Genre, Metaphor, Twitter Pitch Contests, and Feminist Werewolf Novels with Author Rachel Harrison

10/19/22 • 28 min

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We are so happy to speak with author Rachel Harrison about her new feminist werewolf novel, Such Sharp Teeth! This isn’t horror as you’d normally expect it—the cover is pink, the setting includes Target and Starbucks, and the main character is a twin just trying to get control over her new werewolf tendencies—and her love life. We talk about werewolf metaphors for how we can’t control everything (or even most things) about our bodies, how genre is a loose concept that can have one book shelved everywhere from women’s fiction to thriller to horror, and how #PitDark set off an incredibly fast rise from unagented, to agented, to published. You can learn more about Rachel Harrison here: https://www.rachel-harrison.com/

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#TenQueries with Agent Ismita Hussain - YA, NA, Short Stories & More!

We loved this episode! We talk with agent Ismita Hussain (Great Dog Literary) about short stories, writers making mistakes with QueryManager, New Adult, and what makes a query work for her—and for the majority of agents. Listen in as she goes over what ten writers did right, did wrong—and how their work can help you present your book in the best possible light. Want to go over your query or first few pages with Ismita? Sign up here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/ismita-hussain Ismita is a Georgia native and graduate of Emory University, where she studied Human Health and Italian. During college, she also worked for various Atlanta area hospitals in departments ranging from neonatal to geriatric care. In her Desi household, she grew up speaking Bangla, Hindi, and Urdu. Ismita is a founding member of Disability in Publishing and currently serves as their External Relations Lead. She is also a part of the Literary Agents of Change Mentorship Program 2022 cohort. Ismita represents literary fiction, health-related non-fiction, YA, and short story collections. Some of her favorite authors are Flannery O’Connor, Cormac McCarthy, Oscar Wilde, and Tom Perrotta. Ismita is especially drawn to fiction with a Southern setting, gritty realist writing, and any books that explore health or disability. Ultimately though, she’s a sucker for writing with a great sense of humor. Her client list and more about Great Dog Literary can be found on www.greatdogliterary.com. You can also find her on Twitter @ismita_h .

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Script-to-book, Book-to-Film, And All Things IP with Bethany Baptiste & Gigi Griffis

We love this conversation about a part of the industry few writers know about--script-to-book, or when a writer is hired to novelize a project originally designed for the screen. Both Bethany and Gigi have successful projects in this area--Bethany Baptiste is the author of Izzy Hawthorne: Destiny Awaits, a script-to-book project based on Disney’s Buzz Lightyear movie, and Gigi Griffis is the author of The Empress, a script-to-book project based on Netflix’s series of the same name. We talk about finding these opportunities, getting yourself ready to create an entire project in 30 days--and how you can start *now* if this is a goal for you. Plus, we cover other Intellectual Property (IP) project types, how to find an agent for this kind of work--and what they've learned along the way. Bethany Baptiste is a slightly responsible grown-up living Jacksonville, Florida in a little brick house with her fiancé, three chaotic evil dogs, and too many books. She holds two degrees in Early Childhood Education and taught for seven years. Now as an inclusion specialist, she advocates for preschoolers with special needs. When not prying a shoe from a Schnauzer’s jaws, she writes about Black kids with big hearts and little morals. You can visit her at bethanybaptiste.com or @storysorcery on Twitter. Bethany is represented by John Cusick of Folio Literary Management. Gigi Griffis is a world-traveling entrepreneur and writer with a special love for inspiring stories, new places, and living in the moment. In May 2012, she sold her stuff and took to the road with a growing business and a pint-sized pooch. She has been traveling full-time since then and is the author of Italy: 100 Locals Tell You Where to Go, What to Eat, and How to Fit In, as well as three additional guidebooks for Paris, Prague, and Barcelona. Gigi and her work have been featured at The New York Times, Married With Luggage, Miss Minimalist, International Living, Transitions Abroad, Forbes, and more. And her new travel guides are already hitting top-100 and top-10 lists on sites like Amazon.com. Find her work and books at gigigriffis.com. Follow Gigi on Twitter @gigigriffis