Bookseeker Literary Agency

Introducing authors and publishers.

Tag Archives: writing


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Meet Tich Ennis

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David ‘Tich’ Ennis – not a client as such, but a bod we happen to like here – is an Irish poet, man of humour, and general all-round ‘good egg’. He’s tich3a one-time resident of the lovely Vale of Avoca. His poetry is simple, and has been simmered over a low flame of of dry wit. It rhymes a bit too. He reads it out in public, sometimes accompanied by a man with a gong.

So far so good. Anyhow, Tich has joined us in the 21st century, and now has a YouTube channel all of his own. He vows to make it grow, and we’ve promised to give his vow a little boost here.

So, why not go for a little visit? Pull up a chair. Make a habit of dropping in to see him…

I met a metaphor today
it said I haven’t much to say,
you see, I mean to things at once
and may be taken for a dunce.

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‘You Are Your Own First Editor’

American author Sherry D Franklin has kindly allowed us to share the following article she wrote, addressed to her fellow-writers. She doesn’t mince her words.

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Sherry D FicklinI’ve noticed a disturbing trend, particularly facing my author friends working with smaller publishers and I think it’s a conversation worth having.

Just because you have a multi-book contract with a publisher or agent does not give you permission to turn in unedited first drafts.

Really, this should be obvious. Just like you shouldn’t shop/submit a manuscript that hasn’t been thoroughly edited, scrubbed, and polished, landing you a contract does not give you permission to hand over whatever brain vomit you first smear across a page. Just because you are now working with a publisher paid editor does not mean you can skip the basic steps of self editing, beta editing, and polishing.

No matter what your status is as a writer, whether you are just out of the gate or are on your hundredth novel, your first draft will always be garbage. That’s the point of first drafts. You barf out the idea and then, in editing, you clean, smooth, polish, and refine it. THEN you submit it. Every. Single. Time.

I’ve gotten to the point where most of the time, my first drafts are decent. But never would I dream of handing it to my agent, editor, or publisher without first editing it myself. And nearly every time, I also have my (wonderful, amazing) beta readers do an editing pass with me as well.

On average, before I turn in a draft I will run it through a minimum of five self-edit phases. If that sounds like a lot to you, then you are either a rookie, a NYT prodigy, or just plain wrong. I see my weaknesses as a writer, and I know, specifically, what I need to tighten after an initial draft. I sweep through once to add detail (my first drafts are very bare bones with setting and description), then I do a pass looking for pacing problems. Then I do a pass where I run thorough a set of editing worksheets that deal with emotions and dialogue. THEN I send it to my beta readers for a pass. Then I gather all those notes and suggestions, make a final edit pass and ONLY THEN do I hand it in. And even with all that, I still realize that I’m due three rounds of edits with my editor and her team. Because that’s how you know you are putting out the best possible project. The more sets of eyes on a draft, the better the final product will be. And you will end up with a much cleaner finished product if they can focus on catching every stray comma or double space rather than wasting all their time helping you work through basic story problems.

Now, I’m a firm believer that there is such a thing as over editing, of having too many cooks in the kitchen. This is why you have to find beta readers who are familiar with the genre you write in and can be brutally honest when giving feedback. Why you should look for an editor who shares your vision for your work and doesn’t want your contemporary romance to read more like a space opera. And the best way to have a firm grasp on your book, to be able to both keep true to your voice and your artistic control while still being able to receive feedback and criticism, is to know your book inside and out. To have combed through every inch of it, making it as perfect as you possibly can.

And I’ll tell you a secret. No matter how good your first book is, if you start turning in your crappy, unedited first drafts, your publisher/agent may very well decide they are tired of doing your work for you and drop you like a hot potato. I’ve seen it happen.

So that’s my tough love. Don’t be lazy. Don’t cut corners. Put in the work. Let your editors rave about how much they enjoy working with you because you turn in such clean drafts. Then roll up your sleeves and do it all over again. Congratulations. You’re an author.

Sherry D Ficklin, author

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Of course this agency would go further and recommend a professional editor, if you really want to submit a manuscript with confidence; but for those of you who work on a shoestring, the kernel of Sherry’s advice is valid and sound. Her web site and forthright blog is here.


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Kurt Vonnegut on the Shapes of Stories

If there is any author whom other authors cite as an influence, or look up to generally, then surely it’s Kurt Vonnegut. It doesn’t matter what genre you work in, Vonnegut seems to be the guiding light of the author’s craft. So, how does he see the construction of a story? The answer is with simple humour, that’s how. Click the picture to find out more.

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Something for the haiku-minded.

rose2Over on the site for the e-zine the zen space (edited by our client Marie Marshall) spring is stirring. What has stirred it is a collection of haiku and ‘short-burst’ poetry by some of the best modern exponents, plus a translation of a classical greek fragment, and a collection of marker-pen mandalas.

Do you write haiku, or any form of short poetry? Would you like to submit something? Marie says “I am always on the lookout for fresh talent.” She told us, “Contributors should email me if they have something for my consideration. Please don’t leave a contribution in a comment box – I have to delete those, I’m afraid, as they don’t go through the editorial process. Anyhow, I tell people be bright, be light, be dark, be profound, but be brief!”

the zen space Spring Showcase may be found here.


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Go searching for a Marie Marshall poem…

jpeg… and cheer yourself up. Our client informs us that the Poets Collective has just published its cheerful anthology Abandon the Shadows. Marie has a poem included, by invitation, and recommended the book to us, saying: “I know several of the poets involved and I rate them very highly.” You can find the book on Amazon or via the collective’s own web site.


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Carmen Capuano in the Bromsgrove Standard

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Our client Carmen Capuano was recently asked to write a short story for The Bromsgrove Standard, her local newspaper, and came up with a tale called ‘The Wanderer’, a lovely depiction of infidelity with a twist at the end. Carmen said this about the Standard:

brom3I remember the very first time I ever read the Standard. I was house-hunting in Bromsgrove and it seemed like a good idea to read the local newspaper to get a flavour of what life could be like here. It was also the first time I had encountered a local newspaper, since none of the cities I had lived in before [Glasgow, London, Birmingham] had published anything so closely linked to the lives of its inhabitants.

brom2The distinction between a national newspaper and a local one, is more than just a difference in the types of articles they cover, for the disparity lies not just in scale but in proximity. The Standard knows its readers [‘demographics’ to other newspapers] better than just by their bank balances and the size of their homes – it knows their hearts, the things that make them tick, their whims and their foibles and it knows this because the people who write for it are local too. 

If you click on this link you can navigate to the Standard. ‘The Wanderer’ is on page 12. Enjoy.


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Can you write a TV script?

If you can write a TV script, you might consider joining a project to turn one of our clients’ short stories into a TV drama. The story is urban, violent, and set in Glasgow. You need to be confident working with the vernacular of Glasgow and also with Caribbean-British ways of speaking. If you’re interested, please get in touch. Your message will be acknowledged, but it may be a while before we come to any final decision.

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By the way, Paul is now on Linkedin on behalf of the agency, and welcomes connect requests.