We are thrilled to welcome you to the replay of our SEVENTH (woo hoo!) Annual Holiday Party.

In this event, writers nominated writers for feedback from our agent panel. Each agent chose a nominator-nominee pair to come up, read their work, and receive support and feedback in front of our audience.

Our agents are:

Kaitlyn Sanchez, Bradford Literary

Linda Camacho, Gallt & Zacker Literary

Kiana Nguyen, Donald Maass Literary

Stephanie Winter, P.S. Literary

Transcript here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-seventh-annual-holiday-party

The Holiday Party (00:00:33)

The hosts express their gratitude and excitement for the attendees and share their appreciation for the writing community.

Success from a Story Prompt Contest (00:03:02)

A writer shares their success story after winning a story prompt contest at a previous holiday party and how it led to the publication of their book.

Introducing the Agents (00:04:11)

The agents introduce themselves, share their experiences, and express their excitement to be part of the writing community.

Discussion about Fibonacci Sequence Picture Book with Kaitlyn Sanchez (00:13:06)

Agents discuss the uniqueness and potential of a picture book about the Fibonacci sequence, praising the storytelling and offering feedback on the story and query.

Feedback on a YA Contemporary query and first page with agent Linda Camacho (00:22:57)

Agents discuss the strengths of Heather's query and first page, including the strong voice, vivid imagery, and emotional connection, while also providing suggestions for improvement.

Discussion on an Adult Thriller query with Kiana Nguyen (00:34:41)

The thriller query and opening pages (00:42:49)

Kiana discusses the importance of clarity in query packages and provides feedback on the opening pages of a thriller manuscript.

Discussion of a memoir with Stephanie Winter (00:48:30)

Agents discuss the potential and unique elements of Paige's memoir, including the post-9/11 setting and the protagonist's experiences in Italy.

Agent Q&A (00:53:34)

An author expresses their hope to query in 2024, and agents offer encouragement and advice.

Agents discuss trends in science fiction and fantasy (01:02:21)

Agents mention the increasing interest in cozy fantasy and the potential for cozy sci-fi, as well as the importance of having a social media following for fiction authors.

The importance of imprint and editors (01:03:08)

Agents discuss their approach to submitting projects to specific imprints and editors based on the story and market fit.

Considering imprints and editors for submissions (01:03:36)

Agents share their thoughts on how they consider specific imprints and editors when thinking about where to submit a project.

Gratitude and appreciation for the writing community (01:04:28)

The hosts express their gratitude for the support and community within the writing community and how it has been a positive experience.