Lit Match

“I think the reason to start here was because this is the inciting incident that led to all the madness that is going to unfold.” – Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman, Authors of GIRLS WITH BRIGHT FUTURES

Abigail K. Perry sits down with co-authors Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman to discuss the first chapter of their debut novel, GIRLS WITH BRIGHT FUTURES. Abigail considers their book one of the most chilling and stunning debuts she’s read in the last few years, and particularly marvels at Tracy and Wendy’s execution of the prologue and first chapter that start the story. Tracy and Wendy share how everything takes editing, and how to apply story essentials in the first pages of a book.  

About Tracy and Wendy:

Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman have been great friends for nearly twenty-five years. Their debut novel, GIRLS WITH BRIGHT FUTURES, is a dark, suspenseful journey into the cutthroat world of college admissions. 

Earning starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and Library Journal, it’s currently in development as a limited TV series with Discovery+. Tracy and Wendy both live in Seattle and between them they have two husbands, four kids (three of whom have survived the college admissions process without a single parent landing in jail), two dogs, and a cat.

GIRLS WITH BRIGHT FUTURES Blurb:

Three women, three daughters, and a promise that they'll each get what they deserve...

College admissions season at Seattle's Elliott Bay Academy is marked by glowing acceptances from top-tier institutions and students as impressive as their parents are ambitious. But when Stanford alerts the school it's allotting only one spot to EBA for their incoming class, three mothers discover the competition is more cutthroat than they could have imagined.

Tech giant Alicia turns to her fortune and status to fight for her reluctant daughter's place at the top. Kelly, a Stanford alum, leverages her PTA influence and insider knowledge to bulldoze the path for her high-strung daughter. And Maren makes three: single, broke, and ill-equipped to battle the elite school community aligning to bring her superstar down.

That's when, days before applications are due, one of the girls suffers a near-fatal accident, one that doesn't appear to be an accident at all.

As the community spirals out of control, three women will have to decide what lines they're willing to cross to secure their daughters' futures...and keep buried the secrets that threaten to destroy far more than just college dreams.

Find us on our socials: 

Twitter: @abigailkperry @katzndobs

Instagram: @abigailkperry @katzndobs

Website: www.abigailkperry.com | https://www.dobmeierkatzman.com 

Read the book discussed in this episode:

GIRLS WITH BRIGHT FUTURES

Represented by Carly Watters 

“I think it's really important to be working with creators that have a really strong point of view, and they know how to communicate that point of view.” – Carly Watters, Senior Literary Agent and SVP at P.S. Literary Agency  

Abigail K. Perry sits down with Carly Watters to talk about her manuscript wishlist (#MSWL) and the role she plays in the agent-author relationship. From there, Carly shares her insights on the publishing industry and expertise that come from her eleven years working at P.S. Literary Agency. Carly teaches writers the difference between literary fiction, upmarket fiction, and commercial fiction—and Carly also emphasizes the importance of taking writers seriously as entrepreneurs. As an agent, Carly’s goal is to sell books that reach the most people and that play a role in moving the conversation forward.    

About Carly:

Carly is a Senior Vice President and Senior Literary Agent at P.S. Literary and the sitting VP of PACLA, the Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents.

She has a BA in English literature from Queens university and the man. Studies from Sydney university, London, Carly joined PS that our agency in 2010 and has sold over 100 books during her career. She represents award-winning and bestselling authors in the adult fiction and nonfiction categories and select children's books.

Carly is known most for her long-term vision for authors and being an excellent collaborator with a nose for commercial success. Her client's books have been translated into forty languages option for TV and film adapted into podcasts and have been on every bestseller list from coast to coast and cleaning the New York times USA today, LA times the Washington post, the Toronto star and the globe and mail today currently is also a co-host of the popular writing podcast, The Shit No One Tells You About Writing. 

Carly's MSWL:

Smart Book Club Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Upmarket Adult Fiction, Commercial Adult Fiction, Domestic Suspense, Literary Mystery & Thrillers, Historical Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Pop Science, Business and Psychology, Cookbooks, Unique Memoirs, Lifestyle Non-Fiction: health, wellness, relationships, parenting, lifestyle, Narrative Non-Fiction, Platform-Based Non-Fiction: must have demonstrable expertise and a quantifiable market

Find us on our socials: 

Twitter: @abigailkperry @carlywatters

Instagram: @abigailkperry @carlywatters 

Website: www.abigailkperry.com | https://www.carlywatters.com 

Read the books discussed in this episode:

Welcome to Lit Match! This is a podcast made to help writers find the best literary agent and business partner for their writing and publishing career. Each week, Lit Match host, Abigail K. Perry, talks to a literary agent about their manuscript wishlist (MSWL), how they like to agent, and anything else related to publishing. Abigail also shares bonus episodes where she analyzes the first chapter of a book that the literary agent represents—written by an author and client who emulates strong writing that successfully hooked their agent. This first episode is a special introduction to Lit Match, and offers a brief preview of the wonderful and inspirational conversations to come.