Agent Savant

The musings of literary agent Laurie McLean

JM Frey ‘HERO is a Four Letter Word’ Facebook Contest

Written By: laurie - Sep• 12•13

Hero is a Four Letter Word JM Frey

Enter this on Facebook by visiting J.M. Frey’s Facebook page. And as an extra bonus, check out her rocking a TARDIS dress!

Christmas eLight Opp for Romance Authors

Written By: laurie - Sep• 04•13

Call for Submissions: Quick and Dirty Christmas eLight anthology

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FFWD is opening for adult romance Christmas stories that are 3,000 to 6,000 words in length. The final day to submit is September 30 and final edits will be done by the end of October. All stories will be contracted for the use of this anthology and will be non-exclusive so that you can use them elsewhere.

We are specifically looking for stories that are contemporary with a hot heat level, or contemporary erotic romance, that are dealing with Christmas.

Send your story and your query to pam@forewordliterary.com!

We look forward to hearing from you.

Happy Book Birthday!

Written By: laurie - Aug• 06•13

Two of my fabulous clients have books debuting today!

Ransom Stephens has created a new sub-genre called scientific fiction, which I also describe as a science thriller, with his new novel THE SENSORY DECEPTION. It’s got everything: Somali pirates, eco-terrorists, scientists, virtual reality, videogames, and Silicon Valley venture capitalists. Oh, and did I mention whales? Read his blog post at Foreword Literary’s site.

The Sensory Deception

And Philippa Ballantine launches KINDRED AND WINGS, the second story in her Shifted World fantasy series. Look at this gorgeous cover! And the writing will knock your socks off. If you love fantasy, try book one, Hunter and Fox as well.

Kindred and Wings by Philippa Ballantine

July 12-14 Online Publishing Boot Camp!

Written By: laurie - Jul• 10•13

I am really proud of the webinar we put together on Digital Publishing and Marketing for Writers Digest. And they did a great job wrapping a program around it with personalized critiques and advice from the three founding partners of Foreword Literary: Pam, Gordon and me.

If you’re thinking about self-publishing, or you want to know how to best build your author brand and market your work in the digital age (because the publisher isn’t going to do much), this could be the weekend your writing career takes a huge step forward. It all happens on July 12-14, 2013. And since it’s 100% online, you can do this in your pajamas!

It’s called the Agent One-on-One: Publish and Promote Your Work in the Digital Era Boot Camp. That’s a mouthful, but it says it all. We give context and perspective on why publishing has changed more in the past five years than in the previous 200, give you the tools you need to succeed in digital publishing, then add the personalized touch specific to you as an individual author. The best of everything in one place.

Okay. Enough of the sales pitch. If you’re interested in what we have to say, and why we founded this visionary agency, check out all the details at Writers Digest here.

Fast Foreword eLights are LIVE!

Written By: laurie - May• 29•13

Foreword Literary today unleashed its first set of eLights: curated short stories that are as affordable as they are enjoyable!

Foreword Literary

Our new program, Fast Foreword, is part of Foreword Literary’s new way of representing authors by utilizing all of the tools available to make the most of our clients’ work. Sometimes this means e-publishing if a story is different than what they usually publish, shorter or longer than what is preferred by traditional print publishers, or adaptable to outside-the-book media and delivery methods.

Fast Foreword will be showcasing short, affordable pieces that highlight the excellent writing of not only our clients, but curated work from other literary agents as well.

Today we are launching six eLights, varying from political nonfiction to romance to historical supernatural. They can be read on all devices (Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Sony Reader, iPad, computer, etc.). Stories by Mark London Williams, Linda Wisdom, Carol Wolf & Eric Elliott, Jeannette Battista, Lauren Smith and Howard Steven Friedman. Click here for the links to these six bust-out tales and the authors pioneering this exciting new approach.

Welcome to Fast Foreword. Pick up an eLight today and enjoy yourself. We’re also giving away a free Kobo touchscreen eReader loaded with our first six eLights (see below).

Giveaway!

To celebrate the launch of Fast Foreword eLights we wanted to have a fun contest. To win a Google Android 8GB Kobo VOX 7″ Capacitive Touchscreen Tablet follow these instructions:
* Tweet about each book – 2pts per tweet.
* Review each book on Amazon, Smashwords, and B&N – 5pts per review per e-tailer.
* Blog review the titles or blog about the launch of eLights by Fast Foreword – 8pts per post.
* Buy each book and keep a copy of your receipts – 10pts per book.
* Add up all your points and email them to fastforeword@forewordliterary.com

The contest will run from today through June 16th midnight PST. Send ONE email with all of your points. US only. Must be 13 years of age or older to enter or have a parent’s approval.

Future stories and other goodies are already in the works!

Read to your Kids Even When You Travel!

Written By: laurie - May• 24•13

Ruckus Media Group, an independent family entertainment company, has received a grant from the United States National Science Foundation (NSF) to build Read Together While Apart ™ (RWTA) Technology, a collaboration infrastructure that will run on networked mobile and non-mobile devices and supports a parent and their child reading Ruckus’ eBooks together and playing interactive games in the eBook while the parent and the child are not in the same location.

This is wonderful. A real world use of technology that helps families. Read the rest of the great article here at Digital Book World. http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/ruckus-media-gets-grant-from-national-science-foundation-to-build-collaborative-reading-technology/

Stephen King to publish in Print Only!

Written By: laurie - May• 20•13

I predicted years ago that huge bestselling authors, and Stephen King was always my example, only stayed with traditional publishing out of immense loyalty and affection because they certainly had the brand power to self-publish with a crackerjack team of their own instead of using the publisher’s editors, artists, and sales force.

But, in a retro move, King has announced that his next novel, Joyland, will be available in print only! That’s right. I never saw that coming. Independent publisher, Hard Case Crime, the company that published King’s The Colorado Kid in 2005 (the basis for the SyFy channel television series “Haven”), will publish Joyland on June 4th in print only.

Now, King kept the digital rights and so there is a chance that he might release an ebook on his own down the road. But he said, as of now, he has no plans to do that. Instead he wants people to “stir their sticks and go to an actual bookstore rather than a digital one.” (according to the Wall Street Journal)

Well played, Mr. King. I know what I’ll be reading on my summer vacation!

Joyland by Stephen King

Foreword Lit Seeks Subrights Agent

Written By: laurie - May• 16•13

We’re growing by leaps and bounds, and we’re looking to add an enthusiastic, experienced subsidiary rights agent to our team at Foreword Literary. Foreign subrights experience would be especially helpful. If you know of a literary agent who specializes in subrights and wants to work for our amazing clients, tell them to email me at Laurie@ForewordLiterary.com.

Oh, and since we’re a virtual agency, this person can work from ANYWHERE!

Tricia Skinner Gets 2-Book Entangled Deal

Written By: laurie - May• 07•13

Her announcement for her Angel Kin/Angel Sire book deal is so much fun, I can’t compete. Go here to laugh your eyes out: http://www.triciaskinner.com/two-book-deal-with-entangled-publishing/

Characters Celebrate!

Written By: laurie - May• 07•13

Iron King Manga is a GO!