BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE
REVIEW OF LITERARY AGENT DR. UWE STENDER’S WORKSHOP
The following review of a PennWriters workshop was written by Annette Dashofy, I’m a yoga teacher who writes, striving to become a writer who teaches yoga. She lives in Burgettstown, PA. Four members of the Beanery Writers Group attended the meeting (view photo of Sal and Chuck sharing their work with Dr. Stender: http://www.flickr.com/photos/beaneryonlineliterarymagazine/3298270971/ ) held at the Monroeville Library on February 14, 2009. Presenter for the day was Dr. Uwe Stender, a Full Member of the AAR (Association of Authors’ Representatives) founded TriadaUS Literary Agency, Inc., which was incorporated in April 2004.
I spent this morning (and part of the early afternoon) at a Pennwriters Pittsburgh East Writers meeting where agent Uwe Stender gave a wonderful talk followed by an extensive Q & A. I can’t say that I learned anything new. But I had much of what I do know confirmed by a professional. Example: whether or not your query is rejected or pages requested sometimes depend on the agent’s (or editor’s) mood at the moment they read it. And don’t pitch a novel until it’s FINISHED.
Basically, while the publishing industry is a dark and uninviting place right now, the best way to get published is to write the best you can and then rewrite and then polish, and then rewrite again. There are no tricks. No shortcuts. Just determination and a lot of hard work.
So I’m on the right track.
I asked Dr. Stender if having a body of short story work might help with getting a novel accepted and he said YES. That was one question I’ve heard answered both ways over the years. I always like it when they say it helps. (FYI, my 4,000 word short story that topped out at 9,000 words is now down to 4,100 words. I’m getting close!)
As for what is selling and what is not: thrillers are NOT unless you already have a name for yourself. Mysteries are a tough sell unless they are VERY cozy. Chick Lit is dead. However women’s fiction (something with some depth) has a chance. Clever, well written Young Adult fiction is in demand (protagonists must be at least 16 years old). And literary fiction is also in demand.
Okay, none of this is good news for yours truly. But Dr. Stender also stressed that you should write what you want to write. What is in the stores and hot now, was actually acquired two years ago. Tides turn. If you write for the market, you’re already going to be behind the market.
So I’ll keep plugging along with what I’m doing: polishing my work, studying the craft, honing my skills. And hopefully, sooner or later, my stubbornness will pay off.
Used with permission from: http://annettedashofy.blogspot.com/
ADDITIONAL READING:
WRITER’S CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS, COMPETITIONS & EVENTS: Feb. 20, 2009
BEANERY WRITERS NEWSLETTER (BWN) VOL. 2 ISSUE 2 FEB.1, 2009
ALL SUMMER IN A DAY: The Use of Descriptive Language
ARE WEBSITES (BLOGSITES) BENEFICIAL TO WRITERS?
THE ART OF THE INTERVIEW: Things Writers Should Know
BAD WRITING CONTESTS
BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS & WRITER’S EVENTS: January 9, 2009
COPYRIGHTS GET NO RESPECT!
DAVID PAGE: Notes from St. David’s Writer’s Conference
DEVELOPING CHARACTERS IN NOVEL WRITING
DOES EXAGGERATING THE TRUTH CREATE GOOD STORIES?
HOW THE BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE WAS CREATED
HOW TO MARKET YOUR BOOK ONLINE
INTEGRITY: A JOURNALISTIC CODE OF ETHICS REVIEW
JOURNALISM QUESTION
JOURNALIST ETHICS CONCERNING THE RECEIPT OF GIFTS
THE LIGONIER 250TH ANNIVERSARY BOOKLET
MORALITY IN WRITING
REFLECTING ON MY WRITING LIFE IN 2008
SELF-PUBLISHING AS I WANDER THROUGH IT
THE TIME IS NOW…
WHAT IS THE KEY INDICATOR TO YOUR WRITING SUCCESS?
WHO CARES?
WORDS OF THE YEAR 2008 Part I: VOCABULARY TEST
WORDS OF THE YEAR 2008 Part II: VOCABULARY DEFINITIONS
THE WRITING LIFE: There’s a World Out There?
THE WRITING LIFE CONTINUES
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