Remember that over-achieving kid in your high school class who was on the varsity basketball team, President of the Student Body, AND played a mean guitar solo in the talent show? That’s J.E. Fishman…only in the publishing world. He’s been an accomplished editor at Doubleday, owned his own literary agency, and is a published non-fiction author. Did we mention he has a few novels and a screenplay in the pipeline?

But the best thing about J.E. is that he’s willing to share his experiences to help aspiring writers out there learn the lessons he has accumulated over his many years in the business. WordHustler sat down with J.E. to discuss how fast the industry moves, how much moxie it takes to survive, and why no one owes you a read. Hint: make sure you grab your reader from the start!

Read on to learn from J.E.’s heartaches, triumphs, and vision. You won’t be sorry!

WordHustler: You’ve been involved in pretty much every aspect of the publishing industry, from editor to agent to author. How long have you been writing?

J.E. Fishman: Like anyone who aspires to be published, in some sense I’ve been writing all my life.  I wrote stories as a kid.  Wherever I go - walking down the street, driving in the car - I see stories.  Recently, I was getting rid of an old office computer and had to laboriously wipe the hard drive clean one file at a time.  It was full of reading notes, book ideas - most important, story ideas.

WH: When you were an editor at Doubleday, which types of books/authors did you work with?

JEF: The books ran the gamut of non-fiction, from the equestrian library to true crime, business, sports, narrative non-fiction.  When I left Doubleday, I had a lot of credibility with journalists, so I ended up specializing in narrative non-fiction, though I agented the occasional novel.

WH: What is the main difference between being an editor now and when you were one?

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Kristin Bair O’Keeffe is the author of THIRSTY. She is also a happy mom, an engaging teacher who believes in “telling the best story you can…believing in your writing…and working your arse off,” a fierce advocate for the end of domestic violence, and a writer who spends as much time as possible in “writerhead.”

WordHustler sat down with Kristin to get her advice about making sure your draft is ready to be sent out, the double-duty authors have to pull in order to get their books out there, and why chocolate + keyboard = no good. Read on to discover how to quench your own thirst for publishing success, with advice from an ingenious writer who knows how to slake (and make) it!

WordHustler: You have a varied writing background, including being published in Poets & Writers Magazine, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Baltimore Review, San Diego Family Magazine, The Gettysburg Review…what do you consider your first big break, writing-wise?

Kristin Bair O’Keeffe: I’m a not a big break kind of writer; I’m of the slow-grow variety. I’ve been nurturing my career poem by poem, story by story, since I was eight years old. With each piece I’ve published (and the many I’ve written but haven’t published), I’ve learned a little more about writing, my voice, what I like to write about, what I believe in, the world…and the business of selling my work. The wonderful, amazing, cumulative effect of all this is my debut novel THIRSTY.

WH: An early draft of your novel, THIRSTY, was actually your graduate thesis, correct? Had you planned on trying to get it published as a novel while still working on it as a thesis? Had you published any fiction previously?

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Step right up and take a ride through the wild backcountry of the Great American South, described in vivid detail by your tour guide, humor writer Celia Rivenbark. Celia’s fifth (hilarious) book, You Can’t Drink All Day If You Don’t Start In the Morning, will have you rolling in the aisles (of both church AND Wal-mart).

WordHustler sat down with this funny vixen to get her thoughts on writing, landing her dream agent, and why people need to stop dressing their six-year-olds like skanks. That’s right, it’s Southern charm, courtesy of Celia Rivenbark.

But wait: there’s more! Read the interview carefully because there will be a trivia question at the end! Everyone who answers correctly will be in the running to win a free copy of Celia’s newest book, Drink All Day, complete with an audio version to boot! Now that would be cause for some real Southern-style celebration!

WordHustler: How did you get your first big break? I know you have a journalism background- what was the first piece you ever published?

Celia Rivenbark: Wow. That was a really long time ago. The first piece I ever got published in a newspaper was a freelance story about Jimmy Carter campaigning in our town when he was running in the presidential primary in ‘76. I, of course, was barely 2, so it was quite an accomplishment. Hmmm. From there, I got a full-time job at my local paper and spent eight years taking pictures of oddly-shaped produce and big snakes. It was a blast. Seriously.

WH: How did you get to transition to writing humor after spending your reporter days covering weddings and dead bodies?

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Erin Hosier of Dunow, Carlson, and Lerner

Joe Eszterhas’ threatened to kill him. Thomas Pynchon famously married his. I’m talking about agents here. The agent/author relationship is one shrouded in mystery and legend. But literary lore aside, if you’re an author the right agent should be (at the very least) a faithful companion on your publishing journey.

To comment on the agent/author relationship, WordHustlerInk sat down with superstar literary agent Erin Hosier of Dunow, Carlson, and Lerner. Read on for Erin’s thoughts on the agent/author relationship, the impact eBooks are having on the publishing industry, and which author she’s hoping to read soon (Hint: His name rhymes with Mack Halifianakis).

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Children’s book author Gloria Rothstein has the whimsy of a child and the tenacity of a professional, which is why she has experienced success in the world of children’s literature. Gloria has not only written fantastic children’s books and CURIOUS GEORGE animated cartoons, but she’s written books for aspiring children’s book authors. 

Is there anything this writer won‘t do? Slow down, it seems. WordHustler sat down with Gloria and her relentless enthusiasm to learn what makes a successful writer, how to take characters from real life, and the fact that slush pile dreams CAN come true! Just ask Gloria herself. Read on and be inspired!

WordHustler: You’re a writer of children’s books, books about children’s books, and even scripts for Curious George animated cartoons. What draws you to the world of writing for children?

Gloria Rothstein: I love happily ever afters. Probably the reason I’m hooked on picture books, fairy tales, and romantic comedies.  I’m drawn to the humor, silliness, and characters in kids’ books.  How could you not be intrigued by cows typing, a pigeon driving, or a pig accessorizing?  Picture books are written for the youngest readers, but must also appeal to the parents and grandparents reading them aloud.  Targeting such a wide audience is what makes these stories so much fun to write.

WH: How long have you been writing? Do you remember the first thing you ever wrote?

GR: I started in educational publishing, so I’ve been writing professionally for years.  I have published credits with Harper, Scholastic, Harcourt, Houghton Mifflin, Macmillan, Random House, Holt, Children’s Television Workshop, and others. One of my first projects was developing materials to go with a series of award-winning children’s novels. Not only did someone pay me to read piles of kids’ books, but they helped me appreciate the importance of targeting your audience. Through the years, I’ve written books, series, stories, scripts, and programs for readers of all ages. Somewhere along the way, I realized it was easy for me to think like a five-year-old and to tap into that sense of wonder a picture book author needs.

WH: How did you land the job writing for Curious George?  How different was writing television scripts for children vs. writing books for them?

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To Whom It May Concern:

How do you know if you’ve got the perfect query? What do agents really think about the publishing industry today? And, most importantly, what are three things aspiring writers should never do in their query letter? (Hint: knowing the agent’s name is a good start).

WordHustler sat down with Joanna Stampfel-Volpe, agent extraordinaire at Nancy Coffey Literary Agency. Joanna gave us the real deal on all things published, especially what she’s looking for as an agent. Are you the next author destined to knock her socks off? Read on to find out!

Love,
WordHustler

WordHustler: How did you get your start in the publishing industry?

Joanna Stampfel-Volpe: I think there are a few things that helped me get into the industry (beside my willingness to work for free and edit for free, I even ran a critique group—anything to get my name out there and to get experience).  Around the same time I was working very part time with a small Long Island publisher, Blue Marlin Publications, I was working at Barnes & Noble, and I was taking some night courses on editing with NYU’s publishing program.  And of course I interned.

WH: Why did you decide ultimately to become an agent?

JSV: As an agent, I get to do everything!  I work with authors, brainstorming and as a sounding board.  I edit manuscripts.  I network and meet with editors, book scouts, publicity people and even film producers.  I get to sell projects I’m genuinely enthusiastic about.  I even work on selling subrights like audio, merchandising and dramatic rights.  Not to mention, I can work on any type of book I want to…I just have to love it.

WH: You represent both children’s and adult authors. What draws you to children’s books and YA? What about an adult book catches your eye?

JSV: Well, from children’s to adult the most important part of a manuscript to me is the voice.  The characters really need to come alive for me on the page whether it’s a fast-paced adventure for kids, a beautiful, family-drama for women, or a dark, horror for teen boys.  I often look for more character-driven stories rather than strictly plot-driven (although plot is important, obviously).  So I guess my taste in children’s, YA and adult is the same: strong voice, no matter what it’s about.

WH: What are a few of your favorite books out there today? And feel free to include books/authors you rep- it’s only fair!

JSV: Oh, gosh…I could go on about this for a while.  Okay, I’ll try to keep this brief…OTTO GROWS DOWN by Michael Sussman (picture book), FABLEHAVEN series by Brandon Mull (middle grade), THE ROCK AND THE RIVER by Kekla Magoon (historical, young YA), CRACKED UP TO BE by Courtney Summers (edgy YA), EVERMORE by Alyson Noel (paranormal YA), BURNED by Ellen Hopkins (verse, YA), THE TORY WIDOW by Christine Blevins (historical fic, adult), JUST ONE OF THE GUYS by Kristan Higgans (contemporary romance, adult), CALLISTO by Torsten Krol (literary, adult), CITY OF JADE by Dennis McKiernan (epic fantasy, adult), THE THIRTEENTH TALE by Diane Setterfield (mainstream, adult)…I mean, I guess I’ll stop there, but that’s only what I’ve read recently and LOVED.

WH: What type of books are you looking for that you haven’t found yet?

JSV: I say this at every conference and in every interview but so far I haven’t found it!  But I’m dying to find a dark read for YA boys that’s THE CATCHER IN THE RYE meets STAND BY ME.  Really strong narrative voice, creepy, dark, yet coming-of-age, and realistic.  I recently heard about “hog harvesting” at a conference and thought it would be cool if that could be part of the plot…think dark, Southern…and throw in a little LORD OF THE FLIES type stuff.  Wow, am I sick or what?

WH: What’s your overall take on publishing today? In dire straights or blooming and flourishing?

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