For Writers

NEW AGENT: Meet East/West Literary Agent Jim Averbeck

By on October 7, 2024   /   Editor / Agent Spotlight, For Writers  

We are thrilled to welcome Jim Averbeck to the Agent Spotlight on The Mixed-up Files of Middle Grade Authors today. Jim Averbeck is NEW to agenting as of his September announcement, but definitely not to #kidlit. He is looking to represent picture book author/illustrators as well as middle grade and YA authors. The first client to join him was the NYT #1 bestselling, critically acclaimed author Ellen Hopkins. We are excited to hear all about his new venture with East/West Literary Agency. 

 

Welcome Jim. Are you ready for some questions?

ED: Your #kidlit resume includes so many “chapters” –from award-winning author/illustrator/ middle grade author, SCBWI RA, to mentor and conference critiques and editorial feedback. How might these experiences influence your approach to agenting?

Jim Averbeck: Thank you for featuring me today. As a middle grade author, myself, I have always appreciated this blog.

ED Fun fact: Jim’s mg A HITCH AT THE FAIRMONT (Atheneum) is mentioned in a MUF post: https://fromthemixedupfiles.com/cope/

Jim Averbeck: As for your first question, I think the biggest influence on my agenting style will be the mentoring/editorial work I’ve done (and still do) with authors who want to make their manuscript the very best it can be.

I’ve had more than a dozen people thank me on social media for helping them polish their manuscript in a way that resulted in them selling their first book.  They, and many others, have said they are grateful that I was able to see into the emotional heart of their stories and was able to identify the way to bring it to its best. So I hope to bring that ability to my clients.

ED: How important is the query letter? 

 Jim Averbeck: It’s an opportunity to give some insight into what is unique about your story and why you are uniquely suited to write it. But ultimately the work has to shine on its own.

ED: In addition to repping picture book author/illustrators, your E/W Literary announcement states: In middle grade, YA, and graphic novels, Averbeck is interested in science fiction, low or historical fantasy, and literary fiction with memorable, quirky protagonists and steadfast supporting characters who break stereotypes and tropes. Are there published examples that come to mind, or books that you wish you had agented?

Jim Averbeck: Great question! Here ’s a list of published books I like:

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

The City We Became by NK Jemisin

The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E Butler

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

Those books by Laini Taylor about the fierce little fairies (I was super-bummed they didn’t catch on so the series could continue) …

Anything by Neil Gaiman

Anything by Steve Sheinkin

Anything…you know what? How about I just take pictures of my bookcases. Most of what is on them survived the “cull” when I moved 3 years ago, so I probably like the books shown.

Click the photos for an Inside Look at what’s on Jim Averbeck’s shelves!

 

 

Jim Averbeck: As for my TBR pile, I just received a copy of Ellen Hopkins’ latest, SYNC, and can’t wait to dig in.

ED: Claudia, one of the main characters in E.L Konigsburg’s book Mixed Up Files… for which our group is named, is a stickler for grammar. Would you stop reading a submission if it has a few typos, grammatical errors, or misspelled words?

Jim Averbeck: Typos and misspelled words tell me the author is careless so maybe I’d stop if the work wasn’t immediately brilliant. Grammar could have been tossed in service to character or author voice so that probably wouldn’t stop me.  That said, I really hate it when people can’t get lie vs lay straight!  So much so that whenever anyone says “I’m going to lay down” I mentally add “my troubles” to stop from squirming uncomfortably.

ED: Do you plan to notify all who submit to you—both the yays and the nays?

Jim Averbeck: That’s the plan. It would be somewhat rude to leave people hanging. That said, my current system still has a few kinks so it might take a while before it is all running smoothly.

ED: What was your favorite book as a child? What’s on your TBR pile right now? (Besides manuscripts.)

Jim Averbeck: My favorite book as a child was Kathryn Jackson’s and Richard Scarry’s “365 Stories: One for Each Day of the Year”  It’s had a number of titles over the years. I still have the same copy I had as a child – a very worn, very torn copy.

ED: Are you interested in being invited to writer’s conferences?

Jim Averbeck Yes.

ED: And now for the question all our readers have been waiting for: How should authors submit to you? Is there a link?

Jim Averbeck: Folks should go to jimaverbeck.com/agenting. There is a button there for submitting a query, as well as information on what to submit.

Endless Thanks to Jim Averbeck for letting us celebrate his new AGENT hat today.

Wishing you great success, Jim.

Let the querying begin!

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It’s Freak Out Season! An Interview with Dr. Carla Naumburg

By on September 9, 2024   /   Articles, Author Interviews, books, For Writers, Nonfiction, Writing  

It’s back to school time! For many students, teachers, and parents, this part of the year brings a mixture of excitement and anxiety, so it’s the perfect time to dig into a middle grade selection all about dealing with those “freak out” moments. Dr. Carla Naumburg was kind enough to chat with me about her new book, How to Stop Freaking Out: The Ultimate Guide to Keeping Cool When Life Feels Chaotic. Carla is a clinical social worker and the author of five books, including the bestselling How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t With Your Kids and its middle-grade companion How to Stop Freaking Out. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, CNN, and Mindful Magazine, among other places.

Her newest book is a fantastic read, with plenty of tips and tricks we’ve already put to good use in my house! Our interview is below, and be sure to check the book out here — its out everywhere tomorrow!

Chris: Thanks so much for taking some time to talk with me! Let’s start with your background as a clinical social worker…how did you make the leap from that career into writing?

Carla: I would actually say I made the leap from writing into clinical social work. I’ve wanted to write books since I was eight years old… or maybe younger! I took a psychology elective in high school, which led to a psychology degree in college, which led to my masters and PhD in clinical social work. But I never stopped thinking about writing books, and when I became a mother, my clinical background and parenting experience led to the publication of my first book in 2014… and I haven’t looked back since!

 

Chris: I get it! When you have a writer inside you, it always finds its way out eventually! So this book is actually a middle-grade companion to a book you wrote for grown-ups with similar themes. How did this project evolve from that original concept?

Carla: How to Stop Freaking Out explores the same information, ideas, and practices for managing your emotions as the parenting book you linked to above, but without the salty language and with many more illustrations! The idea for this book came from my amazing agent, Gillian MacKenzie. The minute she suggested a middle-grade version, I knew she was right. Kids freak out just as often as adults, and we all need help figuring out how to stay calm when life gets overwhelming.

 

Chris: Most of us probably have our own personal definition of a “freak out”, but how would you explain freaking out as it relates to the ideas in the book?

Carla: I use the acronym F.A.R.T. to help readers figure out if they’re freaking out. Our explosions are fueled by strong Feelings, they’re Automatic and Reactive, and, perhaps most importantly, our freak outs go Too far. I go into more detail in the book, but hopefully this silly acronym can help readers identify their freak outs and remember not to take themselves too seriously.

 

Chris: You can never go wrong with fart references in middle grade — love the acronym 🙂 As a lot of our readers know, writing and publishing can sometimes feel chaotic and stressful. Have you ever had to use any the techniques from the book in your life as an author?

Carla: All the time! Some of my favorite habits for preventing freak outs include: doing whatever I can to get enough sleep every night, exercising or moving my body every day, and ending the day by watching a TV show that makes me laugh (our current family favorite is Abbot Elementary!) When I’m trying to stay calm when life gets chaotic, I focus on breathing (and noticing that I’m breathing), going out to the front porch for a few minutes (and breathing some more), dropping my shoulders (which are almost up by my ears when I’m stressing out), and turning on a song that makes me happy.

 

Chris: Awesome thanks for sharing those tips! I’ve been reading through a really interesting book by Jonathan Haidt about the rise of anxiety in young people since the advent of the smartphone. Are there portions of this book that could be applied specifically to technology and social media?

Carla: I haven’t read that book, but yes, smartphones and social media are definitely related to freakouts! The posts and videos on social media can trigger adults and kids alike in a variety of ways, making us more prone to flipping our lids. In addition, if we pull out our smartphones every time we feel bored, anxious, frustrated, and otherwise unhappy, we’ll never figure out what our feelings really feel like and how to respond to them in skillful ways — rather than just losing ourselves in posts and videos that are likely to trigger us further!

 

Chris: Good call — I find myself often fighting the temptation to jump to my phone whenever I’m bored…love the idea of figuring out what my feelings really feel like! Okay, so what’s next for you as an author? Can you give us any clues about new projects you’re working on? 

Carla: I always have a million books bouncing around in my brain. Currently, I’m considering another self-help book for parents, another non-fiction book for kids, or maybe the ever-elusive novel… who knows?

 

Chris: We’ll be excited to see what comes next! Okay…as always, I like to do a lightning round of questions, so here we go…

Favorite place to write?

My office, preferably with two cats and a seltzer on my desk and a good police procedural playing on my iPad. (I always write with the TV on!)

Favorite authors?

In no particular order: Larry McMurtry, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, and Sandra Boynton, but I reserve the right to add to that list!

Best desert?

Coffee ice cream with Oreo chunks.

Do you have any pets?

Yes, two rescue cats: Gertie and Gittel. They are incredibly annoying and I can’t even tell you how much I love them.

Favorite elementary school memory?

Garbage Pail Kids, of course! I collected the cards, and they even had one named Carla. Nobody ever has

anything named Carla (except my parents, I guess)!

Favorite piece of advice for other writers:

It’s impossible to write a book that everyone will love, so don’t worry about that. Write the book you love!

 

Many thanks to Carla for taking some time to chat with the Mixed up Files! You can learn more about Dr. Naumburg on her website, and of course check out How to Stop Freaking Out when it’s released on September 10th. As always, happy reading!

 

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Agent Spotlight: Meet Literary Agent Sally Kim

By on August 29, 2024   /   Articles, Editor / Agent Spotlight, For Writers  

We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Sally Kim to the agent spotlight here at From The Mixed-Up Files of Middle-Grade Authors. Sally is a literary agent with the Andrea Brown Literary Agency (ABLA). She represents fiction and non-fiction picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and graphic novels and is especially eager to see authentic explorations of underrepresented cultures, relationships, and identities.

Sally took time out of her busy agenting life to share more about her pre-kidlit career, what she loves about being an agent, and some cool books from ABLA to check out.

From The Mixed-Up Files of Middle-Grade Authors: How did you become an agent? 

Sally Kim, literary agent with Andrea Brown Literary Agency

Sally Kim: After 15+ wonderful years in children’s book publishing, I was looking for my next big opportunity and specifically, I wanted to return to working closely with individual authors and illustrators. At the advice of trusted colleagues in the industry, I sought out informational calls with a handful of well-respected literary agents and asked them what it took to be an all-around exceptional agent. What qualities were essential from Day 1 and what skills could be learned on the job? My goal was to objectively assess my potential before taking the leap. To my delight, all the conversations went very well and strengthened my resolve to move forward. In a few short months, I was thrilled to find a place with Andrea Brown Literary Agency. I haven’t looked back since!

 

MUF: Your pre-agenting background was in kidlit marketing and publicity. How do those skills translate in your current role? 

SK: My years working in marketing and publicity gave me broad exposure to the children’s book market and an understanding of how publishers work to connect books to readers, to adapt to the ever-shifting landscape of key retailers and sales channels, and to day-in and day-out launch new books and make each of them stand out from the crowd. As a marketer, I spent many years partnering with colleagues in editorial and sales to participate in heated auctions, build bestselling brands and series, and position books for long-term success.

I believe as a new agent, I am uniquely positioned to help my clients understand how their work, whether it be a lyrical picture book or a middle grade novel-in-verse, fits into the market and where it can find its target readership. And in my time in publishing, I particularly enjoyed collaborating closely with authors and illustrators on their launch campaigns–traveling with them to conferences, bookstore appearances, and just generally evangelizing about their talent. There’s a lot of great crossover to life as an agent.

MUF:  What does a typical workday look like for you?  

SK: There is no typical day! But I can definitely describe a typical work week. The first thing to note is that while I build my career as a literary agent, I am still working as an independent consultant for children’s book publishers around the world. I’m often on early morning Zoom calls with folks on France and late afternoon calls with folks in Australia.

Thankfully, my consulting work is very flexible and I still have plenty of time and energy for agenting. In a typical week, this includes giving clients feedback on their manuscripts, strategizing on the next project to go out with, researching potential editors for an upcoming pitch, having calls with individual editors to get to know their tastes and current wishlists, and of course reading queries! Always reading queries!

Also, I should say that the agents at Andrea Brown are incredibly communicative and collaborative. All day long, we’re chatting on Slack and over email, sharing feedback and suggestions with one another on any number of topics. I’m soaking it all in and eagerly learning from my peers and mentors.

MUF: What’s your least favorite part of your job as an agent?

SK: I think my clients will agree with me, but every time an editor passes on a project, it’s hard not to feel momentarily discouraged. But I like to tell myself (and them!) that it’s all part of the process. Upward and onward we go.

MUF: What’s your favorite? 

SK: That elusive moment when I’m deep in the trenches of queries, reading my twentieth manuscript of the night and suddenly I’m blown away by a project from start to finish. The good ones really jump out and grab you in the best, most exciting way. The thrill of discovery is real!

MUF: Book bans are on our minds. What should writers, readers, parents, librarians, and other do to support access to books for kids? 

SK: Great question. And as I type out my answer, I’m really talking to myself most of all. We should all try to keep up with the latest on book ban news. Learn which of your favorite authors are being affected and make every effort to support them through it. Speak up and speak out about the harmful effects of book bans to your friends, family, and your larger community. Use every opportunity to amplify messages that support the freedom to read.

And have you heard of Authors Against Book Bans? If you are a book creator of any kind, I encourage you to join. And please listen to Jenn Laughran’s Literaticast podcast interview with founding members Maggie Tokuda-Hall and David Levithan. The episode goes live this month (August 2024) and I will be first in line to listen and take notes.

MUF: Any kidlit books coming out soon (or just out!) from your clients that we should keep an eye out for?  

SK: Yes! While I’m about to go out on submission with my first MG project (fingers crossed!), I going to take the opportunity to recommend several exceptionally good books written by other agency clients. Please check them out!

Vega's Piece of the Sky by Jennifer Torres

 

MUF: Where can people find you online? (Social media, work website, other) 

SK: Let’s connect! Please query me at https://querymanager.com/query/sallyabla. Follow me online on Instagram @sallymkim and Bluesky @sallymkim.bsky.social. And to learn more about Andrea Brown Literary agency, go to our website:  https://www.andreabrownlit.com.

 

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