The Manuscript Academy

Debut author Kristy Jackson joins Julie and Jessica to talk about her new middle grade book, MORTIFIED, now out in bookstores everywhere! From embarrassing middle school moments to querying hiccups, Kristy talks about her 20+ year-long writing journey, how she found the right agent for her, and how perseverance made all the different to achieving her publishing dreams.

Learn more about Kristy here: https://www.kristyjackson.ca/

In the first installment of the Manuscript Academy Book Club, we have Liv Constantine, the pen name for internationally bestselling sister duo Lynne and Valerie Constantine!

Joined by Jessica, Julie, and the Manuscript Academy community, Valerie and Lynne answer your questions about how to collaborate and edit as a team, how to get the best results when querying, and how to keep your work fresh when writing multiple books in the same genre.

**Please note that there are spoilers for The Last Mrs. Parrish as noted verbally in the episode.**

01:00 Meet the Authors: Liv Constantine

01:19 The Journey to Success

03:26 Collaborative Writing Process

12:09 Crafting Unputdownable Thrillers

16:47 Pitching and Querying Tips

19:39 The Impact of Reese's Book Club

25:31 Character Development and POV Shifts

26:04 Crafting Intricate Plot Details

27:33 Collaborating as Sisters

31:15 Balancing Writing and Marketing

34:58 Navigating the Publishing Industry

36:59 Advice for Aspiring Writers

38:40 Creating Realistic Psychopath Characters

42:54 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Learn more at https://livconstantine.com/

You’ve heard of the all-important voice—but how do you make it more vivid, both on the page—and in your life?

Enter Jessica Doyle-Mekkes, an author, voice coach, and eloquent speaker on how your voice in your life and your voice on the page are linked, vitally important—and within your control to improve.

Listen along for what helps your voice come out as you intend—whether singing, public speaking, or reading your character aloud to an audience on your book tour.

We also discuss:

***Do agents share projects with each other? Yes! In fact, this book happened in part because agent Jessica (Sinsheimer) saw author Jesica (Doyle-Mekkes) and just had a feeling she’d be a good fit for Katharine.

***Learning to write a book proposal from the ground up—and, in one case, overnight

***What makes an ideal client? What do agents look for?

***How much platform do you *really* need? There are two kinds of platform—here’s how to leverage both, and how Jessica builds hers (and you can too)

***How you can start preparing NOW for your readings on your future book tour

Find I'm Speaking: Every Woman's Guide to Finding Your Voice and Using It Fearlessly wherever books are sold.

Meet with Katharine here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/katharine-sands

We are thrilled to introduce our very own Julie Kingsley's debut novel! It's called The Space Between You and Me and came out this week!

"That summer, I finally grew into myself. The problem? I grew too fast. And fruit that grows too fast often bursts in the sunshine."

With her agent Lane Heymont (Tobias Literary Agency), we discuss:

*What happens if you have film interest before book interest

*How Hollywood runs on FOMO (fear of missing out)

*How Julie got a sensitivity read with her film interest

*When book agents send your work to Hollywood

*When agents announce your book and why

*What “film interest” looks like after your book is announced

*Leveraging Hollywood pettiness to increase odds of an option

*How the etiquette of Hollywood is vastly different from NY Publishing

*The “secret sauce” for being fought over

*What is a hook?

*Planning your Easter Eggs

Learn more about Julie's book here: https://www.juliekingsley.com/

Learn more about Lane here: https://thetobiasagency.com/lane-heymont

Content Warning: This podcast discusses suicide, grief, and loss.

Pam O'Hara's beautiful writing captivated our expert audience during a recent Manuscript Academy panel, so much so that it was picked for our 2024 MSWL Agent Choice Awards.

Pam joins Jessica and Julie to speak about her stunning memoir about love, loss, and losing a loved one by suicide. We discuss everything from platform, to crafting your voice, to how to position a serious and sad topic for your audience, and more. Agents and editors, this one is in need of representation, if you're listening and like what you hear. We know we did.

Learn more about Pam here: https://pamelaohara.com

Watch the free video version, slides and all (and get a coupon for our workshop!) at https://manuscriptacademy.com/emmy

Join our Three-Day Keep An Agent Reading Workshop, May 28-30, here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/product/keep-an-agent-reading-workshop

TIMESTAMPS:

Essential Elements of a Query Letter (00:03:07) Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon covers the essential elements of a query letter, including the metadata paragraph, summary, and bio.

Query Letter Writing Tips (00:06:06) Insights into the query letter writing process, including addressing the agent, book title, and genre.

Metadata Paragraph and Summary (00:09:18) Detailed explanation of the metadata paragraph and summary in a query letter, including the importance of personalization and book comps.

Writing Style in Summary (00:21:12) Discussion on mirroring the writing style of the summary paragraph with the manuscript's tone and voice.

Summary of Writing Style and Content (00:22:12) Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon discusses the essential elements of a query letter and the importance of introducing main characters and conflict in the summary paragraph.

Publishing Bio and Relevant Credentials (00:23:51) Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon explains the significance of including prior publications, accolades, training, and relevant professional credentials in the publishing bio.

Essential Elements of the First Page (00:26:54) Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon highlights the significance of the first page in capturing the reader's interest and emphasizes the need to meet the main character, introduce the central organizing feature, and outline what helps and hurts the character.

Crafting a Compelling First Page (00:33:44) Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon provides insights on writing the first page, including the importance of starting with action, introducing the main character, and establishing the central organizing feature.

Synopsis vs. Summary (00:41:18) Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon differentiates between the synopsis and the summary, emphasizing the need for a bulleted list of plot points in the synopsis, including the ending, and avoiding a writerly tone.

Crafting a Synopsis (00:43:24) Advice on crafting a clear and informative synopsis, particularly helpful for pantsers.

Including Trigger Warnings (00:44:52) The importance of including trigger warnings in query letters and writing samples, and how to effectively incorporate them.

Bio in Query Letter (00:47:34) What to include in the bio section of a query letter, including personal experiences and writing goals.

Prologue vs. Chapter One (00:49:22) The debate over whether to use a prologue or the first chapter as the writing sample, and the impact on the query process.

Querying Across Genres (00:53:07) Advice for writers querying across multiple genres and how to communicate long-term career plans to agents.

Expressing Multiple Genres (00:56:54) Guidance on how to best express, showcase, or explain a book that spans multiple genres in a query letter.

Lived Experience in Query (00:59:56) The significance of mentioning own voices or lived experiences in the first paragraph of a query letter.

Commercial, Upmarket, and Literary (01:01:36) A breakdown of the distinctions between commercial, upmarket, and literary writing styles and tones.

Literary vs. Commercial (01:02:23) Discussion of literary and commercial books, with examples and explanations of each category.

Responsible Representation of Disabled and Chronically Ill People (01:05:07) Insights into the progress and challenges of representation in publishing, encouragement to include nuanced representation in writing.

Query Consultation Prize Winners (01:09:00) Announcement of three winners for a query consultation prize with Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon.

Upcoming Workshop and Ticket Drawing (01:10:24) Details about a three-day workshop and the drawing of three tickets for the workshop, including instructions for winners.

We are honored that author Elizabeth (Liz) Holden, author of the forthcoming YA novel Mighty Millie Novak, allowed us to go through her work as a teaching tool for you--what each element accomplishes, WHY it works, and how you can do the same in your own query and first page.

If you'd like to follow along visually, head to our YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/@manuscriptacademy, or the podcast episode page, https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-elizabeth-holden, for the captioned video, transcript, and more.

And be sure to check out our other episode, The Roller Derby of Querying, in our feed.

TIMESTAMPS:

Elements of a Successful Query (00:05:25) Analysis of the query's opening, use of comps, and character introduction.

Navigating Conflict and Tension (00:07:17) Discussion on building conflict and tension in the query and its impact.

Character Growth and Story Arcs (00:10:47) Explanation of character growth and the importance of story arcs in the query.

Personal Experience and Bio (00:12:13) Analysis of the author's personal experiences and bio presented in the query.

Flexibility and Professionalism (00:13:31) Discussion on the author's flexibility and professionalism demonstrated in the query.

Setting High Stakes (00:16:10) Analysis of the opening line and setting high stakes in the first page of the story.

Mighty Millie's Dream (00:17:50) Mighty Millie's aspirations and determination in roller derby are highlighted, setting the stage for the story's conflict and potential growth.

Coach Ann's Challenge (00:18:39) Mighty Millie's desire to prove herself and her ambition to be recognized as a formidable competitor in roller derby are showcased.

A Disastrous Setback (00:19:29) A dramatic turn of events leads to Mighty Millie's setback, creating tension and raising the stakes for her roller derby aspirations.

The Power Dynamics (00:21:04) The discussion revolves around the protagonist's power dynamics, her aspirations, and the fluctuations in her journey, setting the tone for the story's development.

Book Launch and Roller Derby (00:22:20) Elizabeth Holden discusses her upcoming book launch and the roller derby theme, adding an exciting real-life connection to the story.

Learn more about Liz here: https://elizabeth-holden.com/

View our in-depth video of what Liz did right in her query letter and first page here: https://www.youtube.com/@manuscriptacademy

Meet Elizabeth Holden, Physics professor, travel entrepreneur, and author of Mighty Millie Novak, a YA novel coming out from Flux Publishing in August. https://www.elizabeth-holden.com/

Liz is also the travel coordinator for our 2025 Manuscript Academy Retreat, which we're calling Enchanted Summer. Early Bird ends May 24. https://www.leapinghound.com/enchanted2025.html

Transcript + video at https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-elizabeth-holden

Timestamps:

00:02:03 - Writing Journey (00:02:03) Elizabeth Holden shares her writing journey, including querying experiences and the ups and downs of her writing career.

00:09:50 - Book Offer and Celebrations (00:09:50) Elizabeth recounts the experience of receiving a book offer and the challenges she faced due to being sick at the time.

00:12:11 - Viral Twitter Experience (00:12:11) Elizabeth shares the story of her viral Twitter experience related to the representation of queer characters in her novel and the subsequent impact on her querying process.

00:16:09 - Managing Multiple Offers (00:16:09) Elizabeth discusses the process of managing multiple offers from literary agents and making a decision about representation.

Querying and First Page Feedback (00:21:46) Discussion and feedback on the query letter and the first page of the novel.

Character and Conflict Introduction (00:27:33) The introduction of the main character and the presentation of internal and external conflicts.

Advice on Writing Process (00:33:05) Flexibility in mindset and recognizing when to take lateral steps in the writing process.

Leaping Hound Travel (00:37:13) Starting a travel company during the pandemic, focusing on niche topics and small group tours in Europe and Mexico.

Lake Bled Writing Retreat 2025 (00:41:09) Announcement of a writing retreat and vacation in Lake Bled, Slovenia, with details about the location and activities.

Enchanted Summer (00:44:44) Discussion about the magical and inspiring environment of Lake Bled, Slovenia, and the benefits of stepping away to focus on writing.

Please note: This episode contains mentions of alcoholism, recovery, and sobriety.

We are so happy to welcome author Jessica Guerrieri and agent Ismita Hussain (Great Dog Literary) to the podcast.

They're a great example of what to look for in an author-agent relationship--they're creative, collaborative, supportive, and successful (Jessica's debut book club fiction, Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea, comes out 2025 with HarperCollins).

We also discuss re-querying, facing rejection, and the healing power of storytelling and personal narrative.

Meet with Ismita here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/ismita-hussain

Find the transcript and show notes here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-ismita-hussain-jessica-guerrieri

00:44 Introducing Jessica Guerrieri

00:54 Ismita Hussain's Journey from Healthcare to Literary Agent

01:55 Jessica Guerrieri's Writing Journey and Sobriety

03:04 The Power of Perseverance: Jessica Guerrieri's Path to Publication

04:18 The Editorial Process: From Query to Preempt

06:58 Understanding the Preempt and the Publishing Process

10:50 Revising with Resilience: Jessica Guerrieri's Approach to Feedback

17:13 Building Trust and Thickening Skin in the Publishing World

21:31 Looking Ahead: Plans After the Book Deal

22:02 Embarking on a Unique Memoir Journey

22:13 Exploring Motherhood and Recovery

22:48 The Power of Sharing Personal Stories

27:02 The Role of Fiction and Nonfiction in Recovery

29:42 The Importance of Representation in Literature

39:57 The Value of Specificity in Storytelling

43:15 The Memoir Market and Connecting with Agents

We are so grateful to Emmy Nordstrom Higdon, agent at Westwood Creative Associates, who has offered to teach a free workshop for you all about the elements of querying—interest, emphasis, tension—that keep a busy agent reading in 2024.

Get your free ticket (or replay ticket!) here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/emmy

The event is Tuesday, May 7, 8:30pm ET—and comes with a replay, in case you can’t make it live.

This workshop is appropriate for all experience levels—whether it’s your first query or your 100th draft, come for the 101 basics, the checklists, the how-to’s—and leave with a real understanding of how you can use these skills to give an agent a 360 “I can’t wait to read more” reading experience.

Emmy (they/them) represents across age categories + genres, specializing in identity-driven works. They work in both fiction and non-fiction, from PB to adult, including commercial, upmarket, book club & literary. They specialize in contemporary books grounded in reality, with and without speculative elements. Mystery, thriller, suspense, romance, romcom, women’s fiction, LGBTQ2S+, magical realism, fabulism, horror, graphic, narrative non-fiction, true crime, religion + spirituality, humanities + science.