connection to the team, how she did her astonishing amount of research, and how she found agent Leticia Gomez to represent the work, now available from Lyons Press: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-tigerbelles-the-american-team-that-changed-the-face-of-women-s-sports-aime-alley-card/18574403?ean=9781493073887

Learn more about Aime here: https://www.aimecard.com
Learn more about Leticia here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/leticia-gomez

Episode transcript here: http://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-leticia-gomez-aime-alley-card