Literary Associate Elizabeth Copps is interviewed!

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Elizabeth Copps, Literary Associate with the Maria Carvainis Agency, Inc. 

Elizabeth began her publishing career in 2010 as an MCA intern after graduating from Florida State University with a BA in English Literature. She was thrilled to join the agency full-time in 2011 as the new literary assistant. Two years later, she was offered the position of literary associate and is incredibly excited to build her own list of authors.

Elizabeth considers herself an eclectic reader, but she is particularly interested in literary, multicultural and contemporary fiction, women’s fiction, young adult and young adult crossover, gritty thrillers and mysteries, memoir and romantic suspense. She appreciates rich and believable characters who immediately draw readers into their world, and she is always captivated by a startling plot twist. Her favorite authors include, John Boyne, Chris Cleave, Gillian Flynn, John Green, Joanne Harris, Jhumpa Lahiri, Dennis Lehane, Stephen King, Daphne du Maurier, David Sedaris, Jeanette Walls, and Carlos Ruiz Zafón.

MCA’s clients include Mary Balogh, Sandra Brown, Candace Camp, Cindy Gerard, Kristan Higgins, Will Thomas, and Laura Wright among others.

Thank you for joining us, Elizabeth!

JF: Please tell us about your typical work day (and how many manuscripts you usually have waiting in your inbox).

EC: Our solicited manuscript log is ongoing, so I have a lot to sift through every day. I usually read between 5 and 10 manuscripts a week depending on whether I am reading partial or full projects. Regarding query letters—the agency usually receives between 20 and 25 letters a day. We try our best to respond to every query within 10 business days of receipt.

JF: What gets you excited in a query letter?  Do you have any pet peeves when it comes to submissions?

EC: Queries that read similarly to a blurb on the back of a book always make me sit up and take notice. I love tight, witty language. Additionally, I want to be hooked by a story’s concept from the first sentence or two of the pitch—but fascinating and unusual characters appeal to me as equally as an intriguing plot. 

As far as pet peeves are concerned, I have three biggies:

1. Failing to research our agency’s submission guidelines. It’s clear to me when authors have not done their due diligence. Query letters that are not personalized, or queries with 30 other agents copied on the same email are giveaways.

  

2. Providing biographical information before describing the writing project. I’m very interested in hearing about a writer’s credentials or reading a short biography, but a writer’s first job is to sell me on their book. 

3. Starting with an excerpt of the novel instead of a formal pitch. I appreciate receiving 10-15 sample pages in a separate attachment so I can get a sense of the writing, but it is disorienting to begin reading a sample without any context.

JF: Certain agents edit a manuscript prior to shopping it to editors. Others don’t. How would you describe your process?

EC: Providing our authors strong editorial feedback is a service we pride ourselves on at MCA. We want the best, most polished version of our client’s work to land on an editor’s desk.  

JF: What do you enjoy most about representing authors to the publishing industry? Least?

EC: In publishing, I really do feel like I get to have my cake and eat it too. I have the privilege of working with highly creative minds as well as impressively business-savvy men and women. I love that I’m in a position where the two sides of the industry merge.

The most unenjoyable aspect of the business has to be sending rejection letters. It’s a necessity, but it can be really difficult. Agents receive rejection letters too, so I know that it is never a good feeling to see one pop up in your inbox.

JF: Which social media venues do you consider most important for authors:  a website, a blog, Twitter, Facebook, or Goodreads? Are there others you recommend?

EC: Knowing their way around all types of social media platforms can only benefit authors, especially those who are hybrid or self-published writers. I will say that I believe having a strong website is a necessary foundation for any writer. A website should contain links to an author’s Facebook, Twitter, blog etc. as well as the option to sign up for a weekly or monthly newsletter. Play to your strengths. For example, if you know you can keep up a Twitter account, do so. If you know you hate Facebook and will rarely post, you won’t do yourself or your readers any favors by starting up an account.

JF: What one piece of advice would you offer to authors who plan to pitch their novel to you at Colorado Gold?

EC: Have fun with it! Tell me why you’re passionate about the book you wrote. If I can see how enthusiastic you are about the characters and the plot, chances are I’ll be excited to read your work too.

JF: What do you do for fun when you’re not working?

EC: I’m a big foodie, and I should probably make my motto something along the lines of, “no cookie left behind.” I also have a serious travel bug. This year I am lucky enough to be doing quite a bit of domestic travel for business. Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee and of course Colorado are on the docket thus far for 2014.

JF: Now I would like to ask an off-track question. What did you dream of doing when you were twelve years old?

EC: I was convinced that I was going to be a famous painter. The best afterschool class my mom ever enrolled me in was called “Art Safari.” The classroom was in a converted warehouse, and the teacher filled it floor to ceiling with every art supply imaginable. The first day I walked in she looked at me and said, “Create!” It was pretty magical.

Thank you, Elizabeth!

You can visit http://mariacarvainisagency.com/ for submission guidelines, or meet with Elizabeth in Denver when she joins us at RMFW's Colorado Gold Conference, September 5-7, 2014.

Janet Fogg

www.janetfogg.com

Midnight Ink Acquisitions Editor Terri Bischoff Interviewed at Chiseled in Rock

Interview conducted via e-mail by Pat Stoltey. Originally posted January 24, 2012.

Terri Bischoff owned a mystery bookstore for several years, but now she’s the acquisitions editor for Midnight Ink, publisher of crime fiction in almost all its forms. Several Colorado authors have been signed by Terri—Shannon Baker, Beth Groundwater, Linda Hull and Cricket McRae—and Terri also joined us at the 2011 and 2012 Colorado Gold Conference where she took pitches from hopeful authors.

We welcome you to Chiseled in Rock blog, Terri. Thank you for agreeing to this interview.


Pat: It’s obvious you’ve been interested in crime fiction for a long time. But what about when you were a kid? What did you want to be when you grew up?

Terri: I read everything I could. I specifically remember Encyclopedia Brown and the Hardy Boys. I have a memory of me in elementary school, waiting for the bus after school, reading a really fat romance book. I would skim over the naughty parts, but I had run out of things to read and I found that at home!

Pat: What did you like best about owning a mystery bookstore? What did you like least?

Terri: There are several things I loved about owning a mystery bookstore. I have a bunch of author friends, some of whom I have the pleasure of publishing now. I also became great friends with many customers. And when I got a box of ARCs, it was like Christmas! What did I like least? Running the actual business. Huh, sort of mirrors my likes and dislikes as an acquisitions editor!

Pat: You are now the acquisitions editor for Midnight Ink. Tell us about your typical work day (and especially how many manuscripts you usually have waiting in your e-mail Inbox).

Terri: I don’t really have a typical day. I am checking and answering emails all day long. I can have three meetings a day or none. (Note that in one meeting, we could address four different books.)

As an acquisitions editor, I walk the book thru the entire process. I present it to the acq. ed. board which requires me to research the book and its comparable titles. If we ok it, I make an offer and negotiate the contract. With the input of others, we request revisions – then I have to read the revisions when they come in. I present cover ideas, title ideas and tag lines and we decide on those as a group. For each season, I present at an internal sales conference. I discuss each book and place it in the market so sales, marketing and publicity have all the info they need to do their jobs. And these are just the highlights. Juggling is important in my world.

Sadly, I spend the least amount reading submissions. I don’t know right now how many submissions I have, but I am over a year behind, which is why I had to partially close submissions.

Pat: According to the Midnight Ink online submission guidelines, you do not take unsolicited submissions, but will accept submissions from agents or from contacts you’ve made at conferences or mystery conventions in the last twelve months. For those writers who are interested in pitching to you in person, which conferences will you attend this year? What do you look for in an 8-10 minute pitch?

Terri -- referring to the 2012 conference year): So far I am only scheduled for three conferences – Love is Murder, Malice Domestic and Bouchercon. I am also doing the RMFW May Education Event (May 19th at the Renaissance Hotel in Denver).

What do I look for in a pitch? First, I am a person just like any other person – talk to me and make eye contact once in a while. Second, know your book. Don’t call it a cozy if you graphically blow away four people in the first two pages. Third, tell me the key parts – word length, genre, main character info and plot info. Leave me time to ask questions – don’t mindlessly prattle.

Pat: When you review a crime fiction manuscript, what are the five most important things you look for in the first chapter?

Terri: Five things? I don’t know that I have any rules… the first chapter has to grab me. Either the character or the crime has to intrigue me.

Pat: In subgenres, what are you tired of seeing and what would you love to see?

Terri: I don’t know that I am tired of seeing anything. Even though vampires are trending down, if a well-written, well-conceived manuscript came my way, I would give it a shot. I don’t chase trends because it’s a waste of time. I am only interested in finding the best crime fiction out there.

Pat: Do you reject manuscripts for excessive violence or gore, profanity, or certain kinds of crimes?

Terri: I personally don’t like crimes involving kids, but I wouldn’t necessarily reject it. The only types I reject without hesitation are horror or fantasy/sci-fi crossovers.

Pat: At this time, are you more interested in mystery series or standalone novels and why?

Terri: We publish mostly series books because that is what most mystery readers are interested in – readers want the plot but also characters they can come back to. But as I expand the line and publish more thrillers and such, I will be picking up standalones. Thrillers rely more on the action and plot rather than the character development.

Pat: Writers are often advised to have a web presence before even selling their first manuscript. Of the following web and social media opportunities, which do you consider most important for the debut author: a website, a blog, Twitter, Facebook, or Goodreads? Are there any others you recommend to your authors?

Terri: I wouldn’t recommend a heavy social media push until you have a contract in hand. Most books take 12-18 months to publish with a traditional publisher. That is plenty of time to drum up interest. I would rather an author spend his or her time revising their book. And when book one is turned into the publisher, start working on book two immediately. I would not EVER recommend getting a website with the character's name or the name of the book until your editor has confirmed that name – publishers change titles most of the time, so don’t waste your money.

Pat: What do you do for fun when you’re not being an acquisitions editor?

Terri: Hmm… I used to read, but not so much these days! I love sports, so going to a baseball game or watching football is what I do on most weekends. I bowl. Fishing if someone is there to take the fish off! I also have three boys, aged 6, 4 and 4. They are a handful, so mostly I just try to keep them fed.

Pat: Terri, thanks so much for answering our questions. We hope to see you at another Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Colorado Gold Conference soon.

Terri Bischoff blogs at Under Cover of Midnight—The Midnight Ink Blog with Terri Bischoff. Her January 3rd post on New Year’s Resolutions lists her personal and professional goals for 2012 (after she mentions her entertaining reasons for never making resolutions). The blog also features guest authors (and photos that reveal more about what an acquisitions editor does at work and at play).

Terri can also be found on Facebook and Twitter @TerriBischoff

For more information about Midnight Ink and its books and authors, visit the publisher’s website. The authors’ blog is InkSpot.

Mark Stevens: Author, President of RMFW, and former Master of Disaster

Today, it is my very great pleasure to welcome Mark Stevens to the Rock.

A best-selling author and current President of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, Mark started his writing career as a reporter for The Christian Science Monitor in Boston and Los Angeles. Following a move to Denver, he worked for The Rocky Mountain News and then joined the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour team. For six years he produced field documentaries across the U.S. and Latin America, including the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City, NASA’s space shuttle disaster, and political upheavals in Nicaragua. He was told his “master of disaster” title referred to the stories he covered, not the quality of the reports!

After a brief sabbatical to write, he joined The Denver Post to cover education. Those five years of reporting led to a position as Director of Communications with Denver Public Schools and then with the Greeley school district and the state department of education. Mark currently focuses on writing while also working in public relations.

Buried by the Roan, the second book in his Allison Coil Mystery Series, was released in 2011, and Mark was named a finalist for the 2012 Colorado Book Award and the 2012 Colorado Author League Award. The first book in the series, Antler Dust, was a Denver Post best-seller in 2007 and 2009.

CIR: Welcome to Chiseled in Rock, Mark! You’ve worn many hats, from reporter to producer to novel-writer. How do you describe yourself (the top three things that come to mind)?

MS: Not being a big fan of mirrors, do I have to answer this one? Um, er, uh – happy family guy (two amazing daughters, one terrific and artsy and talented wife), writer, and fan of stories (movies, television, books) and music (rock, funk, blues, etc).

CIR: What are your current writing goals and challenges? (What are you working on?)

MS: I’m finishing up the third book in the Allison Coil Mystery Series. I might actually let somebody read it in a month or two, to see if there’s a story there. Publisher is thinking mid-2013 if all goes well.

CIR: Fracking has been a hot topic in the news, and the controversial practice is addressed in Buried by the Roan. Did you anticipate that public debate and has it impacted your presentations about the book?

MS: When I first thought of weaving the controversy over fracking into the story, it was late 2007. I wasn’t sure that fracking would remain in the news, but I also didn’t think it wasn’t going to be resolved as an environmental debate. So I didn’t think there was much of a risk of being outdated. However, I had no idea the controversy would explode. The movie “Gasland” had a great deal to do with this and now it’s a near-global concern. (If there’s one thing I bet the energy industry wishes it could take back it’s the short-hand term “fracking.”) As far as presentations go, it hasn’t really affected them too much—although I’m finding many individuals out there who are concerned and think the state could do more and should do more to protect and regulate the industry. This is Colorado, you know. It’s worth setting the highest standard possible for environmental management. I’m still looking for one other piece of fiction that incorporates fracking. Don’t think it exists (yet). There is an anti-fracking movie in the works, “Promised Land” with Matt Damon and Frances McDormand, among others. That should be interesting!

CIR: You are currently President of RMFW and a long-term volunteer. How has the organization helped you advance your career?

MS: In every way you can imagine. I am not a big ‘joiner’ in general, but RMFW has offered a tremendous boost—getting to know experienced writers, attending workshops, diving into the conference and education programs. It’s partly about learning techniques and the craft and it’s partly about being around other dedicated writers. The networks are invaluable, the friendships long-lasting. You pick up a tip here, an idea there or maybe a whole new way of thinking about dialogue and narrative. It’s like a big idea and inspiration bank, open all hours of the day.

CIR: When you agreed to serve as President of RMFW, did your writing goals change?

MS: No. Gotta write.

CIR: Have you or the RMFW Board proposed any new long-term goals for RMFW that you might share?

MS: We have had only one meeting as a new board and our first order of business was to make sure the RMFW web site functions on all cylinders for membership, programs, the Colorado Gold contest, the conference itself and all other needs. In general RMFW works so well that I’m not sure you’ll see this board head off in any radical directions. For a volunteer organization, there’s a tremendous amount of activity and top-notch programs.

CIR: What are the two toughest things about writing?

MS: Keeping the prose fresh and keeping the character alive on the page. Oh, and getting the story to the point where the reader is lost in his or her imagination and isn’t even aware of the words on the page. Okay, that’s three things.

CIR: What do you predict for the future of the publishing industry and where do you fit into that?

MS: My crystal ball refuses to cough up the answer on this one. I have yet to read an e-book, though I have nothing against them. I think books are deep in the same upheaval that music started going through 20 years ago and there is just now less distance and fewer steps between writer and reader. But if you want broader distribution and a bigger audience, those systems still exist, albeit with fewer opportunities. But if you want to “get published,” you can write a story in a few weeks and zap it out to the masses overnight. In some ways, the scene has never been more vibrant and active, which is exactly why writers need RMFW to help sort through the madness.

CIR: Where does RMFW fit into that future?

MS: No matter what format your stories will be distributed in, they have to be the best damn stories they can be. So the first thing with RMFW is to improve the story, front to back, beginning to end, moment by moment, scene by scene. You get the idea. The craft isn’t changing. Good writing isn’t changing. Good critiques don’t change. Reader reactions to emotion and peril and challenges don’t change. An individual’s taste in books and writing style might change over time but there will always be a market for good, strong, polished and well-produced fiction. On the business and distribution side of things, being an RMFW member exposes you to all those who think they know where this is all headed and you can soon learn the art of scratching your head and wondering—just like the rest of us.

CIR: What do you feel your stories are born of?

MS: Wow ... what a great question. Answer: I have no idea. I guess I’m interested most in character, how people are put together. What makes them tick and what makes them tackle certain challenges or pursue certain interests. And, in the case of mysteries, what makes them try to put the world back together after some evil-doing. When I met the woman who inspired Allison Coil, I was fascinated by someone who had made the transition from the city to the life in the woods and I really couldn’t stop thinking about what it would take to make that switch and make it so convincingly, to the point that you were at one with your surroundings in such a complete way.

CIR: Do you ever get writer’s block? If so how do you break through?

MS: A bit here and there but I usually back up a page or two and start over, work up some momentum. If I’m stuck it usually means there’s something structurally wrong with the story and I need to rethink it. I try to bear down on what my character is seeing, thinking, feeling and usually if I’m into the character and if there’s a point to the scene, I can get things moving again. But a page a day is about all I’m good for.

CIR: What one piece of advice would you offer to new writers?

MS: Read and write, read and write some more. Get feedback, whether it’s a critique group or from valuable readers who will give you honest feedback. Evaluate the feedback carefully and revise. And show it again. And network. And join RMFW.

CIR: If you could time travel, when and where would you go?

MS: About five centuries ahead, to whatever planet we have colonized. I’d love to see the view from there and find out how we adapted.

CIR: And lastly, as is our MO on CIR, we’d like to end with a non-writing related question. What did you dream of doing when you were eight years old?

MS: I wanted to play guitar and sing like I was one of The Beatles. Didn’t everyone?

CIR: Thank you for joining us, Mark!

You can learn more about Mark and his writing on his website, on Facebook, his book review blog, or on Twitter @writerstevens.

Plus, you can catch Mark on Monday, May 14 at the Koelbel Library in Littleton (an American Association of University Women event), at Barnes & Noble in Grand Junction on Wednesday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m. (with the store’s mystery club), and on Thursday, May 17 at the “Art Hop” sponsored by Covered Treasurers Book Store in Monument from 5 to 8 p.m.  Mark will also be one of the featured authors on hand for “speed dating” at the RMFW event in Grand Junction on Saturday, June 9, 2012.

By Janet Fogg