As promised, here are my notes from SCBWI LA 2008 on Michael Stearns and Amalia Ellison.

Michael Stearns, first.

He's now with Firebrand Literary. He has edited on and off for twenty years with Harcourt and HarperCollins.

Among the books he's published:

· East by Edith Pattou
· Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge
· A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
· Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
· Tangerine by Edward Bloor
· Gone by Michael Grant
· Whale on Stilts by M.T. Anderson

Also he's published books by Bruce Coville, Jane Yolen, Bruce Hale, Vivian Velde, Andrew Auseon, and Diane Duane.

What he likes?

· Novels, not picture books.
· Fine writing with great plots (ha ha, he and every other editor and agent in the world).
· He also likes to laugh. (Read the books he's published—that kind of funny.)

What doesn't he like?

· Issue books

Some random answers he gave to questions:

· He's not looking for one book. Each staff member at SCBWI was supposed to give one word when they were introduced. Michael's word was perseverance which tells me he's looking for someone who is in it for the long haul, not looking for someone wanting to get rich quick. In the questions and answer time he said he doesn't want to sign up one book. He used Edith Pattou as an example of how an author's career can grow. Her first book sold 2000 copies. The next sold 5000. The third sold 40,000. Once the third book took off the first two sold, also.

· He wants authors who will trust him and work with him and believe him if he says, "This book is never going anywhere," even.

· On the issue of issue books: Moral fiction is great. If fiction is well thought out, it tends to be moral. It has to be about something. But first it is a story with a hook—not an issue book. Why do kids want to read the book. Kids pick up Thirteen Reasons Why because it has an awsome hook.

· He will absolutely represent authors outside the US.

· Historical fiction? Tough to place right now. Lately people have been marrying historical with other genres—The Lux is an example. It's an 1890's Gossip Girls. So position your novel as and adventure or a mystery or something else. Don't lead off with, "It's a historical novel. . ."

· Fly by Night sold 40,000 in hard copy, but it kept bubbling just under the best seller lists so Harper was disappointed. They'd spent a lot of money on it and it didn't meet expectations. The second novel is out-- Well Witch

· Is he open to a series from a first time author? Pitches don't tell him anything about the writer. Books live or die on the page. So, "No." He wants to see writing. Submit the first book as a book, not a series.

· How to submit? Go to the website [firebrand literary] and upload a letter of submission. Upload a bio. Upload two pages. In two pages, he knows if he wants to see more. It's easy to submit and they respond quickly.

· What do we put in the bio? Whatever shows you're a professional—awards you have won, columns you've published for years. Basically he wants anything that lets him know you're not an inmate. (But then, I think he changed his mind and said inmates who could write well would be fine.)

· What's the difference between commercial and literary? Literary=vintage international novels you can't finish. Nothing happens. Commercial=John Grisham. Action and plot. On the one hand you can have language so fantastic but you don't give a damn. That's literary. On the other hand you can have great action but the writing is terrible. He likes fine writing, so he thinks he might not recognize a poorly written blockbuster plot novel—he wouldn't read far enough to see it was a great story. (I'm paraphrasing)

· How do you signal that in your query that you are simultaneously submitting? You say, "I've sent this to several agents, but I'd prefer to be repped by you because you're brilliant. (heh heh)

· Age range? He loves middle grade and teen books.

· What if I have no awards or clips. He'll read your query anyway. His favorite bio was from a guy who gave a bulleted list. Built the Brooklyn Bridge, Won Chewing Gum Contest, etc. (didn't offer to represent the guy, though.)

· He wants writers who aren't afraid of plot. Look at A Northern Light. It has a lot of plot. Plot is not "This and then this and then this. . ." That's sequel. Plot is how it all ties together. You need to add big events. You need to make it worse for the characters. Push the characters. Take them to the worst possible place. "You have to write the book, you don't think you can write." (I'm not sure if he said that or if he was quoting someone.)


Oh, there was a lot more there than I thought. We'll visit Amalia next week.