With me today is literary agent
and co-founder of The BookerAlbert Literary Agency, Jordy Albert . She was
gracious enough to answer some questions for us on writing and the type of
books that hook her.
My followers would like to get to know you better for stalking purposes. Tell us a little about yourself and what made you want to be an agent.
My followers would like to get to know you better for stalking purposes. Tell us a little about yourself and what made you want to be an agent.
I’ve
always loved to read, and I was interested in the publishing industry from an
early age.
What advice would you give aspiring authors?
What advice would you give aspiring authors?
Keep
writing! It might not happen with your first dozen projects, but I think
practice does make perfect and eventually it will happen. Also, READ. A LOT.
Especially in the genre you write. Join writing groups, get a Beta
reader/critique partner (group), enter pitch contests, and attend conferences.
What elements are MUST HAVES in a story you’d ask to see more of?
What elements are MUST HAVES in a story you’d ask to see more of?
Characters
that draw me in right away.
Besides basic grammatical errors and writers sending stories in genres you don’t represent, what are most common problems with the submissions you receive?
Besides basic grammatical errors and writers sending stories in genres you don’t represent, what are most common problems with the submissions you receive?
Many
submissions just don’t follow guidelines. For instance, we ask that you don’t
send attachments unless requested, or the author will just send sample pages
with no query. I also receive submissions that have no name or contact
information, and sometimes the author will just send a link to a website.
What’s on your wish list?
What’s on your wish list?
I am
such a sucker for historical romance (especially Regency). I’d also like to see
more realistic MG/YA…Oh! And contemporary, and sci-fi YA.
Okay, now for some fun questions to get to know you.
All time favorite villain – Voldemort.
Last book that made you cry – The Fault in Our Stars.
Guilty pleasure – French fries and chocolate shake, and binge watching Doctor Who/Sherlock when I have time.
Book you feel everyone must read that’s not from one of your clients? To Kill A Mockingbird.
Hobbies – Reading lol …knitting, trying to learn more French and Japanese.
Favorite place you’ve ever visited – Japan.
Thank you, Jordy, for taking the time to answer the questions.
Okay, now for some fun questions to get to know you.
All time favorite villain – Voldemort.
Last book that made you cry – The Fault in Our Stars.
Guilty pleasure – French fries and chocolate shake, and binge watching Doctor Who/Sherlock when I have time.
Book you feel everyone must read that’s not from one of your clients? To Kill A Mockingbird.
Hobbies – Reading lol …knitting, trying to learn more French and Japanese.
Favorite place you’ve ever visited – Japan.
Thank you, Jordy, for taking the time to answer the questions.
To learn more about Jordy Albert, follow her on Twitter or visit The Booker Albert Agency.
Querying without sending contact information seems like a big waste of time on everyone's part.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Japan for a while - yes, it rocks!
Nice to meet you, Jordy.
Yup and yup on the last book that made you cry. I was up at midnight wiping away the salty tears w/that one. =)
ReplyDeleteLeandra, I was too. I haven't seen the movie yet, because I know I'm going to cry when I do.
ReplyDeleteGood advice about writing writing writing and reading reading reading. I also cried at The Fault in Our Stars--book and movie!
ReplyDeleteJulie, a friend of mine, is signed with this agency. Not only does she love the personal service, but she admires how hard they work for her.
ReplyDeleteGotta love that :-)
Anna from Shout with Emaginette
Thanks for the advice. Haven't seen Stars yet, and probably won't. Sounds like I'd cry too much.
ReplyDeleteNice to 'meet' you both. Considering the importance of the submission process, it's amazing that we writers manage to miss so much.
ReplyDeleteEmagineete, Jordy is amazing, as is everyone at this agency.
ReplyDeleteKen, I'm waiting for it to come out on DVD so I can cry all I want.
Nice to meet you too J.L.
Querying without contact information!? Writer may have gotten dizzy from mass-querying.
ReplyDeleteYour agent is lovely, Cherie.