Tag Archives: agents

What I Want Querying Writers To Know. On Finding a Literary Agent

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My journey to become Catherine Yardley, author, was a tough one. It’s a known fact that writing is hard. Yes, the actual writing part can be tedious, but those who decide to go the traditional route quickly find out that writing the book was the easy part. The next part is getting a literary agent. The gatekeeper to a publishing deal. Finishing a book is a huge accomplishment in itself. When so much work goes into something, you want it to pay off. I had previously written non-fiction, and when the time came to try and get it published, I bought a copy of The Writer’s and Artist’s Yearbook.
It’s embarrassing to admit now, but I thought the whole get-an-agent-thing seemed exhausting. I was already exhausted from writing the bloody book! So I did a ton of research and went straight to publishers. Even more shockingly, all the editors replied, and the book went to acquisitions. Everyone was so nice and supportive. This was in 2013. You would probably get blacklisted emailing your book to editors nowadays.
I first queried my first fiction book, Ember, in 2020. It was a turbulent time in everyone’s life, and I wanted something good to happen. Yet I did not think for one second I would get an agent. Every rejection was confirmation of my belief that the book wasn’t good enough. This was just my first novel, I told myself. I will write more and query them too. In fact, I had two books: Ember and Where The Light is Hottest. I didn’t think the latter was ready yet. It took me six years to write both books simultaneously. I recommend having more than one book because an agent might like your writing but not the book you are querying. So, the first time was hard, but I wasn’t expecting success. 2020 was an incredibly traumatic year for me, and I was just trying to survive. In the end, I got two full requests from agents, signed with an agent, and also got offered two book deals. All good. Ember came out in March 2022 and did well. My agent was lovely, but we ended up parting ways.
Which brings me to what I want every querying writer to know: other than losing a loved one or a traumatic event, querying was the worst thing for my mental health. The constant rejections, the full requests that might lead to all of your dreams coming true. It’s a rollercoaster of pain and elation. I got a full request immediately. Then another. Still, it took an entire year for me to sign with a new agent. I was relentless. For every rejection, I send another three queries out. I want writers to understand the physical and emotional toll querying takes on you. It is a hard thing to go through. I believe querying is harder than ever. Publishing is slow at the moment, so agents are being cautious about what they take on. The day I cancelled my premium querytracker subscription (a site with all of the agents on which lets you directly submit to them) was a brilliant one. Take care of yourself. Join up with other querying writers. Take regular mental health breaks. Know that it can happen at any moment. It only takes one yes. More than anything, know that going after your dreams is hard and you are brave.

Keep at it. You will get there too. Just keep writing those books.


Where The Light is Hottest came out end of February and I Ember is also available here.

Think Dirty App Tells You How Toxic Your Cosmetics Are

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It is no secret that the bees are dying because of pesticide abuse and that all of the toxic chemicals they put in our toothpaste and make up are affecting our health. The madness of the world is that if we don’t want nasty pesticides on our fruit and veg then we have to pay more for the organic stuff.

thinkdirtyapp

This is why we have a new favourite app: Think Dirty.  This is what they say:

Think Dirty® app is the easiest way to learn about the potentially toxic ingredients in your cosmetics and personal care products. It’s an independent source that allows you to compare products as you shop. Just scan the product barcode and Think Dirty will give you easy-to-understand info on the product, its ingredients, and cleaner options.

 

This is a free app that will let you know if your products contain potentially toxic chemicals like BHA / BHT, PEGs, formaldehyde releasing agents, siloxanes, sulfates, petrochemicals, parabens, phthalates, fragrance/parfum and non-biodegradable ingredients

 

We love it and think that you will too. Get the free app on iTunes here.

 

 

How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur Book Review

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The daughter of a friend of mine is in her second year at drama school. She’s good: can sing, can dance, can act – particularly in comedy. So, she has it all? Trouble is, so do so many of the rest of her year group. And so do all of those other aspiring actors in all those drama schools across the country. She’s beginning to ask how she can show she’s different, that she deserves to be remembered from one audition to the next. How she can avoid annoying someone whose off hand influence can close as well as open doors for her?

howtobeasuccessful_actor_book become How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an ActorpreneurI’m going to give her a copy of this book. It may be the single most useful thing I ever do for her. How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur by Catherine Balavage is one of those practical, down-to-earth guides which doesn’t try to hide the obstacles and difficulties of choosing an actor’s life but does give solid and sensible, practical, advice on making the best impression and avoiding the worst pitfalls. Equally valuably, Balavage makes suggestions for networking, for working with others to help each other through teamwork (e.g. helping film each other’s showreels), working for nothing except getting your name out there, remembering names, and never, never, never forgetting to say thank you – even when you don’t land the part. She is upfront about the chances of success in acting: ‘Only act if you cannot do anything else. It is the hardest and most competitive industry you can go into. Your chances of success at making a full-time living for the rest of your life are small.’ And then she offers clear and straightforward, practical advice about how to shift the odds just slightly in your favour.

 

This book seems, at first glance, rather plain, with no images and most chapters simply divided into paragraphs with explanatory headings, or questions followed by responses. I like this format. It’s no-frills and underlines the fact that this is a handbook. A ready reference tool which will be highlighted and annotated by anyone who uses it regularly. The pages of useful contacts and Top Tips are invaluable. I also liked the interviews with others in the profession: the replies to questions overlap with each other in ways which reinforce what Balavage has already said. This reinforces my conviction that this author really is writing from experience and passing on advice distilled from her own hard work. Which I really hope my young friend will take.

 

[Editorial note: Catherine Balavage is an editor of this magazine]