Saturday July 9, 2005
Yesterday, I did conference stuff, went to a roundtable, went to the banquet last night, then after the banquet, we pulled together a group of friends and went out to Chilkoot Charlie’s and Humpy’s Ale House, two of the best-known bars in Anchorage. We had a blast!



Friday July 8, 2005
I went to the Alaska Zoo yesterday. Their bear exhibits were really cool. I got good video footage of all three major North American bears -- brown bear, black bear, and polar bear -- as well as the rare "blue" bear (which is actually a variant of the black bear).

All of the bears were active when I saw them, and it really helped to see their different sizes and behaviors in such a close time proximity. It drives home much of the research I've done this past year or so and, of course, it was fun!

I went for a three-mile jog last night around University Lake here in Anchorage. Talk about a nice night...




Thursday July 7, 2005
Yesterday was a blast! We drove from Anchorage over to Seward, Alaska, where we went to the Kenai Fjords National Park. At the park, we were able to walk right up to the Exit Glacier (photo below); it was about a mile hike from the parking lot. On the hike back down from the glacier, we actually approached a black bear in the wild.

The bear was about ten-fifteen feet right of the trail, and it didn’t seem to pay any attention to the ten people who started snapping photos of it. It was a big male, weighed approximately 200-300 pounds, and we reported it to the park ranger at the ranger station because one or two people were getting really close to it (within five feet) to take photos.

The ranger took our report.

We had dinner last night on the waterfront in Seward at Chinook’s.

We’re back in Anchorage today, and I may go to the Alaska Zoo.



Wednesday July 6, 2005
Well, we made it into Anchorage! Our plane got in last night right at midnight, and it was still light outside then. It really is far out being so far north that we do not get a truly darkened night.

We rented a car from Hertz and drove up to the University of Alaska. We're staying in a dorm "East Hall" on campus, and I am typing these very words right this moment from our dorm room "109 A." (There is a wireless connection! Yahoo!)

It's nice. They convert the dorms into makeshift hotels, and so Susan and I have our own suite, shower, rooms, coffee maker, sink, etc. We're in an interconnected suite.

The temperature was about 53 degrees when we got in last night, and the high is supposed to reach the low 70s today. Really picture perfect weather.

We have nothing major on the agenda today. We talked about going down to Kenai Fjords National Park to see the glaciers.


Tuesday July 5, 2005
Coffee does a body good!

Our flight for Anchorage leaves this evening from Phoenix around seven o'clock. We're scheduled to arrive sometime around midnight AK time.

I'll keep you updated the best I can once I get up there. We're actually staying in a dorm at the University of Alaska, Anchorage; so maybe I'll be able to find my way over to a library to check emails and update this here blog.




Monday July 4, 2005
This is a first: I am writing this blog at 30,000 feet, somewhere in the skies over Kansas. Susan and I are en route between Indianapolis and Phoenix, flying on Southwest Airlines. I've got an aisle seat, second row from the front.

We saw a parade today in Carmel, Indiana and tomorrow we leave for Anchorage, Alaska.

It's my first trip to Alaska.



Friday July 1, 2005
Well, I got The Colorado Sequence in the mail for the St. Martin's Press/PWA Best First Private Eye Novel Contest 2005 late yesterday evening. It required a full day of editing the final 160 pages of the manuscript, but it's really cool to know that I can set a deadline for myself and stick to it (I started editing the 670-page manuscript about two weeks ago).

I also entered Amber Page and the Legend of the Coral Stone in the Lulu.com/Xerox aspiring authors contest; that deadline was also today July 1st.

And also I entered my short story "The Cuda" in the Writers of the Future Contest for the quarter ending July 1st. That's a lot of contests all at once...

Susan and I leave for Indiana today (we leave for the airport in about thirty minutes)...

We'll be back for one day early next week, and then we're flying to Alaska for seven days. So, the blogs may skip a few days here and there; I can't decide whether to bring my computer or not, but it would be cool to blog from Denali National Park near Mt. McKinley! (I think I'll bring it:)

We've got good friends house-sitting for us, feeding and walking the dogs, etc., so not to worry.

Take care of yourself out there, folks!

Stacey



Thursday June 30, 2005
Today is the last day for edits on The Colorado Sequence. I've got to have the manuscript in the mail by the end of the day for the St. Martin's Press/PWA Best Private Eye Novel Contest. I still have about 160 pages to go, so I have my work cut out for me.

But I just got in from walking the dogs. I've got a fresh pot of coffee made, and I got nothing to get in the way.

July is going to be whirlwind month, as I'll be traveling to Indiana, Alaska, and Lake Tahoe, California.



Wednesday June 29, 2005
Some things in this business just come clear out of nowhere, it seems. For the past six months or so, I've been revising and revising my novel Amber Page and the Legend of the Coral Stone at Lulu Press. I work on it a little bit each day, and there are literally dozens of tools of the craft that can help you produce an appealing book simply from a formatting perspective (font style, size, line spacing, opposing headers, page numbering, title pages, copyright pages, cover art and graphic design, etc.). And, too, I should say that I had revised the novel for two years in manuscript form before starting with it at Lulu at all.

And so anyway last night, I received news that Lulu is co-hosting with Xerox a contest with a $5,000 grand prize to discover an aspiring writer.

The cool thing about the contest is you have to use Lulu, which minimizes the number of entrants. You've got to know how to publish at Lulu (i.e., all the details I've been working on for a year now), and you had to have a novel ready to go. The deadline for the contest is July 1.

And so I entered. I got a lot of technical help from Kristy at Lulu this morning via LiveHelp. Kristy totally helped me get entered. She was terrific! And so I have a novel entered in the contest.

If I had $5,000 to publish Amber Page and the Legend of the Coral Stone it would be an absolute Godsend, what with what I've learned about getting signings at bookstores, conventions, doing promotional T-shirts, fridge magnets, hiring cover artists and graphic designers, sending out review copies. Five thousand dollars gives you room to operate.

Now, I need to work to finish up the edits on The Colorado Sequence because I'm entering that novel in the St. Martin's Press/PWA Best First Private Eye Novel Contest, whose postmark deadline just happens to also be July 1. Incidentally, my novel Culpepper: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Shotgun was selected as a finalist last year from more than 175 entries. The winner receives a $10,000 advance and a publishing contract with St. Martin's Press.

And yet a third contest I've recently entered; I entered my short story "The Cuda" for the Writers of the Future Contest whose quarter ends July 1. The winner of each quarter receives $1,000. There is also a second and third place prize. Last year, I had two different short stories selected as quarter-finalists.

Come on lady luck! Be good to me!


Tuesday June 28, 2005
I love Kung Pao Chicken!


Sunday June 26, 2005
I've decided to publish Amber Page and the Legend of the Coral Stone as an independent. It is the first in a trilogy concerning a young girl named Amber Page who discovers she has super-hero powers and learns to use them to clean up the world against a nefarious criminal organization known as the S.H.R.O.U.D.

A big part of publishing a book independently involves the production of the book, and there are many challenges to overcome to produce a book from a formatting perspective.

The three years I spent in the late '90s in Dr. Ron Hoag's office publishing The Concord Saunterer went a long way toward teaching me the craft of book publishing. For The Band, it was enough to see a finished product, functionally readable, and to see how much time it takes to enter bookstore databases. With The Kiribati Test, I grew a little bit, got better cover art (thanks Mimosa!), and was able to get the book, its cover image, and its book description info in a few more databases (Barnes & Noble, for example, has a frontcover and backcover), and to read and sign it at a couple of conventions (World Fantasy Con and Mesa Literary Festival).

With Amber Page, I really want to produce a book that looks as good as any non-indie Trade paperback. One major shift is that I have given myself a six-nine month window to promote Amber Page , to get cover blurbs, to produce a sharp cover, format the book's interior, etc. I'm just giving myself a lot more time to produce the book and to promote it. I think it'll go a long way toward producing a better finished product when Amber Page and the Legend of the Coral Stone hits bookstores this Winter.


Saturday June 25, 2005
We're repainting our house. Well, I should say my wife and her stepmom are repainting our house. I've been working like mad on The Colorado Sequence revisions. The deadline for this year's St. Martin's Press/PWA Best Private Eye Novel Contest is July 1.

I love deadlines!


Tuesday June 21, 2005
I placed an advertisement in the Raleigh News & Observer for ten days directing traffic towards www.amberpage.com. It cost 22 bucks and had the potential to be seen by a half million people.

I actually have started a file for newspaper advertising rates from around the country. I began by looking at college newspapers, which are usually much less expensive to advertise in and yet reach a large, loyal readership. By placing an ad in thirty college newspapers, you could potentially be seen by a half million people. Cost is the issue. And time. It costs a lot more to advertise in a major city newspaper, which reaches a larger number of people, but the ads just kind'a get lost in those papers because they're professionally published newspapers. Plus, the sales reps tend to treat you less enthusiastically at pro papers, whereas college newspapers, run by students, are very eager to work with you.

The idea hasn't lost much steam in my mind over the past month or two, which is usually a sign that I'll probably look into something even more seriously with time.



June 7, 2005
After a one-month hiatus, I'm back online with more daily factoids and news.

So, for a reborn journal, I thought it only appropriate that we start with a picture of rebirth...

My first Easter Lily bloomed today! Lilies are really difficult to grow and have a short bloom, lasting only a couple weeks per year. To take care of them, you must trim back the stalks in the fall, unearth and clean the bulbs, and replant them in a pot to keep during the winter. It helps to cover the soil during the winter with some mulch (I used wood chip shavings), and then there's all this anticipation that they will (or won't) sprout in the spring.

So this is a really, really cool day...



Monday April 25, 2005
I saw that Nicholas Sparks's True Believer was #1 on the NY Times hardcover list at the end of the week. It was released on April 14. His career has been fun to watch the past nine years.

I sent the final draft of Claws to Winifred this morning. I think the revisions are just about complete. I'll be working out of the house most of the day today.

The weather's perfect across Arizona, and the grass has finally begun to turn green again on the lawn out back! :)

Spring is here.



Sunday April 24, 2005
I've started back working on Dr. Plant. 1,900 words yesterday, a thousand today; I hope to get back into a rhythm until at least July at which point I may start working again on the second Claws book.

I saw "The Interpreter" Friday with Susan. We both liked it. It was more dramatic and less suspenseful than I thought it would be, but it was still a rich character study because you're constantly wondering what Nicole Kidman's character's motivations are, whose side is she on, why she's behaving a certain way in a certain scene. It was good.

I spoke with Winifred by phone this afternoon, and we worked through some final edits on Claws. She's really great to work with, and at one point, we were both laughing so hard over the phrase "kuh-huh" that I think my eyes watered. Writing can be fun when you're able to laugh at your own work.

We'll probably go to making the pitch either later this week or early next week. We could have a book deal by the end of the first week of May...

Keep your fingers crossed.



Thursday April 21, 2005
I received a copy of the signed author-agent agreement today. I can not tell you how humbled and lucky I feel to have signed with such a reputable, proven literary agent.

I'm actually in awe, looking at the signed contract right now.

Seven years of querying ... I'm elated and humbled and almost breathtakingly speechless right this moment ... and I feel very, very lucky.

Talk about a good day. Man.

Stacey


Wednesday April 20, 2005
Susan and I received the good news yesterday that we will, in fact, be travelling to Alaska later this summer. Alaska is so far north that they'll be getting like 24 hours of sunlight come July. Kind'a far out for someone who's never been to Alaska before.

Our base of operations will be Anchorage, but I'd love to make it up to the Denali National Park, which is about 200 miles northward. Should be fun!



Monday April 18, 2005
I have a seven-year-old Weimaraner named "Steinbeck." He's asleep on the floor five feet from my desk, and it looks really funny.

I'm working through the edits on Claws today.

Uh-oh, here comes Zoe! (Zoe is our three-year-old Vizsla mix:)



Saturday April 16, 2005
I saw U2 in concert last night with four friends at the Glendale Arena. The band Kings of Leon opened for them, and we had floor tickets that enabled us to get within about twenty-five feet of the ellipse-shaped stage.

At one point during the song "Yahweh," all four members of the band were about as close as a living room's distance away. It was pretty cool.

Susan and I drove over to San Diego, CA, two weeks ago and saw the first show of the tour at the San Diego Sports Arena. The show last night was much better, I thought. The band looked like they had worked out some of their rust in the past two weeks, and they played a tight set that they seemed to really enjoy. It looked like they were having a lot of fun.

We had a great time in both San Diego and a great time last night at the Phoenix show in the Glendale Arena.



Friday April 15, 2005
I feel so lucky to have the literary agent I have. This morning I had the most thoughtful email with comments and suggestions for the first like 100+ pages of Claws. It just amazed me how much work, time and effort she's putting into improving the manuscript.

It's awesome! I feel lucky!

I just thought I would say that.:)



Wednesday April 13, 2005
During the month of March, I wrote a new novel. This is the first time I've mentioned it publicly beyond a few close friends and my agent (to whom I mentioned it a couple days ago). I had been hammering away at this massive novel Dr. Plant since November 2003, but I recognized just this past March that I was ready to work on a new, shorter novel very quickly. I initially called it a "throw away" novel because I was just writing it to allow my brain to recharge before plowing toward the ending of Dr. Plant.

The new novel is titled Inferno and concerns the comic-book-style world I have developed in Culpepper, Amber Page and the Legend of the Coral Stone, The Colorado Sequence, and Dr. Plant. Very early on, I saw a clear three-act structure for Inferno, with each act ending on a definitive note. I even knew what those scenes would be before I started writing it; I saw the major scenes of the novel before I started, and then I just stuck to my guns and delivered it over the course of a month and a half of writing. Also, it is the most clearly realized novel in terms of a specific demographic for which I have ever written; that is, I wrote it with a Young Adult audience (ages 12-18) very clearly in mind, and I stuck with this all the way through the writing process, too.

And so, ironically, it has ended up being maybe something more than a "throw away" novel. It's extremely tight (under 50,000 words), extremely focused, and fits a very specific demographic. I described it to my agent the other day as "a cross between Carrie and Harry Potter."

I may actually have something with this book.

The first draft is done, with the exception of an Epilogue which I very consciously am going to hold off on writing until Susan and I get back from an Alaska trip we have planned for later this summer. I want the Epilogue to be set in Alaska, and the self-imposed three-month wait will force me to wait to do edits until some time (3 months) has passed.

If writing group is interested in giving it a read, I'll try to maybe get them a copy by late July, and I would have it ready for my agent by August/September. My instinct tells me this is the book to come between Claws and Claws 2.

Inferno. It'll be interesting to see if I can do anything with this one.

--Stacey




Sunday April 10, 2005
I saw Sahara last night with a group of nine friends. Movies like Sahara are a blast to see on opening weekend with a big group of friends. I ate two boxes of Goobers, drank one 32 oz. Sprite, and enjoyed every minute of the film. I actually met Clive Cussler (author of the book on which the film was based) last summer. He was at the "AZ Murder Goes Thriller" Convention up in Scottsdale.

We all enjoyed the movie. Matthew McConaughey was terrific, Penelope Cruz was as cool as black velvet, but I think Steve Zahn stole the show with his hilarious performance as the loyal, loveable, crazy sidekick Al Giordino.


Thursday April 7, 2005
I received the great news yesterday via email from editor Lynne Jamneck that my short story "The Cuda" will be published in the May 2005 issue of Simulacrum.


"The Cuda" is a short story about a small town used car dealer in Cactus, Arizona, who buys a magical 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda, whose trunk can repair broken things. For example, if a toaster is broken and you place it in the trunk at night, the next morning it will be fixed as good as new. The story follows this rather benevolent storyline until the widowed used car dealer takes it into his mind that he might dig up his buried wife from the local cemetery to see if the Cuda can "fix" her!


Sunday April 3, 2005 7:50PM MST
Susan just got in from her Bible study, and she says she heard more news about mountain lions in Gold Canyon. One was actually shot and killed in the Mountain Brook subdivision two weeks ago. Mountain Brook is about two miles from where I'm typing these very words right this moment. Pretty close by.

Also, a number of other people in her study group had heard about Friday's sighting, too.

As a result of Friday's incident (my almost jogging past one right at dusk), I decided to drive down to Thunder Mountain Middle School to do my evening jog on the track. The track is encircled by a six-foot fence, and so I feel much more safe considering the recent events with cougars.


Sunday April 3, 2005
Well, Susan heard the ladies at Curves talking about the mountain lion sightings out here in Gold Canyon, too. Apparently, a number of people saw the cat and have reported it to authorities. It's just one of those strange coincidences of life, what Carl Jung would have called "synchronicity."



Saturday April 2, 2005
I went ahead and called Animal Control last night to report the mountain lion sighting. No one answered as it was after hours, and so I left a message. After a good night's sleep, I woke up this morning and decided to go ahead and call the local non-emergency line for the Pinal County sheriff's office to report the sighting. They directed me to Arizona Game and Fish, and so I called them and made the report.

I gave the operator the address of the home where the mountain lion was spotted, and the operator said she would file a report and that they would have a Game & Fish officer out to look at the area.

The fellow who first alerted me to it last night said that he had seen one a "couple weeks ago" near the Apache Land park a few blocks (less than a mile) from our neighborhood. So, it's probably a good thing to go ahead and report it. We may have a situation out here in Gold Canyon like they had down in Sabino Canyon early last year.


Friday April 1, 2005 9:00PM
I saw my first mountain lion tonight. I was on my evening 3-mile jog, and I came up over the hill on a street about a quarter mile from my home. One of my neighbors was standing out in the middle of the street talking excitedly on a cell phone. He flagged me over and said, "I just saw a mountain lion!"

I thought maybe he'd seen a bobcat and just thought it was a mountain lion, but he said it had a "gold coat" and "was big." He was very nervous and said he didn't want to approach it.

I asked him how big it was, and he held his hand right at his right hip. I asked him if he had any idea how much it weighed, and he said he didn't know. His adrenaline was up, and he was very excited.

I told him a little bit about the research I've done. I pointed out one of our neighbor's dogs and said that mountain lions shy away from barking dogs (unlike grizzly bears). Then, I raced home, got my truck, my spotlight, and drove back up to the house at 9808 Treasure Place, where he'd seen it. It was right at twilight, when I spotted it on the hillside about 75 meters from my truck, about 50 meters from the house. It was just strolling along the hillside, very casually, very calmly.

It didn't seem alarmed or nervous at all, which is the impression I'd had from the books I've read. It seemed nonchalant about me in my truck at that distance, and its eyes shined in the spotlight like a cat's eyes.

At 75 meters, it's hard to estimate a weight, but I would guess between 120-140 pounds, about twice to three times the size of my dog, a 60-pound Weimaraner.

I followed it in the beam of the spotlight for about five minutes, staying in my truck:) as it strolled very calmly, very casually down the hillside. It would stop every ten feet or so and calmly look around.


Friday April 1, 2005
Regarding the March 22nd entry below -- I got a haircut last night:)

And, too, I got my teeth cleaned and had my dental check-up today. So, I'm spit-polished, shined up, and ready to go!



Thursday March 31, 2005
I have decided to sign with Winifred Golden of the Castiglia Literary Agency. We spoke yesterday afternoon on the phone for about an hour, and it was a pleasant, productive conversation. Here are a few reasons why I made the decision I made: 1) Winifred went out on a limb to read the whole manuscript over the weekend knowing that other agents were interested in Claws. 2) I think we just have a rapport, which is rare and simple and yet a thing of beauty when it happens. 3) The Castiglia Agency is located in southern California, a short hop across the desert from Phoenix. 4) Winifred seems to have a similar business sense regarding the publishing and movie industries relative to my own. And 5) she seems to really get Claws. She understands where it fits into the marketplace and is excited about it.

I don't know; it's hard to explain at this point why exactly it works when it does, but it just looks like everything's cool.

I'll keep everyone updated on how this unfolds. Keep the prayers and support coming!:)

Stacey



Friday March 25, 2005
I love ending the week on an upbeat note. I received three responses in today's mail. Two were positive; one was negative.

The positive responses came from Michael Larsen-Elizabeth Pomada Literary Agents and the Vrattos Literary Agency, two northern California agencies. The form-letter rejection came from Margaret McBride Literary Agency.

Larsen-Pomada are requesting the full manuscript and a 2-page synopsis, whereas Francesca Vrattos just wants to see the opening 30 pages.

Just a word or two about writing a synopsis, if I may.

This is a good thing to go ahead and hammer out before you start sending your queries because so many agents ask to see one. Honestly, a good query letter should be all the synopsis you need, but a number of agents will request a 2-3 page (double spaced; 12-point font) type synopsis. You might as well go ahead and get one written before querying, even if you don't include it with the initial query.



Thursday March 24, 2005
Tough day on the agency-search front today. I received five rejections, four form letters from Spencerhill Associates, Susan Ann Protter, Daniel Bial, Ethan Ellenberg, and one personal note from Philip G. Spitzer that reads:

Dear Stacey Cochran,

I wish I could ask to see Claws, which certainly sounds intriguing. But, unfortunately, I am so overwhelmed with work (and, generally, over-committed) that I can't possibly take on anything more until I get caught up. I know I wouldn't have the time to do justice to your novel. But thanks for having thought of me.

Sincerely,
(signed)
Philip G. Spitzer

A very thoughtful note.

On the + side of things, I did have a nice e-mail exchange with Winifred Golden of the Castiglia Literary Agency. It was so simple, friendly, and nice I'm a little suspicious (have I become that jaded by the business?!) Seriously, in seven years of querying literary agencies, I've never before had an agent communicate with me in what could be characterized as a normal human way. It's been a pleasant departure from the standard treatment.




Tuesday March 22, 2005
It doesn't have much to do with getting published...but, man, I need a haircut. I got a regular fro growing out the top of my head.

My wife kept riding me for about three months to get a trim, but then I think she just finally caved in and stopped fighting it.

Now, we just sort'a eye it peculiarly each morning as though it's a scientific experiment that has gone awry.

Two non-positive responses today on the agency front:(


Monday March 21, 2005
I received four positive responses in today's mail. Each of the four literary agents asked to see more of Claws. Rock on!

So, that's a total thusfar of eight positive responses in just under seven days. Not a shabby start...



Saturday March 19, 2005
I received another positive response today, and I have spent most of the morning and afternoon getting these manuscript packages ready for the mail.

All total that's 4 positive responses, 0 negative, and there are still 48 agents to go.

Go Claws!



Friday March 18, 2005
Well, I knew the response would be immediate, but wow! As of this afternoon, I have received three replies to the 52 queries. Two were emailed responses requesting either partial or the whole manuscript. The third was a snail-mail response requesting partial.

I went ahead and got one manuscript in the mail to one agent who landed a seven-figure deal recently for another young thriller writer. So I'll be keeping my fingers crossed!

At any rate, it's very exciting! And that's three positive responses right off the bat.


Tuesday March 15, 2005
Below is a partial list of the agencies I queried, listed with their contact information. If you have any questions about any of these agencies, feel free to contact me.


AEI Atchity Entertainment International, Inc.
9601 Wilshire Blvd. Box 1202
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
e-mail: submissions@aeionline.com
www.aeionline.com
Agents: Ken Atchity, Chi-Li Wong; Brenna Lui, Jennifer Pope, Margaret O’Connor, Michael Kuciak


Marcia Amsterdam Agency
41 West 82nd Street
New York, NY 10024
Tel: 212-873-4945
Agent: Marcia Amsterdam


Authentic Creations Literary Agency, Inc.
875 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road, Suite 310-306
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
e-mail: rob@authenticcreations.com
Agents: Mary Lee Laitsch, Ronald E. Laitsch


BA Literary Agency
1062 Manila Drive
Barefoot Bay, FL 32976
e-mail: phildotd@aol.com
Agent: Phil Raia


Daniel Bial Agency
41 West 83rd Street, Suite 5-C
New York, NY 10024
e-mail: dbialagency@juno.com


Bleecker Street Associates, Inc.
532 LaGuardia Place, #617
New York, NY 10012
Tel: 212-677-4492
Agent: Agnes Birnbaum


Bookends, LLC
136 Long Hill Road
Gillettte, NJ 07933
e-mail: editor@bookends-inc.com
www.bookends-inc.com
Agents: Jessica Faust, Jacky Sach, Kim Lionetti


Maria Carvanis Agency, Inc.
1350 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 2905
New York, NY 10019
e-mail: mca@mariacarvanisagency.com
Agents: Maria Carvanis, Moira Sullivan, David Harvey


Clausen, Mays & Tahan Literary Agency
PO Box 1015
New York, NY 10276
Tel: 276-239-4343
Agents: Stedman Mays, Mary M. Tahan


Ruth Cohen, Inc.
PO Box 2244
La Jolla, CA 92038
Tel: 858-456-5805
Agent: Ruth Cohen


Frances Collin, Literary Agent
PO Box 33
Wayne, PA 19087
e-mail: fran@francescollin.com
Agent: Fran Collin


Don Congdon Associates, Inc.
156 Fifth Avenue, Suite 625
New York, NY 10010
e-mail: dca@doncongdon.com
Agents: Don Congdon, Michael Congdon, Susan Ramer, Cristina Concepcion




Richard Curtis Associates, Inc.
171 East 74th Street
New York, NY 10021
Tel: 212-772-7363
Agent: Richard Curtis


Liza Dawson Associates
240 West 35th Street, Suite 500
New York, NY 10001
e-mail: ldawson@lizadawsonassociates.com; caitlinblasdell@yahoo.com
Agents: Liza Dawson, Caitlin Blasdell



DHS Literary, Inc.
10711 Preston Road, Suite 100
Dallas, TX 75230
e-mail: submissions@dhsliterary.com
Agent: David Hale Smith


Jim Donovan Literary
4515 Prentice, Suite 109
Dallas, TX 75206
Tel: 214-696-9411
Agent: Jim Donovan


Ellenberg Literary Agency
548 Broadway, #5E
New York, NY 10012
www.ethanellenberg.com
e-mail: agent@ethanellenberg.com
Agent: Ethan Ellenberg, Michael Psaltis




The Fogelman Literary Agency
7515 Greenville Avenue, Suite 712
Dallas, TX 75231
www.fogelman.com
e-mail: foglit@aol.com
Agents: Evan M. Fogelman, Linda M. Kruger, Helen C. Brown


Foster Literary Agency
PO Box 939
West Jordan, UT 84084
e-mail: tinajazz@aol.com
Agent: Tina Foster


The Sebastian Gibson Agency
PO Box 13350
Palm Desert, CA 92255
Tel: 760-322-2446
Agent: Sebastian Gibson


Graybill & English, LLC
1875 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 712
Washington DC 20009
Tel: 202-588-9798
www.graybillandenglish.com
Agents: Nina Graybill, Elaine English, Jeff Kleinman, Lynn Whittaker, Kristen Auclair


The Charlotte Gusay Literary Agency
10532 Blythe Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90064
www.mediastudio.com/gusay
e-mail: gusay1@aol.com
Agent: Charlotte Gusay


John Hawkins & Associates
71 West 23rd Street, Suite 1600
New York, NY 10010
www.jhaliterary.com
Agents: Warren Frazier, Anne Hawkins, William Reiss, Elly Sidel



International Literary Arts
RR 5, Box 5391 A
Moscow, PA 18444
www.internationalliteraryarts.com
e-mail: query@internationalliteraryarts.com



Natasha Kern Literary Agency, Inc.
PO Box 2908
Portland, OR 97208
www.natashakern.com
Agent: Natasha Kern





Laura Langlie, Literary Agent
275 President Street, Apartment 3
Brooklyn, NY 11231
e-mail: ljlangliel@aol.com
Agent: Laura Langlie



Levine Greenberg Literary Agency, Inc.
307 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1906
New York, NY 10001
www.levinegreenberg.com
Agents: James A. Levine, Arielle Eckstut, Daniel Greenberg, Stephanie Kip Rostan


Lindsey’s Literary Service
7502 Greenville Avenue, Suite 500
Dallas, TX 75321
e-mail: bonedges001@aol.com
Agents: Emily Armenta, Bonnie James


The Literary Group International
270 Lafayette Street, Suite 1505
New York, NY 10012
www.theliterarygroup.com
e-mail: litgrpfw@aol.com
Agents: Frank Weimann, Ian Kleinert




Donald Maass Literary Agency
160 West 95th Street, Suite 1B
New York, NY 10025
e-mail: info@maassagency.com
Agents: Donald Maass, Jennifer Jackson, Rachel Vater, Cameron McClure




Margret McBride Literary Agency
7744 Fay Avenue, Suite 201
La Jolla, CA 92037
www.mcbrideliterary.com
e-mail: staff@mcbridelit.com
Agent: Margret McBride, Donna DeGutis


E.J. McCarthy Agency
21 Columbus Ave., Suite 210
San Francisco, CA 94111
E-mail: ejmagency@mac.com
Agent: E.J. McCarthy




Sally Hill McMillan & Associates
429 East Kingston Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28203
e-mail: mcmagency@aol.com
Agent: Sally McMillan



Doris S. Michaels Literary Agency, Inc.
1841 Broadway, Suite 903
New York, NY 10023
www.dsmagency.com
Agent: Doris S. Michaels



Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, Inc.
216 East 75th Street, 1E
New York, NY 10021
Agent: Jean V. Naggar, Jennifer Weltz, Anne Engel, and Alice Tasman



Susan Ann Protter, Literary Agent
110 West 40th Street, Suite 1408
New York, NY 10018
Agent: Susan Ann Protter



The Amy Rennert Agency, Inc.
98 Main Street, Suite #302
Tiburon, CA 94920
Tel: 415-789-8955
Agent: Amy Rennert



Jodie Rhodes Literary Agency
8840 Villa La Jolla Drive, Suite 315
La Jolla, CA 92037
e-mail: jrhodes1@san.rr.com
Agents: Jodie Rhodes, Clark McCutcheon, Bob McCarter, Vicki Satlow



Jonne Ricci Literary Agency
PO Box 13410
Palm Desert, CA 92255
www.jonnericciliteraryagency.com




The Peter Rubie Literary Agency
240 West 35th Street, Suite 500
New York, NY 10001
www.prlit.com
e-mail: pralit@aol.com; sendmanuscript@aol.com
Agent: Peter Rubie, June Clark, Hanna Rubin, Jodi Weiss, Caren Johnson



The Sagalyn Literary Agency
7201 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 675
Bethesda, MD 20814
Tel: 301-718-6440
Agent: Raphael Sagalyn



Victoria Sanders & Associates
241 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10014
e-mail: queriesvsa@hotmail.com



Schiavone Literary Agency, Inc.
236 Trails End
West Palm Beach, FL 33413-2135
e-mail: profschia@aol.com
Agent: James Schiavone


Wendy Schmalz Agency
Box 831
Hudson, NY 12534
e-mail: wschmalz@earthlink.net
Agent: Wendy Schmalz



Sebastian Literary Agency
172 E. Sixth Street, #2005
St. Paul, MN 55101
www.sebastianagency.com
Agents: Laurie Harper, Dawn Frederick, Hillary Smith



Wendy Sherman Associates, Inc.
450 Seventh Avenue, Suite 3004
New York, NY 10123
www.wsherman.com
e-mail: wendy@wsherman.com
Agent: Wendy Sherman



Spencerhill Associates, Ltd.
24 Park Row
PO Box 374
Chatham, NY 12037
e-mail: ksolem@klsbooks.com
Agent: Karen Solem




Philip G. Spitzer Literary Agency
50 Talmage Farm Lane
Easthampton, NY 11937
e-mail: spitzer516@aol.com
Agent: Philip Spitzer



Pam Strickler Author Management
P.O. Box 429
Accord, NY 12404
www.pamstrickler.com
Agent: Pamela Dean Strickler



The John Talbot Agency, Inc.
540 West Boston Post Road
PMB 266
Mamaroneck, NY 10543
www.johntalbotagency.com
e-mail: talbotagency@mac.com
Agent: John Talbot



The Vines Agency, Inc.
648 Broadway, Suite 901
New York, NY 10012
e-mail: jv@vinesagency.com
Agent: James C. Vines



John A. Ware Literary Agency
392 Central Park West
New York, NY 10025
Agent: John A. Ware




Waterside Productions, Inc.
The Waterside Building
2187 Newcastle Avenue, #204
Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA 92007
www.waterside.com
Agent: Matt Wagner, David Fugate, Margot Maley Hutchinson, Christopher Crumlish, Kimberly Valentini, Jawahara K. Saidullah, William E. Brown, Craig Wiley




Wieser & Elwell, Inc
80 Fifth Avenue, #1101
New York, NY 10011
Tel: 212-260-0860
Agents: Olga B. Wieser, Jake Elwell



Writers House LLC
21 West 26th Street
New York, NY 10010
Tel: 212-685-2400
Agents: Steven Malk, Susan Ginsberg, Michele Rubin, Albert J. Zuckerman, Merrilee Heifetz, Amy Berkower, Jennifer Lyons (lyons@writershouse.com), Susan Cohen, Simon Lipskar, Jodi Reamer




The Zack Company, Inc.
243 West 70th Street, Suite 8D
New York, NY 10023
www.zackcompany.com
Agent: Andrew Zack


Susan Zeckendorf Associates, Inc.
171 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019
Tel: 212-245-2928
Agent: Susan Zeckendorf





Monday March 14, 2005
I mailed 52 queries to literary agencies today. It took most of the day yesterday to put the envelopes, SASEs, and letters together. All total that makes 74 literary agencies that have now been queried regarding my suspense novel Claws.

From my experience doing this before, most of the responses will begin returning within 7-10 days and the slowest agents may take as much as 3 months to reply.

I'll be posting their responses as they arrive.

Below, you'll see a photograph of the 52 query letters before I took them to the post office






Sunday March 13, 2005
I have decided to begin a journal detailing my quest for publication. I believe that getting published comes about as a result of three things: 1) hard work, 2) having a marketable, well-written novel, and 3) querying every literary agent and publisher you can.

When you finish writing a novel, you should spend two-three years editing it. After that time, for better or for worse, your novel is going to be about as good as you’re going to get it. The next step is to get a literary agent.

There are only about 200 literary agencies. There are two main reference books that list them all: 1) Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, and Literary Agents and 2) Writer's Market. Each of these books is updated annually with the most current listing for agents and publishers. You should query an agent by sending a one-page letter with an enclosed SASE. The letter I'm using appears below. In six months, you should be able to query every literary agency.

If you fail to gain representation, your options simplify. You must query book publishers and editors yourself. There are two main types of publishers: 1) publishing conglomerates and 2) small presses. The big publishing conglomerates are the houses that most readers are familiar with (Warner, Bantam, Dell, St. Martin's, etc.) All total there are about 40. You should be able to query them all and receive responses within 3 months.

The next rung on the ladder are the small press publishers. There are hundreds of small press publishers, but they are pretty specific regarding what they will publish. Again, the guidebooks mentioned above will help you find the right ones for your book.

If you fail to gain represenation, fail to get an editor or publisher with a conglomerate, and fail to get an editor at a small press, you really only have two options left: 1) Leave the novel unpublished and unread on your computer; or 2) Self publish it.

It's that simple.

Write your novel, edit it for two-three years, query every literary agent in the book, query every publisher in the book, and if by this point you don't have it published, publish it on your own.

On January 7th, 2005, I queried 22 literary agencies regarding my suspense novel Claws. As of today, four have responded positively asking to see the manuscript.

Today, I am going to send out another round of agency queries. 50 total. I have professional stationary, professional letterhead, and I will use the following query letter:


John Q. Agent
John Q.’s Literary Agency
555 Fifth Ave.
New York, New York 10010

Dear John Q. Agent,

Land is vanishing at an astonishing rate in the American West. At the same time, wildlife regulation has helped increase cougar populations to their highest numbers in 150 years (30,000 U.S. /Canadian cougars). With human and cougar populations so abundant and in such close proximity, a complex problem has arisen that forms the basis for my suspense novel Claws, for which I am seeking representation.

Claws is a 70,000-word novel—the first in a series—with research biologist Dr. Angie Rippard as the protagonist. As a wildlife expert, Dr. Rippard is drawn into a Tucson, Arizona police investigation when two teenagers are killed on a five-star golf course. The golf course borders protected National Forest Land, and Rippard suspects that real estate encroachment is a significant factor triggering the late-night attack. Her stance, however, makes her the enemy of the powerful real estate developer who owns the resort.

As with all good entertainment novels, Claws does not seek to answer every question it addresses. It is meant to entertain and perhaps shed light on a problem (vanishing land and wildlife regulation) that is certain to intensify during the next ten to twenty years.

In 2001, I graduated with an M.A. in Creative Writing from East Carolina University. That summer, at the age of twenty-seven, I moved to Arizona in order to write fiction full time. Since then, I have published numerous short stories in award-winning journals and magazines. I have published interviews with the hottest writers in crime fiction, science fiction, literary and suspense fiction. I have earned the respect of colleagues and have built a modest, loyal readership. I have also won awards.

In 1998, I was a finalist for the Isaac Asimov Award. Between 1998 and 2001, I was a four-time finalist for my university’s literary magazine (more than any other writer in fifty-four years). In 2003 and 2004, I was twice recognized as a quarterfinalist for the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest. And in October 2004, my first novel Culpepper: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Shotgun was one of six finalists selected from more than 175 entries for the St. Martin’s Press/PWA Best First Private Eye Novel Contest.

My greatest strengths are just now being realized with this fresh new novel series Claws; those strengths lie in writing commercial suspense novels that speak to broad audiences about timely, well-researched issues.

I want to publish this novel because I believe it is important. I believe in this book, and I need to work with an agent who shares my passion. I would be honored to provide you with a detailed synopsis, the manuscript, and information regarding my marketing platform. Land is vanishing in the American West, and wildlife species are responding to an intensifying problem. It is time to bring this issue to light; it is time to tell the story.

Would you like to see the completed manuscript?

Sincerely,



Stacey Cochran


And so, that's how it all began, folks...