Crikees -- You're Looking for an Agent?

I just love Poets & Writers, and this month's issue (Jan/Feb - not yet on the website) is especially appealing. There was a great article in the Agents and Editors series, wherein Grove/Atlantic editor Jofie Ferrari-Adler interviewed four up-and-coming literary agents: Julie Barer, Jeff Kleinman, Daniel Lazar, and Renee Zuckerbrot. Ferrari-Adler asked what they were looking for in fiction (voice, unusual setting, great story); where they found their writers (slush pile, lit mags, writers conferences like Bread Loaf and Squaw Valley); and ideal clients (someone who is willing to participate in the business end of selling, writers who are well connected and whose subject matter appeals to a specific audience).

As it happens, I have an agent -- Joelle Delbourgo, a terrific woman whom I trust and admire -- so I wasn't reading the piece with an eye toward landing an agent (a daunting, terrifying, gut-wrenching process, regardless of who you are and the people in your camp), but because I'm familiar with these agents and find them fun and likeable. And, of course, it's nice to know that despite my failures, I can count among my successes the things I've done right (Sweet Jesus, there are three!): thoroughly researching an agent before querying; ensuring my query is appealing and to the point; and, of course, making sure my manuscript is the best it can be before ever starting the process.

And here's some great advice from an anonymous agent: "If you take my rejection letter and post it on your Web site, there are few other agents who are going to be willing to put anything in writing to you. We look upon those writers in a bad way."

Sneaky Chef Missy Chase Lapine

My agent, Joelle Delbourgo, also represents Missy Chase Lapine, author of The Sneaky Chef: How to Cheat on Your Man (In the Kitchen) Hiding Healthy Foods in Hearty Meals Any Guy Will Love. Missy wrote an article, "Dessert for Breakfast," explaining she needed a plan to avoid gaining weight while working around food. To that end, she incorporated the Weight Watchers point system into her Sneaky Chef Breakfast Cookies, which I plan to make and share with my own Weight Watchers class next Saturday morning. (I've been a Lifetime member since 1990.) A one-ounce cookie has two points. Can't wait to sample one!