Coffey. Tea. And Literary.

Tempest frenzy!

2012-01-25T10:03:00.003-05:00

Have you guys heard of this book by Julie Cross that just came out last week? It's called TEMPEST, and it's the first of a series, and DUDE...it has time travel. You can buy this at B&N, Amazon, or through IndieBound. So yeah, if you haven't heard of it, GET IT NOW. Here's the description: The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a

A New Blog to Follow + a Fight to the Death

2012-01-17T07:14:00.000-05:00

For those of you who haven't heart about Pub Crawl yet, it's a group blog that has contributors from all walks of publishing life. We've got yet-to-be-published writers, published authors, assistants to bigwigs, agents, and even a bookseller! (I am one of said agents.) The group blog was created to talk writing, talk books, talk stories, and we just launched in the new year. To kick off, all of

New Things, but first....

2012-01-10T11:47:00.001-05:00

Beautiful Things

2011-12-19T15:00:00.000-05:00

Many of you may not know this about me, but I love pretty things. Beautiful things. Stunning things. It's not a materialistic thing at all. It's about the art of it. One of my favorite shows on TV was/is Project Runway (though I've been bad at keeping up the last 2 seasons). Put all of the cattiness aside, and you have real, talented, creative people, working hard to create beautiful things

Poor Query Trend

2011-12-17T11:03:00.006-05:00

We had a brief sitdown this week to discuss queries/submissions, and Nancy brought up something that really bothered her. It's something that I have been noticing over the last year, and it's gotten increasingly worse.People are not proofreading their e-queries. In some cases worse than others. But I can't tell you how many times we see spelling errors (note: most email programs have a

Deadlines

2011-12-15T04:08:00.008-05:00

Deadlines are tough. Deadlines are inevitable. They loom there, in the distance, and grow closer and closer as the days tick by. Most authors and illustrators I know don't write/illustrate full time, and even the ones that do have other things on their plate, like, I don't know...family? Friends? PTA? Church? Dr. Who? Whatever it is, these other aspects of life are important, and are often

Caught up on Queries

2011-11-27T23:53:00.001-05:00

I'm caught up on queries as of 9pm tonight--and I'm still requesting up until Thursday!

Joanna Is Closing to Queries

2011-11-23T00:24:00.004-05:00

Dear Writers, I am officially closing to submissions as of next Thursday, December 1, 2011, and I won't be re-opening until late spring.If I have your manuscript or partial currently, I am still considering your submission and will respond to you personally when I have finished reading.This was a difficult decision, but ultimately, I would like to focus on my clients and developing the projects

Pretty Things....

2011-11-22T07:38:00.005-05:00

Buy this at B&N, Indie Bound or Amazon. Pre-order this at B&N or Amazon.Pre-order this at Amazon.Read Susan's awesomely informative blog for writers here.

We're Back!

2011-11-20T22:52:00.003-05:00

Hi All, So. We were waiting a bit to make sure the query email was working consistently (because at first when it was *supposedly* fixed, it was not). And now...it is!Our query email address is officially working. It's been tested. Many times. w00tz.Now. If you have received an Auto-Response, that means we've seen it (or are going to read it shortly).If you have sent a query in the past 3

QUERY EMAIL DOWN

2011-11-02T18:39:00.000-04:00

Hi All, So we have had the unfortunate experience this week of dealing with Gmail claiming that we are spammers - UGH. At the moment, both our query(at)nancycoffeyliterary(dot)com address, and Suzie Townsend's email address are down. They are receiving emails, but we are unable to send anything out. Hopefully we'll have an update soon!

The To Do List

2011-10-01T14:48:00.000-04:00

I was just catching up on some fun client blog reading, when I came across this post by Lynne Kelly on her blog Making Stuff Up and Writing It Down. If you have trouble with organization in this crazy ride we call life, Lynne offers some sage advice. She also links to some other posts that can be helpful. The thing is, most people need some type of system, right? I think it's safe to say

Things that make me happy.....

2011-09-13T09:40:00.001-04:00

Cookies AND some of my favorite book characters..... The lovely Susan Prunty made these cookie versions of Zachary Ruthless and his henchmen Newt. How cool are they?? Read more about her fiction-to-cookie-making adventures on her blog here.

Awesome Agency News

2011-09-06T12:51:00.002-04:00

Happy post-Labor Day madness, everyone! I don't know if you know this, but after Labor Day starts one of publishing's Busy Seasons. Lots of subbing projects to editors, lots of networking events, lots of submissions received (though, this is kind of all the time), lots of meetings with foreign publishers pre-Frankfurt Book Fair, etc. etc. And usually, there are also a number of books coming out

One Hawt Book Trailer

2011-09-03T12:34:00.000-04:00

Buy SHUT OUT at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or IndieBound now! And there is an awesome audio version performed by Kate Reinders, too!

In the Editorial Cave....

2011-08-15T13:18:00.000-04:00

Hello Lovely Readers, August is a busy month of work, work, work on client manuscripts to submit to editors post-Labor Day, and to catch up on submissions. So. If we seem quiet here at Nancy Coffey Literary & Media, it is because we're in the Editorial Cave. Just behind that rock with the lichens is the entrance to our editing space. Nancy's is off to the right. The front of the cave is

Roaring Twenties

2011-08-08T12:57:00.004-04:00

Kody Keplinger, author of THE DUFF and the soon to be released SHUT OUT, turns twenty today! To celebrate, we wanted to share some awesome moments from our twenties. Kathleen: So way back when I was an intern, I had the super awesome experience of being in the office when Joanna closed a deal. The deal was for a book called THE DUFF. I hadn't been around to read it, but I was still super

The Life of an English Major

2011-08-08T12:00:00.000-04:00

This is EXACTLY what it's like.

MOMMIES, GOD & A REAL HOUSEWIFE OF NEW JERSEY

2011-08-05T16:22:00.000-04:00

How a thirty minute social media marketing consultation with Joanna and Kathleen led me from ‘like’ to ‘love’. I’ll admit it. I want to be liked. ‘Like’ in the facebook sense of the word, of course. But not just for validation. Because I’ve experienced the Power of Like. Actually, if it weren’t for social media, my project, Boy Sees Hearts wouldn’t exist. My heart collecting mission started a

Boy Sees Hearts Contest!

2011-08-02T10:00:00.000-04:00

We are super excited to share with you agency client Eric Telchin's Boy Sees Heart contest!While hosting a party at his home in 2009, Eric spilled chocolate ice cream on his kitchen counter. He noticed that the puddle formed the shape of a heart and he grabbed his iPhone to snap a picture. Since then, Eric has seen thousands of hearts in the unlikeliest places, on everything from egg yolks to

A Writer's Guide to Comic Con

2011-07-28T00:26:00.000-04:00

Hello All! I'm back from Comic Con, and it was tons of fun. But really? It's boring if I talk about Comic Con. Better to hear from one of our lovely clients, who can describe it much better than me (writer and all). Merrie Destefano is the talented author behind FEAST and AFTERLIFE. You can read more about these books and buy them here. You can also read more about Merrie at her website.

Ooo! Pretty Thing!

2011-07-19T21:20:00.000-04:00

Off to Comic Con tomorrow! Here's something pretty to look at while I'm gone: Read more about this here.

Ladies and Gents, meet Kaki Warner

2011-07-18T05:46:00.000-04:00

I don't know if you all know this yet, but the wonderfully, talented author Kaki Warner recently won the 2011 RITA award for Best First Novel. PIECES OF SKY is a fantastic read, and I talked about finding it in the slush pile here. Well, Kaki decided to stop by to share her thoughts about winning and how she stays grounded. Kaki...it's all yours. Jo We all have those moments. Moments when

A RITA is born!

2011-07-11T16:23:00.000-04:00

Kaki Warner's PIECES OF SKY won the 2011 RITA Award for Best First Book. Are we excited? You bet! Surprised? Not at all. Joanna has told me several times how she felt when she first found Kaki's query, and then when she read the manuscript: "I remember reading the query--it made me laugh. Kaki is so good at having you on the edge of your seat, then crying the next minute, then laughing in the

Book Trailers Work!

2011-07-09T10:32:00.000-04:00

This book trailer made me buy this graphic novel. I can't wait until it get here! *eyes mailbox longingly* If you are equally as intrigued by Anya's Ghost, you should buy it, too! And check out the author's blog here. IndieBound Barnes & Noble Amazon

Favorite Things

2011-07-07T14:39:00.000-04:00

Do you guys read Hark! A Vagrant by the awesomely talented Kate Beaton? Her comics frequently feature historical and literary figures, and today, I wanted to share one of my favorites, featuring two of my favorite things: Watson and jam.Poor Watson. He's gotten poorly misrepresented over the years.

Brilliant Response to the WSJ Article

2011-07-05T12:02:00.000-04:00

Professor of Literature and YA writer, Loretta Nyhan has responded in the International Business Times to Meghan Cox Gurdon's two articles in the Wall Street Journal about Young Adult books. Read it here.

The Speed Limit on Story Telling

2011-07-04T13:34:00.000-04:00

I normally would make a confession on Confessions from Suite 500, but I'm working on a new First Page Shooter for that blog today. In fact, after you read this, you should go check it out! So here is my confession: I am not a fast reader. I know, I know! I work in publishing. I work with some of the speediest speed readers I've ever seen. But I'm just not that fast. And I've never

And Guess What Else!

2011-06-29T14:38:00.001-04:00

Thea Devine's latest, THE DARKEST HEART, has hit shelves!Ever since a terrible fire killed her older son, one ambition has ruled Countess Lazlaric. Desperate to continue the family legacy, she is determined that her rakehell second son wed and produce an heir. Now, she's found the perfect bride. A distant relative, writing to beg for help, is ideal for her secret plans. Alone in the world,

GUESS WHAT

2011-06-28T15:38:00.000-04:00

Today is Pub Day for the fabulous Erica O'Rourke. Erica's debut novel, TORN, is out on the shelves!So. Here are a few things you can do:1. Go tell Erica CONGRATS.2. Buy the book from Amazon, IndieBound, Barnes and Noble, or Borders.3. When you've finished reading the book, go to Kathleen's blog, and tell her which team you're on. I'm over there doing battle in the comments section.Everyone has

When you have been rejected...

2011-06-15T17:25:00.000-04:00

....please DON'T resend your same query over and over. We have passed. Case closed. ....please DON'T tell us off and curse our names. At least not in a Reply email to us. It just puts you on our black list. ...please DON'T send the same query with a different title. More often than not, we remember. And it's annoying. Now, when your query has been rejected... ...please DO give yourself

Jaime's BRAND NEW web site!

2011-06-09T11:30:00.000-04:00

Woohoo!Jaime Reed, author of LIVING VIOLET (Dafina Books (Kensington) / January '12), book one of THE CAMBION CHRONICLES, has a brand new web site up and running!I also love her comics involving characters from the series. ^Check out the fabulous graphics! She's so talented both with words and visuals!~K

Hallo and Some Blogs

2011-06-06T17:05:00.000-04:00

*waves to blog followers*Hello! I'm the new addition here at NCLA :) I won't go into my history, because if you follow me on Twitter or my blog, you'll know where I'm from, what I do and the awesomeness that happens here in the office.See? Awesomeness ------------------------------------>(ok...so I don't have any updated pictures of awesomeness...clearly this will have to be fixed asap)Anyway,

Share this with a Wee One you know!

2011-05-14T22:20:00.003-04:00

Shelley Moore Thomas is also known as The Storyqueen--check out her blog! I love when her dog interrupts, but Shelley holds it together like a champ...or a, uh Queen. Enjoy!

# 6

2011-05-14T21:21:00.000-04:00

No one says it better than Veronica herself, but hitting the New York Times list in the first week is wonderful, exciting and very, very well-deserved for this book and author. Congratulations!! Image Courtesy of Brooks Sherman

We Have a Winner!

2011-05-13T15:10:00.000-04:00

We have a winner for our Zachary Ruthless Body Guard contest! Sheila JG and her sidekick will no doubt provide ample protection for future hostile takeovers! And in order to best prepare these new body guards, I am sending them a copy of Zachary Ruthless--read it, take notes. And just for some weekend fun...here's some advice for writing children's books from Strong Bad:

Gorgeous Covers - Upcoming titles

2011-05-09T09:30:00.000-04:00

I'll admit. I'm a sucker for covers. When I go into a bookstore, what catches my eyes first is always a good cover. Now that I work in publishing, I look past the covers a little bit more than I used to. I pick up books I wouldn't have picked up before. I spend more time reading the backs and the first pages than ever. I know how many different factors are taken into account when designing

Help Write Now

2011-05-05T15:36:00.000-04:00

I'm sure many of you have already heard of Help Write Now, a project being spear-headed by the amazing Kate Hart.If you haven't, here's what you should know: following the devastating April 2011 Southern storms, writers like Kate Hart and NCLiterary's own Kody Keplinger got together to find a way to help with relief efforts. Help Write Now has made available for auction bidding: query critiques,

My Rotten Book Signing (Guest Post: Allan Woodrow)

2011-05-02T07:56:00.000-04:00

What if you throw a party and no one comes? I think everyone has that fear, whether you’re throwing a keg party in the backyard or doing a book signing. I kept imagining reading from my book, The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless, with two or three employees of Barnes and Noble watching to be polite. One of them claps to make me feel better. The sound echoes through the empty store. In the

Super Villain Zachary Ruthless - Evil Takeover.....

2011-04-25T09:50:00.000-04:00

I don't have much time as I'm typing this message from under my desk. Our blog is in serious danger of being taken over. There is a villain--no, a SUPER villain named Zachary Ruthless...if you haven't heard of him yet, be sure to remember that name because your blog could be next! Have you seen this face? Have you noticed any zombie lasers lying around in your neighborhood? One or both of

The Hiatus

2011-03-13T16:36:00.000-04:00

Hello All! So we've been kinda busy. Like busy busy. And busy is always good. Most of our time has been filled with things like revisions (ongoing), projects on submission, books being sold, contracts being negotiated, film deals being closed, foreign deals being translated (ha--not exactly), queries/manuscripts being read, meetings being met (teehee, okay now I'm just getting silly) and all

Some New Books to Drool Over

2011-03-06T18:57:00.000-05:00

Bennett Stern--need I say more? See the book trailer for Deception (Book One) here. And buy it at Amazon, B&N, or IndieBound. Love. This. Book. Lisa & Laura Roecker write about kickass heroines at First Novels Club--read it here! And buy it at Amazon, B&N, or IndieBound.

The Haunting Emma Book Trailer

2011-02-23T11:04:00.000-05:00

The second book in the Haunting Emma series, Betrayal, is coming out on MARCH 1ST! We're so excited, and to celebrate, we have the launch of the Deception book trailer, the first book in the series. It's gorgeous, it's creepy--we couldn't love it more. Tell us what you think! And then head over to author Lee Nichols' blog, where she not only has the book trailer up, but also some VERY cool

2011-02-22T08:42:00.000-05:00

If you haven't seen Mark Tatulli's Lio comic yet, check it out (and his other work) here. It's no secret that I have a morbid sense of humor, especially when it comes to all things undead. And a friend of mine got me hooked on Tatulli, and now I am happy to pass this addiction on to you, dear followers. Happy Hunting.

Don't do this in your book

2011-02-16T09:47:00.001-05:00

This is how NOT to start with action.

New, new, new!

2011-02-08T09:47:00.000-05:00

I like new things. They're shiny. And fun. And untapped. And one of the best things about NEW things, is sharing them with others. So I have a few things NEW I'd like to share with you: Here's a new blog to read and follow for any fan of sci-fi, fantasy, urban fantasy or paranormal: Magic & Mayhem. This blog is co-run by one of our lovely clients, Sandy Williams, whose book The Shadow Reader

#ZombieVirus2011

2011-02-06T12:45:00.000-05:00

Warning! Warning! Even reading this post might be considered enough contact for you to become infected. Are you experiencing any of these symptoms? nauseaheadachefeverdeliriumaches & painsdehydrationcoughing up bloodcraving very rare meat Do you feel a little...ya know...like this? Then it's possible you have #ZombieVirus2011--the nastiest virus to hit human kind since the Plague. This

The Pie Post

2011-02-02T14:57:00.001-05:00

New York has gotten so much snow and ice that walking on the sidewalk today was only possible with ice skates. Which I actually saw someone doing. Uh, I was too stunned to think to take a picture of this, but I DID take a picture of some plants outside my apartment. It's like they've been fossilized.So, okay, the storm Chicago had yesterday might make us look like wusses, but still. We're cold.

DIVERGENT Contest Results!

2011-01-25T10:46:00.001-05:00

This was veeeery interesting, guys. Joanna and I were awed by the amount of time and consideration you all put into answering, And with all comments tallied, here are the results:Kindess came in first with 9 votes.Intelligence and Honesty were tied with 6 votes each.Bravery got 4 votes.Selflessness got 3 votes.Interesting. Very, very interesting. Though you're going to have to read DIVERGENT to

Contest for DIVERGENT

2011-01-19T14:49:00.000-05:00

***So, um, for some reason this blog post went up all sorts of messed up--part of my post was missing (the part after The Call), and the author interview was HUGE? Something I'm still not able to fix--if anyone has a suggestion, I'm all ears! Apparently I'm having blogging issues. All should be fixed now! And...what are you waiting for? Enter the contest!!*** So we have this book coming out

Check out these new blogs!

2011-01-17T17:47:00.000-05:00

I received a lovely email last week from a library science student/avid reader who informed me that she had reviewed Karen Schwabach's THE STORM BEFORE ATLANTA on her blog. Not only was it a wonderful and thoughtful review, but I so appreciated her making sure that we saw it! So in a small thanks, I'd like to introduce YOU, dear readers, to The Fourth Musketeer (love her blog name, too). There

Good News and Winner!

2011-01-12T09:59:00.000-05:00

Hey guys, Starting off the new year has been rocky. First, I had the flu--woohoo. Then I had to contend with THE APOCALYPSE THAT HAD HIT MY INBOX. Seriously. So. Many. Emails. And that was not including queries. I don't want to even go there (beginning of a new year there is always a tidal wave of submissions). And now we have a snow day, which would normally be awesome!awesome!awesome!

Start the New Year with 2 fabulous books!

2011-01-04T11:47:00.000-05:00

Nancy Coffey Literary knows how to start the New Year off in literary style. Check out 2 of our latest titles (both historical!), the first about the Civil War (book for young readers), and the second the conclusion to a thrilling and romantic historical family saga.At a time when most people have grown weary of the war between the states, two young children are desperate to find their way to

We Be Book Pimpin' & Epic Battles

2010-12-22T08:31:00.001-05:00

What up, Readazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz???Book Pimp hereto bring in the New Year....What, whaaaaat!!First I gotta thank all my client peeps, you know who you are.Then there's SKay-dawg. Couldn't make it through the day without you.Can't forget my home girlz KOrtizzle, Suzalicious, and Meradonkulous--don't stop the beatz, yo.Big shout out to Big Mama Coffey...now that's a lady who knows her stuff.And

Fantastic Marketing Advice for Authors!

2010-12-21T09:08:00.000-05:00

Have you guys heard of the Kid Lit Authors Club yet? One of their members, Nancy Viau, stopped by to give us the skinny on forming this wonderful group and marketing books.CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHORS TAKE ON TRUMPI’m a big fan of the show The Apprentice. I like watching

I'm in love....

2010-12-18T09:10:00.001-05:00

...with a new picture book called SQUARE CAT by Elizabeth Schoonmaker (Aladdin, Jan 2011).The square cat in this book is named Eula, and she even has a blog. Seriously--check it out.

Conversations of the Week: How the Brain Functions Immediately Before Holidays

2010-12-16T16:04:00.001-05:00

Nancy: Wow, it's already dark outside.Joanna: *staring at her computer screen* What is dark?N: Well. Dark is when it gets all black outside and we make fires.J: Wha--? OH. Dark. Nighttime. Got it.N: I think it's time for a break.*Two days later*N: Why do you have ink all over you?J: I needed to write a few things down, but I couldn't find any paper, so I just used my hand. And my arm.S: Ha, I

Big Fan of Change

2010-12-14T08:34:00.001-05:00

Everyone in my family called my great grandmother Ella a gypsy. In this case, not in the literal sense--it's just that she moved around a lot. A LOT. In fact, there is one story that everyone likes to tell about how my great grandfather left for work one morning from his house, only to return that evening to find a note on the door that said:"Moved today. You can find us at _ _ _ Carl Street.

Do your research!

2010-12-10T06:01:00.000-05:00

I don't know what is in the water these days, but in the past two weeks we have gotten more queries for genres that we DON'T work on and ARE NOT looking for than ever before. Nancy more so than I, since her taste is more specific.Why is anyone sending Nancy paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi, mysteries, cozies, picture books, etc?This is what is says on our website under Nancy's profile:As an agent, I

Queries That Work

2010-12-08T15:31:00.000-05:00

Susan Dennard recently discussed her query process on her blog, and we thought we'd add our two cents in here! We loved her query for THE SPIRIT-HUNTERS. Here's the original: I read in an interview that you seek strong female leads as well as steampunk. As such, I thought you might enjoy my 90,000 word young adult novel, THE SPIRIT-HUNTERS. After her brother is kidnapped, Eleanor

And more fantastic news!

2010-12-03T14:18:00.000-05:00

So remember this post, where we shared the cover of RWR that featured our Golden Heart winner, Erica O'Rourke? Well. We are very happy to tell you that Erica's winning novel, TORN (originally titled Unchosen), will be published by Kensington as the lead title of their new YA line K Teen.CONGRATULATIONS, Erica!! We're so, so pleased to finally be able to tell everyone.Erica talks more about her

Woo!

2010-12-02T10:19:00.000-05:00

Look who made the Indie Next List for Winter 2010/2011!Click here to check out the list, and then join us in congratulating Kody Keplinger. Yay, Kody!! You totally rock.

Laugh, Cry, Debate

2010-11-29T16:15:00.000-05:00

Back to work? Are you kidding?? We're all overstuffed from a weekend of eating (at least those of us in the US). The thought of trying to sit up at your desk/computer reading/writing seems exhausting. You just want to curl up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and watch the entire season of Dollhouse, am I right?? (okay, that last part might just be me, but you get the idea)So let's jump

Ask PeeWee #1

2010-11-24T14:53:00.000-05:00

As promised, PeeWee is ready to work! And on a holiday week, too. He received a whole bunch of questions and will eventually get to all of them...it just might take a while. There will be no doggy naps for this old pup!For those of you just catching up, there is a new segment on the blog called Ask PeeWee. Read the original post here. All you have to do is email your publishing/writing/

A Delicious Book Sandwich

2010-11-24T14:49:00.000-05:00

Check out DECEPTION by Lee Nichols sandwiched between Meyers and Noel in a Barnes & Noble in Tampa, Florida:Yum!(photo courtesy of Katleen Ortiz)

Ten-Year-Old Me is Very Happy

2010-11-22T17:14:00.000-05:00

I have never, ever gotten over my love of horse books. I devoured every horse-related book I could find when I was little. And still do whenever I get a good rec. Our very own Alison Hart writes horse books gorgeously. Here she is, doing a signing at the Kentucky Book Fair! We wanted to pass along a few fabulous reviews and giveaways so you have a chance to read too, if you haven't already!

National Book Awards

2010-11-19T12:34:00.000-05:00

So we have interns. And by "have," I mean, "couldn't survive without." In addition to all the work they do, they are also lovely, fun people who help make this a very happy place to come to everyday. And, of course, they love publishing.Today, I am introducing you to Intern Rick.Rick, blog readers. Blog readers, Rick. In the picture above, Rick is on the right. Which I feel should be obvious

Open to Questions & PiBoIdMo

2010-11-17T08:36:00.000-05:00

We've always been fairly open with our blog readers (and tweep followers...and writers in general, I guess) here at Nancy Coffey Lit, and I'd like to take that openness one step further:Coffey. Tea. And Literary. is open to questions! We'll be calling it our Ask PeeWee segment.If you have a question about publishing/writing/revising/books-in-general, then ask away. We'll answer 1-2 questions

Beauty and the Freak

2010-11-14T21:41:00.000-05:00

One of our lovely clients, Leigh Bardugo is not only a talented writer, but an artist as well--according to her, she likes to "create illusions both gorgeous and ghoulish."Well, according to this gorgeous cover of Photo + magazine that she had a hand in, I agree....Photo by Karen Hsiao

Conversation of the Week #4

2010-11-10T17:28:00.000-05:00

It was 4:47 and I had hit that moment when I thought "I absolutely need to get up and walk into some else's office to sit down just to be OUT of mine." So I did this and proceeded to walk across the suite to Janet Reid's office. J wasn't in. Me: (plops into J's chair and flops head and arms onto desk) Don't mind me, I just needed to, ya know, move.Meredith Barnes of Fencing Fame: I was totally

Siwc

2010-11-07T18:35:00.000-05:00

Hi guys!So where have I been? Piled under some good reading, that's where. And that's okay with me.The reason I had so much to catch up on is because I've been out and about. I was away two weekends ago at a delightful conference. Surrey International Writer's Conference (or Siwc for those in the know) Oct 21-24th, and I got to hang out with some very cool people like:Ivan Coyote - a

November is here, and it's intense. And we love it.

2010-11-01T10:43:00.000-04:00

So November is not going to be doing anything halfway, it seems. It is the first of the month, and we already have client news; we have agency news; many of you brave souls have NaNoWriMo (and we salute you. You can't see us, I know, but we are saluting); and also the temperature in New York plummeted today, and it made everyone here sad, and once we'd finished complaining about how cold it was,

Susan and Cookies

2010-10-29T22:47:00.000-04:00

Hey all!I am beyond thrilled to introduce you to our newest client: Susan Dennard.Whether you pop over to her blog, explore her webpage, or follow her on Twitter, you are going to want to get to know her. Here's why:1. She is the newest blogger for Let the Words Flow, and in her introductory post, there is a picture of her hanging out with penguins. No. Really. 2. She lives in Germany, and

Don't Forget--New Submission Guidelines!

2010-10-29T20:06:00.000-04:00

Sara will be back later to introduce someone new to you guys, but I just wanted to remind you that November 1 is approaching!Starting Monday our Submission Guidelines change. Read about it in detail here.

Laugh, Cry, Debate

2010-10-27T10:05:00.000-04:00

I developed a new life motto this week courtesy of Libba Bray, and this is it:"Be kind when you can, and forthright when you need to kick ass."It comes from one of my favorite blog posts of all time, and this week's Debate. In case you missed this post making the rounds on Twitter, Bray received a...concerning question from a reader. And as Bray notes before giving her response, "the trouble with

Query Questions

2010-10-22T02:32:00.000-04:00

When I posted the other day about a new Query No-No, I received a couple of good questions in the comments that I'd like to address for everyone to benefit from the answer.The first one asked whether or not you should send a "thank you" email to an agent after getting a response to your query.Truly, there is no need to send a thank you note. You don't have to thank me for reading your query. I

Winners for Holiday Package #1!

2010-10-22T01:53:00.000-04:00

Hey all!We've got our winners for the first holiday package giveaways here!Kiddo Package: Clara Kensie!!Romance Package: Elizabeth 1blue25!!Email us at nclitblog (at) gmail (dot) com to arrange mailing!Cheers, Joanna

Query No-no

2010-10-19T08:51:00.000-04:00

I have noticed a new trend in query responses. After passing on a project, I get a particular question so often that last week I decided to count how many times. It was 11 if you're curious. This is the gist of what the question is:"Can you suggest another agent/agency that might be better suited for my work?"No, I will not do your research for you. There are times when agents DO make

The Duel over DECEPTION!

2010-10-17T17:23:00.001-04:00

Remember this post from Friday?Well, here is PROOF of what went down while I was out. It's the T-rex herself, Kathleen Ortiz vs. The Shark's slithery assistant Meredith Barnes!And if you can't see what they're fighting over in their grubby little paws, that's a copy of DECEPTION by Lee Nichols, a fun, creepy, action-packed paranormal YA (think Buffy with ghosts...seriously).!!!Maybe we should

Conversation of the Week #3

2010-10-15T22:57:00.000-04:00

Today was just...one of THOSE days. You know the kind. The kind of day where you wake up and as soon as you open your eyes, a speck of dust that feels more like razorblades lands right on your eye ball then you sit up fast and blink furiously, only to jostle your husband out of a dead sleep and he elbows you in the ribs, then you go "For cryin' out loud!" and fling off the covers, still tugging

Laugh, Cry, Debate

2010-10-13T14:32:00.000-04:00

Today I'm posting our very first LAUGH, CRY, DEBATE post. What is that? you may ask. Well, it's my way of paying it forward to others on the intrawebzzz, linking you to other blogs and websites that will (hopefully) make you do one of those three things (or all three if you decide to go to each). Because let's face it...when I'm having a bad day, sometimes I just NEED something to make me

October is the month to be SPOOKED!

2010-10-10T22:51:00.001-04:00

Does everyone know the talented Amy Lukavics yet? Well if you don't, scamper on over to her blog: hello, moon. Go on. I'll wait.See? Isn't she awesomely talented?Well another talent Amy corners the market on (in my book) is her talent for writing How-To articles for eHow.com. And one of her recent articles is perfect to share for Halloween Month.How To Cast Permanent Love Spells.I feel like

Clarification on the agency's NEW submission guidelines

2010-10-07T18:15:00.001-04:00

As you may well know, we’re changing our submission guidelines here at Nancy Coffey Lit starting November 1, 2010. For those of you who haven’t heard yet, please read the post on it here. We invited readers to respond/pose questions at this time so we could better understand what about the new guidelines works for querying writers, and what doesn’t. This was one of the comments made:

New Query Guidelines!

2010-10-04T17:12:00.000-04:00

After a thrilling weekend of being ill, the Coffey Crew has returned. We are slightly less dazed from medications than we were a couple days ago; we have had many cups of tea; we are capable of having Conversations of the Week that are not “Unnghh *cough* *sneeze*”; and we have news. Starting Novemeber 1st, Nancy Coffey Literary will be implementing new query guidelines. *insert partying here*

Original Contest delayed....

2010-09-30T09:41:00.000-04:00

...so we'll run a new one in its place!This one hits two genres. We've got one for the romantics and one for the kiddos. And the holidays are coming up people...books have always been my favorite gift!It's book giveaway time!For the kiddos we've got:Alison Hart's TAKING THE REINS is one of the first book in American Girl's new choose-your-own-adventure type series. So if you have a daughter,

Conversation of the Week.

2010-09-28T17:21:00.000-04:00

We, uh, forgot to do one last week. *cough* WE'RE SORRY! Friday, when we planned to do one, got crazy, and we ended up being at the office until fairly late, and, well, it's been crazy ever since.Which is why this conversation happened today:J: From now on, we are calling this The Space of Tranquility. No bad or crazy things are allowed in The Space of Tranquility.Nancy: We need candles.J: YES.

You're It!

2010-09-21T10:39:00.000-04:00

So an internet tag has been going around where the blogger answers eight questions, and then tags eight people to answer the same. One of our wonderful clients, Loretta Nyhan, sneakily tagged everyone who read her blog post. And we're doing the same. If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged! 1. If you could have a superpower, what would you have? Why?Jo: Either super speed or telekinesis.

NCL announcements--yay!

2010-09-17T17:04:00.000-04:00

I love news. Especially when it's fun, exciting, bookselling news to share! And to start this week I've got a coupe tidbits like that to share. In case you missed it, Sandy William's debut urban fantasy series was announced on PM. FISSURED is about a professional college student and a shadow-reader for the fae, who is forced to choose sides -- and between the men she loves -- in a fae war.

Like Fridays Needed a Reason to be More Awesome

2010-09-17T16:56:00.000-04:00

Jo and I had a conversation earlier this week (or maybe last week? I don't know. Earlier today I told someone it was October, so I am no longer responsible for dates. Regardless...) about putting in some regular blog features. Book reviews, giveaways...we have lots of fun stuff planned. One of the ideas we're most excited about is called Conversation of the Week. There are hilarious/intelligent/

What a DAY, man

2010-09-14T15:03:00.000-04:00

So, all sorts of hawtness today.For one, our Ms. Veronica Roth has posted a little bit of a DIVERGENT tease on her blog here. Seriously, go look. SO hawtness. We'll be posting more on this little teaser next week.For twos, Lisa Desrochers' debut novel, PERSONAL DEMONS hits the shelves today and it's super hawt because it's about two hawt dudes and a kickass girl. It's one of the best YA

The Brooklyn Book Festival

2010-09-13T14:37:00.000-04:00

So I am a recent New York transplant. I moved to the east coast from the Southern California suburbs. There are so many things I’ve loved about New York so far: restaurants open past nine; cupcakes; being able to get everywhere on the subway; Central Park; weekend brunches; more cupcakes. But the thing I love most is the dedication this city has to books. Yesterday, a group of people (

Quiz

2010-09-10T19:34:00.000-04:00

First off, dudes--who hasn't entered the Omg, DUFF! contest yet? Well do it. NOW.Second, I have a quiz for you--this is for research purposes, and I will write about my conclusions. If you'd like to take it, please put your answers in the comment section.1. When querying agents, how many agents do you query in Round 1?a) 1b) 2-10c)11-20d)21-35e)36-50f)51 +g) What's an agent?2. If you are a

My Clients Make Me :-)

2010-09-08T00:05:00.001-04:00

When I find a submission that I fall in LOVE with, I don't just shoot off an email and offer representation right there. Because that is only one part of the whole package (a majorly important part, but still not the whole thing). What I do first is set up a phone call to talk (or start some sort of correspondence, stat). Why do I do this?Well...to see if we'd work well together!There are a

Omg DUFF!

2010-09-07T17:02:00.000-04:00

Hey guys!Busy, busy, busy return to work after the long holiday weekend. Hanging out with clients this weekend (one of my favorite things to do!) and prepping for--you guessed it--DUFF DAY!! In case you haven't heard, we have a client named Kody Keplinger who is FABULOUS and so is her debut young adult novel, The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend). I promise to have a more traditional post by

MUST READS

2010-09-02T09:38:00.000-04:00

As a person in publishing, reading books other than the ones I work on is almost as important as client work. It's my job to know what books are hot, what readers are gravitating to, etc, etc.Some of the books I'm dying to read...The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith (have you seen the trailer?--I *still* have chills...see below) This is probably the PERFECT book to read in fall as it comes out

Picture of the Day

2010-08-30T18:19:00.001-04:00

"MOMMY YOU HAVE THIS ONE!"-Boone, 3 yrs old*Thanks to Kathleen Ortiz and the fabulous Dawn Miller for providing this treat!

Winner of Nancy Lamb's Writer's Guide

2010-08-28T02:00:00.000-04:00

Drumroll please........................VINCENT KALE!!Here is his opening line:The first time I paused the world, I managed to sleep through the whole thing. How awesome is that? I know I want to keep reading.Congrats, Vincent! You have won a copy of Nancy Lamb's The Writers' Guide to Crafting Stories for Children. To read more about Nancy, check out her website here. Vincent, please email

Back from the high seas (and 6 lbs heavier)

2010-08-26T09:54:00.000-04:00

No joke. I ate SO much on my cruise that I gained 6 lbs. Joe gained 8 lbs. PeeWee lost a pound worrying over where we were (in all seriousness, he did lose a pound, which has us worried because that's 1/5th his body weight, so we've been stuffing his little doggie face all week). For those of you who haven't met PeeWee yet, check out his tiny self in my home office to the right.Honestly, I

Your Monday Giveaway. On a Tuesday.

2010-08-24T10:20:00.000-04:00

The internet and I had a falling out yesterday, and it left me.But it seems we've reconciled our differences, and are here now with a belated giveaway. So. Opening sentences. I talked briefly about them last time, and truth be told, I could spend a heck of a lot more time yattering on about my favorite first lines of stories, and why/how they drew me in. And it is all I can do to restrain myself

And to finish off a week of blog silence...

2010-08-20T16:42:00.001-04:00

Hey guys!Sorry for the blog silence--Joanna is out of the office this week, and my immune system decided to take a vacation as well. Excellent timing, no?But I thought I'd leave you with a fun thing to do to both celebrate the end of the fabulous WriteOnCon (I hope you all had as much fun as we did) and the beginning of a fabulous weekend.So. If you haven't heard of Pimp of Novel, it's an