New agent website!
It's time to branch out and focus on my clients with a brand spanking new website! Please check there for updated representative categories, meet my authors, and see where I'm headed for conferences, online workshops, and more.
Flux
PLEASE NOTE: I WILL NOT OPEN UNREQUESTED ATTACHMENTS nor click a link to see your website and/or sample pages in a query. Standard procedure, my friends. Emails with unrequested attachments will be deleted without response.
I'd like to stress that these authors are the exception. Please don't send sports queries or screenplays. I love them to pieces but there are agents better suited to their unique needs.
So, what's hopping in my inbox lately? A lot of fantastic horror, MG, and picture books. While I'd love to cuddle the heck out of all of them and call them my own, I'd be ultimately unable to give each of my authors the special attention they need so I'm restraining myself.
I'd love to see more humor, quirky nonfiction (all ages), and I have to admit I'm longing for another historical romance right about now. And did I mention my rather unconventional love for the Headless Horseman? I love a Hessian with an attitude.
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| Carried away? I wish. Here headless, headless, headless... |
My Pivot in Publishing
I've taken my relationship with publishing to the next level and joined Red Sofa Literary as an associate agent. I will be representing books in the following categories:- Spooky MG
- New Age with a strong platform
- History (Colonial US and British History) --fiction and nonfiction. Adult or MG
- Quirky nonfiction -- adult and MG/YA
- Romance -- historical
- Picture books - quirky nonfiction
I will regretfully need to pass on YA, memoir, and fantasy. Please submit your query to stacey[at]redsofaliterary.com. If I think we're a great fit, I'll ask for the first three chapters or a finished book proposal. Please do not send unrequested attachments, chapters, or a synopsis as this is not agency policy.
Not sure of the steps to build a great book proposal? Get help here.
I am also working closely with Boundary Stone Films and Park Slope Productions, keeping my eyes peeled for great new projects.
I will continue to write as I can't keep my fingers out of the publishing pie for too long. What's first? Ouija or a biography of Agatha Christie?
Not sure of the steps to build a great book proposal? Get help here.
I am also working closely with Boundary Stone Films and Park Slope Productions, keeping my eyes peeled for great new projects.
I will continue to write as I can't keep my fingers out of the publishing pie for too long. What's first? Ouija or a biography of Agatha Christie?
Is the Dullahan the Origin Story of the Headless Horseman?
In other parts of the country, the dullahan drives a black coach called a coach-a-bower pulled by six black horses who are urged on by the whipping sound of a human spinal column. A shrieking banshee may accompany him on his ride, though I can think of better first dates. There is no escape from the dullahan unless you carry a piece of gold with you at all times, as he’s afraid of the shiny metal.
-- Excerpt from Wee Beasties
Freckled Spectacles Editing
I'm taking on more clients so let's get crackin'! Click on the link above or email me to chat about your project.
The $5 Beast
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| 1958 Smith-Corona Electric 5TE |
In the back of my head, I'm going to start a mobile haiku party business. I'll be hired to write haiku on the spot for events (weddings, corporate events, schools) and I'll have my trusty typewriter close at hand since my handwriting is horrid.
So, today while wandering the Harpers Ferry Gypsy Market, I ran across this beast. For $5. I didn't even check to see if it turned on. I paid the cash and moved on with my daughters to see what else these wily gypsies had on their tables. Soon, Vyolette and I also found a $5 croquet set. As I carried it to the car, I told her to ask her big sister to carry the typewriter back with her. She ran up to the booth where the typewriter was being held for me, telling Lil that I had bought a ton of cocaine and batmans (badminton). I suddenly became very popular with the gypsies.
As you can see, the typewriter needs a little lovin'. It has turned on two times out of the fifty tries and the space bar doesn't work but the rest ain't so bad. She's a beauty...soon.
Now, who wants a haiku?
Turning the Man-u-stuck Into a Manuscript
Welcome to Pitch Wars! If you haven't dipped your toe into these waters before, starting is simple--match yourself with the mentor that best suits your interests, writing style, and the perfect fit for your manuscript. What's not so easy comes next: months of editing, possibly killing off characters, and not being butthurt when your mentor tells you the truth about your ugly baby (all manuscripts are ugly babies).
About me
I'm the author of four books: Zombie Tarot (Adult - Quirk Books); Haunted Stuff: Demonic Dolls, Screaming Skulls, and Other Creepy Collectibles (Adult - Llewellyn); The Girls' Ghost Hunting Guide (MG - Sourcebooks Jabberwocky); and The Boxcar Children Guide to Adventure (MG - Albert Whitman & Company). I am also the author of one screenplay and multiple published short stories. I was the founder and editor of the humor website, An Army of Ermas, and have additional websites at The Zombie Dating Guide and Wee Ghosties: A Beginner's Guide to Ghost Hunting. I blog for the Huffington Post. My work has been featured in BUST and Rue Morgue Magazines, and Zombie Tarot was chosen as a Summer Reading Pick by the Los Angeles Times in 2012.
If you'd like to learn more about my books and websites, please click on the Books & Media page above.
You may have noticed a trend here: I like spooky. Even the Boxcar book had its creepy moments. I'm looking for middle-grade books that focus on the fuzzy bits of life that we can't always define. Special preference will go to well-crafted ghost stories. I also love humor so if your first chapter has me snorting and scaring my dogs--you're in like Flynn.
Books I love
- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
- The Graveyard Book
- Nancy Drew series
- Superfudge
- Clever characters that aren't know-it-alls
- Well-developed sub-characters
- Creepy humor
- Flat-out humor
- Manuscripts that have been well-edited before they head my way. No first drafts, please
- Ghost stories or mysteries that aren't blamed on the dog
- "Strange little girl" protagonists (think Merricat Blackwood)
- Authors that want to learn the business of being a working writer
What I am not looking for
- MG is tightly written. Please no projects over 55,000 words unless it's a whiz-bang of a story and you don't mind slashing chapters
- No fantasy
But wait, there's more!
What can I offer an writer looking for more than a quick tumble in a Twitter contest?
- One-on-one editing: We'll look for plot holes, boost character development, and be an overall pain-in-the-butt until the manusuck turns into a manuscript
- Advice on the seedier side of being an author: marketing, social media, when to say no to one more pencil at an author table, book signings, what's the real skinny on being a working writer, and time management skills
Additional bits
I am a freelance editor and an apprentice agent for Red Sofa Literary. (I will not be open to queries until after Pitch Wars.)
I will be taking part in the MG Pitch Wars chat on August 4th at 8p EST. See you there!
Stace
To learn more about Pitch Wars and how to submit, visit Brenda Drake's site!
To learn more about Pitch Wars and how to submit, visit Brenda Drake's site!
Powered by... Mister Linky's Magical Widgets.
The Ottoman Empire
I've decided to take my relationship with publishing to the next level. I have joined Red Sofa Literary as an apprentice agent/ottoman which means that for the next few months, I'll be butt-deep in learning the ropes while I mentor for Pitch Wars. When have you ever known me to do things the easy way? I will be posting what categories I'll be representing soon.
I'll still be writing weird and slightly disturbing books--you can take the girl out of the dungeon but you can't take the dungeon out of the girl--so keep your fingers crossed for the two projects I have rolling around the back alleys of publishing now. I will, however, be shelving Freckled Spectacles Editing so my attention will be on my clients and the odd child that runs through my office periodically.
I'll still be writing weird and slightly disturbing books--you can take the girl out of the dungeon but you can't take the dungeon out of the girl--so keep your fingers crossed for the two projects I have rolling around the back alleys of publishing now. I will, however, be shelving Freckled Spectacles Editing so my attention will be on my clients and the odd child that runs through my office periodically.
Haunted Stuff in the Wild
I love to see Haunted Stuff in the wild. Friends and fans send photos of where they pick up The Zombie Tarot or Haunted Stuff and I high-five the closest person with fingers. Or paws. It's usually my dogs. They love it.
This photo is extra special. My daughter moved to Portland, Oregon a few weeks ago and stopping in at Powell's Books (my old stomping ground), she saw that Haunted Stuff had a staff recommendation:
"If you liked Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,
then try Haunted Stuff by Stacey Graham"
yaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssssssssss
Thank you, Powell's!
Winterhaven
It's finally spring! I know it's most likely bloomed for y'all a month ago but here on Tippy Top, it's still filling in. The bugs haven't woken all the way up yet so I'm able to go outside without being attacked in the Virginia wilderness.
While sequestered for my usual five months of darkness and ice, I began writing a script that started out Jane Austenesque and ended with ghosts. Go figure. Today, I'm submitting it to the Virginia Screenwriting Competition and working on my logline (a descriptive breakdown of the plot for the industry).
Yes, I did want to start it "IN A WORLD GONE MAD..." but stopped myself. I'll save that for the movie poster. Wish me luck!
Now onto the next project. I can't tell too many secrets but it has a little something to do with this:
While sequestered for my usual five months of darkness and ice, I began writing a script that started out Jane Austenesque and ended with ghosts. Go figure. Today, I'm submitting it to the Virginia Screenwriting Competition and working on my logline (a descriptive breakdown of the plot for the industry).
When faced with false friends, liars, and true love, can Cat tell the difference or is she too wrapped up in her own world of horror movies and teenage drama at a haunted boarding school to see the truth before it’s too late?
Yes, I did want to start it "IN A WORLD GONE MAD..." but stopped myself. I'll save that for the movie poster. Wish me luck!
Now onto the next project. I can't tell too many secrets but it has a little something to do with this:
I'm such a tease.
Pitch Wars
In a galaxy far, far away...
I'm thrilled to announce that I will be a Pitch Wars mentor this summer! I will be announcing my wishlist on August 2nd so get those keyboards hummin!
I'm thrilled to announce that I will be a Pitch Wars mentor this summer! I will be announcing my wishlist on August 2nd so get those keyboards hummin!
The Agent/Author Relationship: The Push Me - Pull You of Publishing
Ah, the ubiquitous dance between querying an agent and the moment you start picking out curtains together. It's a frightening time, somewhere between throwing up a little in your mouth and finally being able to eat a messy sandwich in front of them, and as the relationship grows you're able to settle down into a sweatpants familiarity -- if you're lucky. My agent, Dawn Frederick of Red Sofa Literary, and I came out of the gate in a mad rush of hell yes. I had done my homework, researched agents, sent out a couple of queries custom-fit for the agents I'd chosen and waited. It didn't take long -- Dawn responded to my email within ten minutes. She wanted to chat -- get to know each other -- see if we spoke each other's unspoken language. I'm a leaper and follow my instincts, I knew she was a good egg and by the end of our chat I was all in.
In the five years that we've been business partners and friends, we've sold four books, taught agent/author relationship workshops together, she's dropped my name so hard on editors that they bruise, and I've learned the value of trusting someone else's opinions in my career decisions. So, what does the relationship look like from the inside?
The role of the agent
Far from being the aloof and rather untouchable side of the writing team, the agent is the writer's best ally in publishing. It's their business to know the business: the trends, when editors switch houses (happens frequently) and where they go so as to maintain ties, negotiate contracts and follow up with publishers, and my favorite part -- thinking long term about a writer's career. Agents care about writers, they care that what we write makes a difference and that they're part of the change even if they don't get as much of the high-fives and cake as they deserve. They're passionate about publishing and keep us going even when we want to hide under our desks and eat crackers instead of pushing out another chapter or book proposal.
The most important role of an agent is to be honest, even when you don't like that they're not on board with your most recent idea. That's when you trust their experience and their role within the publishing community and just let it go or chat about self-publishing options.
The role of the writer
I would love to think that all writers are cuddly and creative. That sunshine and prose falls from our fingertips instead of the reality of staring at a wall so long that you can see Patrick Swayze in the drywall cracks. Our role is much less defined, if just as hard as the agent's. While typing out the next great hit, we are now the Primary Promotion Specialist for our work -- we are our own marketing team and idea generator. We make the rules about when to wear pants. But within our semi-pants wearing, Swayze-daydreaming lives, we remember that we're part of a team and what our role in the agent/author relationship requires.
As writers who would like to succeed and not just become a blip on the Amazon "whatever happened to" screen, we work with the agent to not only write but to engage readers via whatever method we're comfortable with. Don't enjoy Facebook or Twitter? Try connecting with readers at conventions, readings at local schools and libraries, start a blog and target readers that dig what you dig, or fire up your old Instagram or Pinterest account and find your tribe. As writers, we adapt or get buried under the rubble. Our agents are there to brush off the dust and make you presentable before you roll out another idea.
Will there be trouble in paradise for some agent/author teams? Of course. Priorities change, career vision changes, lives change -- so how do you handle it when it's time for you to leave (or be left)? That's the call the blogs don't go over as often. Sure, it's uncomfortable but staying in a relationship that isn't working or is stagnant because no one wants to be the bad guy isn't just detrimental to your anxiety levels, it could be bad for your career. While most contracts ask for a written statement to end the relationship (always do this), a phone call first is always preferred. Even if you're not on the best of terms, your grandmother would be proud of you.
As the publishing landscape evolves, the roles between agent and author are also changing. Agents work harder to keep their authors relevant while they search out new opportunities. Authors are asked to do more than ever before to keep their work before readers while still being creative and emerging as businesspeople. It's the balance between the two that keeps the relationship growing. By committing to a healthy partnership, your career blooms -- which translates into extra non-pants-wearing days. It's a win-win.
This article is from my conference workshop. If you'd like Dawn and I to share our experiences at your local or regional conference, please email me.
In the five years that we've been business partners and friends, we've sold four books, taught agent/author relationship workshops together, she's dropped my name so hard on editors that they bruise, and I've learned the value of trusting someone else's opinions in my career decisions. So, what does the relationship look like from the inside?
The role of the agent
Far from being the aloof and rather untouchable side of the writing team, the agent is the writer's best ally in publishing. It's their business to know the business: the trends, when editors switch houses (happens frequently) and where they go so as to maintain ties, negotiate contracts and follow up with publishers, and my favorite part -- thinking long term about a writer's career. Agents care about writers, they care that what we write makes a difference and that they're part of the change even if they don't get as much of the high-fives and cake as they deserve. They're passionate about publishing and keep us going even when we want to hide under our desks and eat crackers instead of pushing out another chapter or book proposal.
The most important role of an agent is to be honest, even when you don't like that they're not on board with your most recent idea. That's when you trust their experience and their role within the publishing community and just let it go or chat about self-publishing options.
The role of the writer
I would love to think that all writers are cuddly and creative. That sunshine and prose falls from our fingertips instead of the reality of staring at a wall so long that you can see Patrick Swayze in the drywall cracks. Our role is much less defined, if just as hard as the agent's. While typing out the next great hit, we are now the Primary Promotion Specialist for our work -- we are our own marketing team and idea generator. We make the rules about when to wear pants. But within our semi-pants wearing, Swayze-daydreaming lives, we remember that we're part of a team and what our role in the agent/author relationship requires.
As writers who would like to succeed and not just become a blip on the Amazon "whatever happened to" screen, we work with the agent to not only write but to engage readers via whatever method we're comfortable with. Don't enjoy Facebook or Twitter? Try connecting with readers at conventions, readings at local schools and libraries, start a blog and target readers that dig what you dig, or fire up your old Instagram or Pinterest account and find your tribe. As writers, we adapt or get buried under the rubble. Our agents are there to brush off the dust and make you presentable before you roll out another idea.
Will there be trouble in paradise for some agent/author teams? Of course. Priorities change, career vision changes, lives change -- so how do you handle it when it's time for you to leave (or be left)? That's the call the blogs don't go over as often. Sure, it's uncomfortable but staying in a relationship that isn't working or is stagnant because no one wants to be the bad guy isn't just detrimental to your anxiety levels, it could be bad for your career. While most contracts ask for a written statement to end the relationship (always do this), a phone call first is always preferred. Even if you're not on the best of terms, your grandmother would be proud of you.
As the publishing landscape evolves, the roles between agent and author are also changing. Agents work harder to keep their authors relevant while they search out new opportunities. Authors are asked to do more than ever before to keep their work before readers while still being creative and emerging as businesspeople. It's the balance between the two that keeps the relationship growing. By committing to a healthy partnership, your career blooms -- which translates into extra non-pants-wearing days. It's a win-win.
This article is from my conference workshop. If you'd like Dawn and I to share our experiences at your local or regional conference, please email me.
-- This article originally appeared at 5writers.com
Peaches in a can
I've always been more of a get-to-know-you writer with my short fiction. I don't spend too much time on a character's back story or what they like for breakfast, I like to throw them into an uncomfortable situation and see how they fight their way out of it. Most of my stories are humor-based, even if it is technically horror, so my characters all have smart mouths or are angling for the best way to phrase a joke. But now I'm faced with new challenges in 2015: a screenplay adaptation of a very famous novel and pitching a children's television series based on one of my books that didn't sell (but will be fantastic for this medium), and I'm in a pickle. There's a story I have to write first because one silly woman won't get out of my head.
Meet Peach. She was a contestant years ago on the Amazing Race, and she's scared. Of everything. I don't think I've ever seen a woman so out of her element, so vocal in her limited abilities to see the world unfolding around her and shy away from it, and who made me a little proud of her to get as far as she did before she and her sister came in last and were sent home. What is it like to be so afraid? Being scared isn't in my nature. I'm cautious, sure. I'm careful for my children and don't do stupid things -- but my motto has always been "how many times can you do this in your life?" and then I forge ahead. Peach represents something I'm not familiar with: a woman who admits she has limits. By the time they were sent home, she had been scared on a bus, a plane, multiple countries, food, and then scared us by buying an uuuugly tank top during a shopping trip. Now the question is, how am I going to scare Peach?
I'm sure I'll think of something. ;)
Wish me luck with the screenplays!
I'm sure I'll think of something. ;)
Wish me luck with the screenplays!
11 Archaic Words to Liven Up Your Holidays
The holidays are coming and that means trying to one up your family members over vacation. In my family, it's a lexiconian dance off -- the loser(s) buy the wine. After the "THIS -- IS -- SPARTA!" catcalls and obligatory chest beating, we try to slip fancy pants words into conversation. This year I'm expanding my knowledge of the more godwotterish sort and I'm bringing you along for the ride.
Borborygmus: The sound of intestinal gas. Don't look at me like that. This is a fantastic word, but one I'll leave until after the meal and no, I won't be blaming the dog. I'm looking at you, Uncle Jack.
Hornswoggle: To dupe or hoax. I'm a terrible card player so I may have to whip this word out while playing another round of Hearts in order to throw attention off of me to win. Why these people keep asking me to play is beyond me.
Legerdemain: Slight of hand. This goes easily with hornswoggle since I cheat like crazy, so I should get extra points if they find out what I'm doing. If that happens, misplaced rage and a few choice words always allow me to tip over the playing tableHousewives-style and confuse my siblings until I can sneak out.
Walla-walla: The rush of sound coming from many people talking at once and making them indecipherable. Too easy. I have five children and four siblings. I have no idea what anyone has said since 2008.
Bloviate: To brag. There's always one sister (or brother), isn't there?
Godwottery: Balderdash or nonsense. I suspect there's always a little bit of godwottery while my sister is bloviating. Ew. Sounds like a rash. She should have that checked.
Flizzen: To belly laugh. I honestly thought this was one of Santa's reindeers.
Misconfrumple: To rumple. I may save this word for my brother-in-law's Christmas morning appearance, but what else could I say after he passes out under the tree every year?
Smouster: To eat secretly. That wasn't Santa hitting the cookies at midnight. That trail of crumbs led straight to my husband.
Honeyfuggle: To trick someone. What's a little honeyfuggle between friends, am I right, Santa?
Gubbins: To tidy up. Christmas morning is a flurry of gubbins before Grandma gets her groove on to watch Ink Master with the grandchildren. What can I say? Bonding.
This article was first posted on the Huffington Post. Check out the rest of my essays!
'Twas the Night Before Zombies: A Christmas Poem
'Twas the night before ChristmasAnd all through the house
The zombies were waking
And chasing a mouse
Their bellies were hungry
And needs were not met
They needed their brains
So in darkness they crept
Oh, they were quiet
And yes, they slipped by
But what to their questioning eye did they spy?
A round man so jolly, so fat, and so tasty
They cared not a whit that his skin was so pasty
They snuck up behind him, ignoring the elves
The fat man was busy just loading up shelves
With sweetmeats and candies, with jars of fresh toes
They couldn't resist him and came down in droves
How could they eat him? They fretted and pondered
Was it bad manners to eat those who wandered?
One elf tried to warn him, to give him a sign
But too late was the signal, they were already in line
Get down with your bad elf and happy holidays!
Stace
Happy Jane Austen Day!
To celebrate Austen's birthday, I give you Emma Thompson losing her damn mind.
I feel the same way, Emma. Though with less snot.
I feel the same way, Emma. Though with less snot.
Bookish Crafts That Are Easy on Your Pocketbook (see what I did there?)
Just hear those bells a jinglin' a ring-ting-tinglin' too. No? Nothing? It's probably because, if you're like me with five kids and a football field-length shopping list, your pocketbook is bereft of coin (or bells). So here are some crafty ideas for the bookish people in your life that shows off your appreciation for literature and your mad power tool skills.
Book page necklace: Love it! Find the tutorial here.
Book page chandelier: Tutorial here
Trash into treasure? I see nothing but awesome here. Tutorial here.
:Insert clever title here:
Hello, Internet!
I apologize for the radio silence on the blog for the past month. October is always a busy month for ghost writers and I was up to my eyeballs in conferences, book signings, and radio interviews, so to bring you up to date I'll hit the highlights:
Florida Writers Association Conference
As my poor family shivered in the first clutch of fall in Virginia, I basked in the fluorescent lights of the Lake Mary Marriott in Orlando. Teaching workshops on time management, and how my agent and I work together, it was a busy fun-filled weekend that just happened to have tiaras and banquets. I met some lovely people, was approached for some new opportunities, and was only a tiny bit disappointed not to see an alligator.
I had a great time at the conference and look forward to returning in the future. In sunny Florida? Please visit their website to learn more about their work and how it can help you to be a better writer.
Interested in the time management course for writers and other crazy busy people? Let me know in the comments and I'll work on a free ebook!
I apologize for the radio silence on the blog for the past month. October is always a busy month for ghost writers and I was up to my eyeballs in conferences, book signings, and radio interviews, so to bring you up to date I'll hit the highlights:
 |
| Getting our banquet on with Saritza Hernandez |
As my poor family shivered in the first clutch of fall in Virginia, I basked in the fluorescent lights of the Lake Mary Marriott in Orlando. Teaching workshops on time management, and how my agent and I work together, it was a busy fun-filled weekend that just happened to have tiaras and banquets. I met some lovely people, was approached for some new opportunities, and was only a tiny bit disappointed not to see an alligator.
I had a great time at the conference and look forward to returning in the future. In sunny Florida? Please visit their website to learn more about their work and how it can help you to be a better writer.
Interested in the time management course for writers and other crazy busy people? Let me know in the comments and I'll work on a free ebook!
Tap Tap, Touch Touch – Adventures in Power Walking
I’ve been climbing Suck Mountain since June and now that the
weather is turning from hyperventilating sweat-slogs to just heavy-breathing
slogs but with a jolly leaf change, I’ve decided to change it up a little bit
(and stay out of the rain). Today’s DVD was with a demon named Allyson and her
peppy three-mile walk to the soundtrack of public domain background music. The
only thing that kept my attention during the 50 minutes? The complete lack of
coordination during jazzy beats of the woman in the back. We two are sisters in
matching yoga pants.
Allyson started off slowly, baby steps into the new and
exciting world of power walking in your living room, her middle-aged thighs
only packing a few things in the saddlebags. Her brightly colored backup
walkers in ill-fitting t-shirts were ready to go and I spied Debby in yellow,
already having trouble with the simple “base” step of marching in place. Wrong
foot, wrong foot, with only one arm pumping while the other flopped helplessly
at her side. I felt her pain. I couldn’t make it past the warm up level in
Jazzercize. As Allyson took it up a notch to a sassy sidestep, I saw Debby
flounder – for a minute there I thought she was going down – as her foot flew
out, nearly kicking the blue walker in the buns. This was better than hiking up
Suck Mountain any day, I couldn’t stop watching and waiting for Debby to take
down the rest in a heap of spandex. Her arms akimbo, her face contorted while
she concentrated on the steps – back, back, toe touch, front – I knew she’d
never make it to Mile Two and the weight balls o’doom.
More vintage Halloween
After my first batch of costumes, I'm getting ready for the holiday again and what's better inspiration than 100-year-old costumes?
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| Dorothy's really let herself go |
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