The Chopping Blog

Book Broker – an interview with Tim Wojcik

January 11, 2022

I often see writers clearing their throats—writing out information about a character’s background or past or over-explaining their situation instead of trusting their reader to piece things together for themselves.

Agent interviews

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Book Broker – an interview with Patricia Nelson

December 30, 2021

If I get to page fifty and there still hasn't been an inciting incident, or the main character is being pushed along by the events of the plot rather than making choices that drive the action, the novel is likely to lose my attention.

Agent interviews

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Book Broker – an interview with Rach Crawford

December 22, 2021

If you’re writing a query letter and the description of your plot begins with something that happens in chapter three or four, that’s a good sign that you may be including too much preamble.

Agent interviews

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Book Broker – an interview with Kate Johnson

December 20, 2021

When a proposal is competing against a hundred others for my time and attention, the more polished submission is going to win.

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Book Broker – an interview with Lynn Johnston

December 16, 2021

The ability to distill a complex topic into consumable ideas shows the author has command of the material. If you can do that in the submission, you've already beaten the odds.

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Book Broker – an interview with Malaga Baldi

December 15, 2021

I love finding the one. Making it real.

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Book Broker – an interview with Stefanie Molina

October 13, 2021

The two things that get me once I start reading a sample are a strong personality and a hook that comes in quickly.

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Book Broker – an interview with Leah Pierre

October 09, 2021

It’s the characters that make me care and want to stay for the rest of the story.

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Book Broker – an interview with Lindsay Edgecombe

October 08, 2021

Publishing must become more diverse, both in terms of what we publish, but also in terms of those of us working in the industry.

Agent interviews

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Book Broker – an interview with Lauren Keller Galit

August 19, 2021

I love my authors above all else. I find them all to be quirky and engaging and smart and challenging and awesome.

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Book Broker – an interview with Hannah Schofield

July 24, 2021

Authors who write concise, punchy query letters with clearly outlined stakes for their protagonists are more likely to make me flick to their pages the moment I get their email.