How To Find A Literary Agent In Canada
Happy Wednesday Everyone! Today I'm excited to have debut author Betty Yee hither to share well-nigh her YA historical fiction Gold Mount. It's set up in the 1860's when the Transcontinental Railroad was being built. I love historical fiction and am super excited to read this one.
Here'south a blurb from Goodreads :
Working on the Transcontinental Railroad promises a fortune—for those who survive.
Growing upwards in 1860s China, Tam Ling Fan has lived a life of comfort. Her father is wealthy enough to provide for his family merely unconventional enough to spare Ling Fan from the debilitating foot-binding required of most well-off girls. But Ling Fan's life is upended when her brother dies of flu and their father is imprisoned under false accusations. Hoping to earn the money that will secure her father'due south release, Ling Fan disguises herself equally a boy and takes her brother'southward contract to piece of work for the Cardinal Pacific Railroad Company in America. Life on "the Gold Mountain" is grueling and dangerous. To build the railroad that will connect the west coast to the east, Ling Fan and other Chinese laborers lay track and smash tunnels through the treacherous peaks of the Sierra Nevada, facing cave-ins, avalanches, and blizzards—along with hostility from white Americans. When someone threatens to betrayal Ling Fan's hush-hush, she must take an even greater risk to save what's left of her family . . . and to escape the Aureate Mountain alive.
Earlier I become to my interview with Dannie, I have my IWSG Post.
Posting: The start Wednesday is officially Insecure Author'south Support Group Twenty-four hour period.
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of actualization foolish or weak. Those who accept been through the burn down can offer assistance and guidance. It's a condom haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
The awesome co-hosts this month are Kim Elliott,Melissa Maygrove,Chemist Ken,Lee Lowery, and Nancy Gideon!
Optional Question: It's the best of times; it's the worst of times. What are your writer highs (the skillful times)? And what are your writer lows (the crappy times)?
My writer highs were in the early years of my writing most 20 years ago when I was super excited almost writing and had my get-go manuscript go to acquisitions at Little Brown. I didn't know it had even gotten that far until the editor I submitted to sent me a very nice rejection about a year after I submitted it to her.
My lows have been after my hubby died and I lost all my drive to write. Even now, I've seen how difficult writers must piece of work and non always succeed even if they've been traditionally published. It's hard to get likewise excited most the possibility of being published, when there is so much about information technology you can't command. I endeavour to focus on the joy of writing for the sake of writing instead.
What have been your highs and lows?
Interview With Betty Yee
Hi Betty! Thanks then much for joining united states of america.
Give thanks you then much for inviting me!
1. Tell us well-nigh yourself and how you lot became a writer.
Reading has e'er been a source of condolement and joy. From an early age, I learned to climb into the world of books. I never wanted the stories to stop, so I spent a lot of time retelling my favorite stories to myself in my daydreams, sometimes changing scenes, adding new characters, fifty-fifty inserting entirely new adventures. I longed for sequels and if they weren't forthcoming, I fabricated upward my own. I began writing down some of my re-imaginings. Before long, I realized that more than and more than of the stories had veered far from the source material, and moreover I enjoyed and preferred creating my own worlds and characters !
I started taking writing classes and joined a writing group that I've been a member of for over ten years. I beloved being effectually other writers. Their encouragement keeps me going, but more than that I honey talking with them about books, writing craft, and the writing procedure. Giving feedback to other writers has taught me to wait at my own piece of work more considerately.
2. I've always loved books too. Where did y'all become the idea for Golden Mountain?
The thought for Gilt Mount began with a graphic symbol: a Chinese girl disguising herself as a male child. I had the character, simply needed to detect a compelling reason for her to have such drastic steps. It wasn't long before I placed her in a setting I long held an involvement in: 1865 and the structure of the American transcontinental railroad. All my life I've heard about the thousands of Chinese sojourners who worked on the transcontinental railroad, and how dangerous that work was. I was curious about who the workers were. Here was a chance to find a face and a story for those unknown people.
On Writing a Riveting Historical Fiction Story
3. Ling Fan'south story starts in People's republic of china so moves to America. Share about the research you lot had to practice for both places and the challenges you faced in having research both settings.
My parents grew upwardly in the 1920's in the southern province of Guangdong, Cathay. They were raised in villages very similar to Ling Fan'due south fictional hometown, Lo Wai. Many of the descriptions of everyday life in Prc come from stories my parents told me of what life was like for my grandparents also every bit for themselves. An early scene in the book in which we meet Ling Fan stealing oranges came from stories my mother told me of how as a girl she was guilty of climbing up her neighbors' fruit copse to steal snacks!
My enquiry into the life of the railroad workers was much more challenging. I started off by getting a general sense of the fourth dimension period both in Red china and in the Usa. I wanted to get the perspective of the big events before and after the years that GM takes place. I read extensively about construction of the railroad–Stephen E. Ambrose's Zilch Like Information technology In World was an invaluable resource equally was Lila Perl's To the Aureate Mountain. I fabricated a timeline of major milestones in the Key Pacific's progress because I wanted to embed as much of that into the novel as possible. This was catchy equally the actual timeline doesn't fold perfectly into the novel's timeline. The claiming of writing historical fiction lies in balancing the needs of the novel with the needs of being equally historically accurate as possible.
What I was most surprised by in the course of my enquiry was how lilliputian information there is on the lives of the Chinese sojourners themselves. In that location was most no chief source material–no letters, no payroll records, etc. There'south a lot of detailed information most the financial backers and details nearly the construction work, simply most of my information about the sojourners came from secondary sources.
Shortly after I finished piece of work on GM, I learned nearly Stanford University'southward Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project. I encourage anybody interested in learning more than about these remarkable workers should check it out!
4. That's groovy that you could rely on your families' experiences in China. Were you a plotter, punster, or something in between when writing Golden Mountain? Has your plotting procedure changed since you worked on this manuscript?
I was a pantster for most of the offset typhoon. It wasn't until I began to feel the edges of the story and officially began a second draft that I wrote my outset outline. Now, whenever I kickoff a new writing projection, I brainstorm with an outline, just try to exist flexible with it. Generally, I wind upward changing things completely, and then I suppose that makes me a plantster!
v. Readers have said that they couldn't put your book down. Share your tips on making historical fiction a page turner.
I think that the key to writing engrossing historical fiction is in finding the residual between the needs of the story and the needs of being faithful to historic events. You don't desire to bog your readers down with then much historical background that they feel as though they're wading through a text book, simply you also don't want to make your story so defective in detail that information technology could take place in whatsoever time period.
Careful world building is one way to strike that remainder. Fantasy and scientific discipline fiction writers are familiar with the importance of globe edifice, only this is also truthful for historical fiction. Quite a lot can be conveyed by a quick description of the geography of a scene. Everyday objects reflect the technology of the time menses and casual conversations between characters can rapidly summarize social attitudes and biases. As of earth edifice adds upwardly to a compelling tale.
On Your Route to Publication
6. Your agent is Emily Keyes. How did she get your agent?
I started by using databases such as Query Tracker, MWSL, Publishers Market place and Literary Rambles to search for agents interested in books similar to Gold Mount. I also looked for agents that had some experience with editors of books I loved. From there I sent out my queries. I'm so fortunate that Emily Keyes reached out, expressing interest. When we talked on the phone, I was impressed by Emily's enthusiasm for Golden Mount. I knew I'd constitute a staunch advocate for myself and my work!
7. Glad researching agents at Literary Rambles helped. What was your submission process like? What tips do you have for other writers going on submission?
After a few rounds of edits, Emily felt nosotros were ready for submission. Early, we'd discussed publishing houses that might be a good fit. Emily has an excellent sense of what editors are looking for, and what they are interested in. She sent GM to a fair sized list of publishers and we waited to hear back. Nosotros were very fortunate to become an offer from Amy Fitzgerald, editor of Lerner/Carolrhoda!
We were very lucky that submission for GM went quickly, merely quite oftentimes this is not the instance. My tip for writers going on submission is to exist patient and trust your agent. Agents piece of work hard backside the scenes for their clients and they are skilled at navigating the currents of publishing. The all-time thing that writers can do at this bespeak is to go on writing! Too, there are so many groups on social media who accept members who are in the same boat. Connecting with them helps keep things in perspective.
On Marketing Your Volume
8. You are part of the #22Debut group. How has that helped you get ready for your debut book release?
The #22Debuts is a group of kind, generous, supportive writers who are ever happy to share their experiences, resources, support and advice. The group chats, vents, and celebrates milestones. It has been and then helpful knowing what to look, and to have advice on how to navigate the year. Members savor sharing examples of marketing graphics, writer websites, pre-order campaigns and ARC giveaway ideas. Being a fellow member of the #22Debuts has kept me sane this year!
We're able to amplify our individual social media presence past featuring collective events such equally monthly chats (every 22nd of the month) on Twitter and occasional month long "meet the author" expos on Instagram. The group has a commonage hashtag on Twitter and Instagram which boosts posts from members. At that place's also a beautiful website, https://world wide web.22debuts.com/ that features each member'southward book and author information.
9. Being part of a debut group sounds then helpful when you're trying to navigate your debut year. What are y'all doing to promote Gold Mountain and celebrate its release?
I'm doing a couple of author events with my long time friend and fellow 2022 debut author, Karen Winn. Karen Winn is the writer of OUR LITTLE Earth, coming from Dutton/Penguin Random House on May iii. We will be in conversation on the theme, Coming of Age in America.
Our showtime event will be in person in Boston on May 24th.
https://vilnashul.org/events/effect/coming-of-age-in-america
#22Debuts Website: https://world wide web.22debuts.com/
Twitter: @B_Yee09
Instagram: @bgyeewriter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bgyeewriter
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57223569-gold-mount
E-mail: bgyeewriter@comcast.cyberspace
Betty has generously offered an ARC of Gold Mountain for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to practise is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin' on the correct sidebar) and exit a comment by May 21st. If your e-mail is non on your Google Profile, yous must exit it in the comments to enter the contest. Delight be certain I accept your email address.
If you mention this competition on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and/or follow me on Twitter, mention this in the comments and I'll give you lot an extra entry for each. You must be thirteen years sometime or older to enter. This giveaway is U.S. and Canada.
Upcoming Interviews and Giveaways
Monday, May 9th I have an agent spotlight interview with Jennifer Unter and a query critique giveaway
Tuesday, May 10th I'one thousand participating in the Life'due south a Beach Giveaway Hop
Monday, May 16th I have a guest postal service by Donna Gallanti and a giveaway of her MG fantasy Unicorn Island: Hugger-mugger Beneath the Sand and I'one thousand participating in the Mom's Rock Giveaway Hop
Monday, May 23th I accept an agent/author guest mail service by Natalie Lakosil and Tracie Badua with a giveaway of Tracie'south MG contemporary Freddie vs. The Family unit Expletive and a query critique giveaway by Natalie
Hope to run into you on Monday!
Source: http://www.literaryrambles.com/
Posted by: singhfattle.blogspot.com
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