tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10503997433311400622012-02-01T10:39:10.358-08:00The Official Blog of the Largest, Most Complete Database of Literary Agents on the Web.Krisnoreply@blogger.comBlogger581100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-47639080284121507492009-11-09T06:49:00.000-08:002009-11-09T06:57:56.939-08:00

Hi everyone,Due to a few issues that have cropped up during the transfer process (the server configuration issue I mentioned in a previous post and some quirks of the import process), I've had to push the AuthorAdvance launch back until Wednesday.It wasn't an easy decision, but the extra time is necessary, and will result in a better site in the long run. I appreciate everyone's patience, and

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-66663162596304451932009-11-04T18:55:00.000-08:002009-11-04T19:20:44.978-08:00

I had a rare free moment as a batch of submissions are being uploaded to the new site, so I decided to use it to update everyone on the status of the data migration.In short, the process is going well. Users and Titles have been converted and imported successfully. Submissions are underway, and should be completed late tomorrow. We've also made some changes to the fonts and artwork, and will

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-16053969574671726722009-11-02T10:09:00.000-08:002009-11-02T10:21:55.490-08:00

The migration of LitMatch to the new AuthorAdvance website has begun! In order to perform the migration, LitMatch will be offline for a period of about one week. Once the data is converted and moved over, the new site will be brought online.This is a busy and exciting time for me, but I realize that it can be a frustrating time as well for longtime users who have come to depend on LitMatch for

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-60063745766206242112009-10-28T09:21:00.000-07:002009-10-28T09:23:45.846-07:00

We are pleased to announce the launch date for AuthorAdvance, the next generation social network and submission tracking system for writers of all interests and experience levels.AuthorAdvance will launch on Monday, November 9th.In preparation for the launch, LitMatch will be closed in order to perform user and data migration starting on Monday, November 2nd. The migration process is expected to

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-56096673101423790892009-10-26T18:24:00.000-07:002009-10-26T20:12:14.580-07:00

In my last preview, I wrote about how you can use AuthorAdvance to accentuate the good. But what happens when you need to bring attention to the bad? The open nature of AuthorAdvance's listings might make it a tempting target to those who wish to unfair advantage of budding talent, but we've put safeguards in place to make it easy for the talent to fight back.Scenario #2: The ScammerA seemingly

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-56165352591008172832009-10-12T08:59:00.000-07:002009-10-12T09:01:44.380-07:00

So far, each of the previews I've posted here on the blog have focused on a single piece of functionality that the new AuthorAdvance site has to offer. With all the new features, it's easy to feel a little lost, and easier still to ask, "How does all this really help me?" The real power of AuthorAdvance lies, not just in the features themselves, but in the way that they all work together.In

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-21360127825328885132009-10-05T12:29:00.000-07:002009-10-05T13:25:44.724-07:00

It's been a while since my last preview. Work on AuthorAdvance has been keeping me busy, but I'm taking advantage of a momentary lull to write a little about one of the most powerful features of the new website: Groups.Groups are simply collections of user who have united around a specific topic or interest. But beneath this simple concept lies a robust way of interacting with other users and

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-82289227519074983792009-09-22T15:20:00.000-07:002009-09-22T15:28:57.706-07:00

The following is reprinted from our email newsletter, which went out earlier this morning...Two years ago, a little website called LitMatch was launched with the goal of helping writers find literary agents, and ultimately, get published. Later this year, LitMatch will relaunch with a new mission that encompasses a wider spectrum of writers and their work. With this new mission comes a new look

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-59986997441813640572009-09-09T18:45:00.000-07:002009-09-09T20:22:05.372-07:00

Now that you have an idea of what your fellow users all about, you might want to get in touch with those users. We've built a few options into the new site that make that possible, and allow each user to have as much or as little contact as he or she chooses...Private Messages: These messages are simply short notes that users can send to each other. The site keeps track of message history

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-82973693653552101902009-09-04T08:58:00.000-07:002009-09-04T10:48:51.395-07:00

In my first preview, I wrote about some of the motivations behind the LitMatch redesign. Of those motivations, one of the biggest was wanting to find a way to allow our users to find and connect with each other. It was that desire that led us to decide early on that the new site would go beyond presenting listings and tracking submissions, and become a full-flegded social network.The next series

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-88770428520679950912009-09-02T08:41:00.000-07:002009-09-02T09:47:16.568-07:00

LitMatch has always been a free service. As these previews move forward, and we get closer to launching the new site, I think it's important to note that our commitment to offering a free service will continue.That means that the new website will be free. Registration is free. The listings are free. Submission tracking is free. The social networking features are free. Simple , right?But

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-17309858472131131032009-08-26T08:11:00.000-07:002009-08-26T10:18:49.008-07:00

In last week's preview, I wrote about a major change in the way LitMatch's successor will handle updates to its listings. The new website will open those listings so that nearly anyone will have an opportunity to add or update information. While this approach offers a great deal in terms of interactivity and efficiency, it brought with it some significant challenges that we had to address in

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-6890181264807677992009-08-20T07:36:00.000-07:002009-08-20T08:58:46.885-07:00

In the last preview, I wrote about the new listings that will be part of the redesigned website. The new listings will expand the site's size from its currently respectable 2500-or-so listings to an estimate of over 15,000! That's a lot of data to maintain, and keeping the site up-to-date would be a challenge, even for a full-time staff. So, early in the process, we had to figure out a

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-89923948017206232152009-08-13T12:00:00.000-07:002009-08-13T12:45:51.396-07:00

In my first preview, I mentioned that the scope of LitMatch is expanding to better represent the breadth and depth of the entire publishing industry. Keen-eyed readers of preview #2 may have noticed an inadvertent hint at that expanded scope in the teaser image of our new submission form. So, when I talk about expanded scope, what do I mean, exactly?The full answer is too much to cover in a

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-25855563816498027002009-08-10T13:10:00.000-07:002009-08-11T17:33:19.141-07:00

Once the path to a new site was decided, the next task was arguably the most important one: in building a new site from the ground up, using new technology, we needed to make sure that nothing from the current site was lost. The site would have a lot of new features, but we had to take care that none of the existing features disappeared.So we started development with the web version of the

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-24420364532739043732009-08-06T13:50:00.000-07:002009-08-06T15:36:16.829-07:00

Next month marks the two-year anniversary of LitMatch.net. In that time, it has grown beyond all expectations, both in terms of the information it presents and the number of people who use it. By all indications, the site has been a great success, and I'm incredibly proud of what it has achieved.So, why make a change? And why now? Well, answering that question requires a little history...

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-64560658516277468662009-08-03T12:27:00.000-07:002009-08-03T12:31:53.894-07:00

As of this writing, we are in the final stages of a complete redesign, rebuild, and expansion of the LitMatch site. More than just a patch or a version 2.0, this project represents a complete, ground-up redesign of the entire site, using cutting-edge web technologies that greatly expand the features that we have to offer.The end result will be a site that is larger and more interactive, with

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-78950122180818523872009-07-28T19:28:00.000-07:002009-07-28T20:35:23.512-07:00

If you've been following this blog...well, let's face it: if you've been following this blog, you're one heck of an optimist because there hasn't been a lot to follow. But if there's one thing I've learned as a father of two boys is that when things get too quiet, it's time to pay attention.And guess what? They get that from me.So, what have I been up to these past months? Quite a bit,

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-87175917338165540032009-04-15T07:51:00.000-07:002009-04-15T07:55:05.395-07:00

In the March Newsletter, we asked for your feedback about the recent QueryFail event that took place on Twitter. We've posted some of our favorites below.Thanks to everyone who submitted comments. If you don't see yours listed, or you didn't receive our email, please feel free to add your own feedback below.In case you missed the first QueryFail day, another is planned for April 17th. You can

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-55506848157502242412009-03-17T12:20:00.000-07:002009-03-17T12:29:20.867-07:00

In last month’s newsletter, I asked you, our users, to give us your take on the future of the publishing industry. You certainly didn’t disappoint! We received dozens of thoughtful, well-reasoned replies, and if your opinions are any indication, one thing is certain: the publishing industry will live on, regardless of what form it may take.Thank you to everyone who replied. I’ve included a few

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-36576417944028819992009-02-24T21:31:00.000-08:002009-02-24T21:39:41.170-08:00

If you’ve been using LitMatch for a while, then you already know exactly what it is that we’re all about. But, if you’re new to the site, or perhaps new to how the traditional publishing system works in general, a quick overview may be in order:What We’re Not: A Literary Agency. We don’t represent authors directly, nor can we accept submissions on their behalf. Despite that, we get a fair

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-55025784522646078092009-02-18T10:58:00.000-08:002009-02-18T11:24:36.758-08:00

We always look forward to getting your feedback here at LitMatch, and we get a lot of it. But from time to time, we like to ask you specific questions about your experiences in the publishing world, and your thoughts about our site and our services. That's why we put together surveys: to learn more about you, and how we can best tailor our site to fit your needs. Where last summer's survey

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-82353934905268945732009-02-09T10:54:00.000-08:002009-02-09T11:10:33.242-08:00

Back in September, we announced the LitMatch Anniversary Giveaway as a way to say thank you to everyone who helped make our first year such a great success. The winners were drawn at the end of last month, and if you're a newsletter subscriber, you already know who they are. But just in case you missed it (and because good news bears repeating), here is the list of the lucky winners:Free

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-24284065703448331462009-01-28T12:49:00.000-08:002009-01-28T13:19:50.856-08:00

A few weeks ago, I received an email from a LitMatch member who was having trouble getting started in her search for publication. Like a lot of writers, she found the whole process daunting and a little scary. This, paraphrased slightly, is my response to her. It seemed to help at the time, and I'm posting it here in hopes that it might help someone else who's in the same position...First of

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-11753368424534396352009-01-22T13:31:00.000-08:002009-01-22T13:32:50.318-08:00

The economy is awful right now. Unless you’ve been living under that proverbial rock these past months, that much is obvious. If you’ve been following the publishing world lately, the dire state of things is even more apparent. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt put a stop to buying new manuscripts, Borders is cutting jobs, and publishers are having to make more hard choices just to stay afloat.

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-24432908503330470542009-01-05T13:14:00.000-08:002009-01-05T13:31:30.142-08:00

As many of you know, LitMatch is a family operation, and last week, our family got a little bit bigger.I'm pleased to announce the birth of Benjamin James Akira Hawkins, born on January 1, 2009. I can't think of a better way to start off the new year!Mommy and baby are doing well, and Ben's big brother Timothy is taking it all in stride. We should have both of them drafted into working on the

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-27765170426700911082008-12-29T19:33:00.000-08:002008-12-29T19:46:34.767-08:00

Just a quick reminder to our members that the deadline for entries is midnight on Wednesday. Be sure to visit our Giveaway Page and enter to win before time runs out.Not a member yet? No problem. It's free and only takes a minute. Just visit our Registration Page, enter your login information, and you're good to go!Winners will be announced in the January edition of our newsletter, as well as

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-59147443127356711262008-12-24T13:40:00.000-08:002008-12-24T13:44:03.306-08:00

To all of our users, and to all the agents who appear on our site, we here at LitMatch want to wish you the happiest of holidays and all the best in the coming year.Happy Holidays!

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-20839001979606225602008-10-02T17:37:00.000-07:002008-10-02T17:39:22.193-07:00

A few months ago, when I looked up to see our one-year anniversary on the horizon, I started thinking about what would be the best way to mark the occasion. I wanted a way to say thanks to you, the users of LitMatch, for making the site such a great success. It’s been a big year, and a big year calls for a big finish.Now that big finish is here: The LitMatch Anniversary Giveaway! With the help

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-18683448774524556722008-10-01T15:43:00.000-07:002008-10-01T15:44:57.387-07:00

Last month, we began a major upgrade to the site by completely redesigning the Your Titles page. In September, we launched the other half of that effort with a redesign of the way we display Your Submissions.First off, we took the basic, tabular format and opened it up to include more information. With the new design, you don’t have to drill down to the submission editing page to view critical

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-41588809441511439932008-09-23T09:43:00.000-07:002008-09-23T09:44:43.563-07:00

Spend a little time searching for agents online and you’re bound to come across any number of websites that promise to send queries to agents for you, in exchange for a fee. These sites are commonly referred to as Query Blasters. They offer a pretty tempting proposition to writers who hate the whole submission process, which, let’s face it, is most of us. Some of you have even asked us to add

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-5156509124291480102008-09-11T13:11:00.000-07:002008-09-11T13:17:10.334-07:00

If you subscribe to our monthly newsletter, this next bit of news is old news to you. But if you don’t subscribe (and if you don’t, then what are you waiting for? Log in to your account and check the box to opt in,) we have some big changes in store for you…The first, most obvious, and some might even say sexiest change is the addition of pie charts to our agent and agency detail pages. These

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-78352873208821240382008-09-10T18:18:00.000-07:002008-09-10T19:45:09.863-07:00

Last September, LitMatch made its way onto the Internet with very little fanfare and a simple goal: to help writers in their search for representation and, ultimately, publication. We've had a few bumps along the way, but as I sit here, one year later, and look back at what we have accomplished in that short time, I am filled with pride and no small amount of awe.When I say "we", I'm not just

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-24391519587493230582008-07-29T18:05:00.002-07:002008-07-29T18:07:35.186-07:00

Spend a little time on LitMatch, and you’ll notice that we use the word “submission” in a lot of places where you might expect us to use the word “query.” It’s a small point, but one that we sometimes get questions about, so I wanted to take a moment to elaborate on both terms and why we don’t always consider them to be the same thing.In the general, industry-wide sense, there doesn’t seem to be

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-15371314385893509072008-07-22T19:03:00.000-07:002008-07-22T19:17:13.510-07:00

A number of big changes hit LitMatch in the past few days. Like most of the changes we make, they incorporate suggestions made by our users and combine them with a few ideas of our own.The first thing you’re likely to notice is the new layout to the agent and agent listing pages here and here. We’ll get to that in a moment, because while it is the most obvious change, the biggest and

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-263382230285219292008-07-11T10:03:00.000-07:002008-07-11T10:11:59.672-07:00

A few of you have written me lately to ask a very important question, perhaps the most important one ever asked of me: When I’m sending out queries, how do I know when enough is enough? How do I know when to quit?The question is important because the answer will define your writing career. It may determine your very success or failure as a writer. It’s also one that will stay with you as you

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-386262155298414712008-06-30T13:36:00.000-07:002008-06-30T15:07:27.670-07:00

One of the most rewarding things about working on LitMatch is the chance to speak directly with our users, answer your questions, and consider your recommendations for how we can make the site better. But sometimes those interactions don't tell the whole story about your experiences with LitMatch, experiences which are very important as we continue to shape our content and features to better suit

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-12017394713989083752008-06-23T08:25:00.000-07:002008-06-23T08:28:20.525-07:00

Here at LitMatch, we get a lot of questions on a variety of different subjects, but one question that keeps coming up again and again is this: How do I find an agent who will represent my book of poetry?A comparatively small number of agents represent poetry, so few that LitMatch doesn’t list it as a distinct, searchable category. The reason is simple economics. Of the over 200,000 books

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-56131202552863247332008-04-25T14:00:00.000-07:002008-04-25T14:01:51.980-07:00

On May 12, the cost of first class postage in the U.S. goes from 41 cents to 42 cents. It’s hardly enough to break the bank, but it could be enough to keep you from getting a response to a query if your SASE doesn’t have the proper postage. It’s just a penny, but it has the power to really trip up your agent search. So, what’s to do about it?First, if you’re not already sending your queries

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-26076925393042715992008-04-02T18:07:00.000-07:002008-04-02T18:13:08.283-07:00

We recently launched a new feature on LitMatch (not so much a new feature, really, as a new way of looking at things.) We took our literary agent and agency profile pages, turned them inside-out, and completely rebuilt them. The result is a new layout that brings key information to the forefront while organizing the rest in a simple, intuitive format.The first thing you’ll notice when you look

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-37635253966321561782008-03-24T20:31:00.000-07:002008-03-24T20:35:15.687-07:00

Last time, I wrote about ways to help deal with the rejection you’re bound to face as a writer. But once you’re past the shock and the sting, what then? Even if bad news doesn’t faze you, and you’re filled with the hope of a small child and the patience of a Jedi master, a rejection can still trip you up if you respond to it the wrong way. Today, we’ll examine the right ways, and the wrong

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-23139393261014263722008-03-22T20:23:00.000-07:002008-03-24T20:36:08.027-07:00

Publishing and rejection go hand-in-hand. The minute you let your work out into the world, you need to be prepared for the fact that someone will turn it down. It’s a tough reality to face, but how you respond to that reality, both personally and professionally, is one of the factors that will help define your writing career.Today, in the first of a two-part posting, we’ll look at ways of

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-3102764219365247492008-02-25T21:04:00.001-08:002008-02-25T21:15:25.488-08:00

There’s no shortage of books out there aimed at writers who are looking for agents. With so many to choose from, I can’t claim that I know all of the best ones, but I can recommend a few that I’ve personally found helpful. So, without further ado, here’s a little peek at my own personal bookshelf…Jeff Herman’s GuideIf print directories were cars, this one would be the Cadillac. It features

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-91255551276356839212008-02-06T18:00:00.000-08:002008-02-06T18:05:14.054-08:00

It’s been a while since our last post, but now that we’re back from our winter hiatus, I thought it a good idea to devote our first post of the year to a look at fundamentals. And what could be more fundamental than a look at the most fundamental part of your agent search: the manuscript itself?When it comes to formatting your manuscript, there are a few simple rules to follow, but the first and

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-20186098128937532682007-12-24T10:41:00.000-08:002007-12-24T10:49:36.332-08:00

We'd just like to take a moment to wish all of our friends and users a happy holiday! Thank you for all your support and kind words, and best wishes for a happy and productive new year!Sincerely,Kris and Christopher HawkinsLitMatch.net

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-38788069002364184672007-12-16T19:47:00.000-08:002007-12-16T19:48:46.985-08:00

We’ve recently launched the first in a series of planned upgrades to our statistics package. Up ‘til now, we’ve been focused on making the site as useful as possible for the individual user tracking submissions in our system. But now that we have a strong base of submission information to draw from, we’re proud to be able to add these statistics to our ever-growing set of literary agent

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-10475104595751050292007-12-07T17:19:00.000-08:002007-12-07T17:23:52.585-08:00

Last time, I wrote about how to protect your writing from theft and loss. Unfortunately, that’s only part of the equation. Even if you’ve taken steps to copyright your work and keep it safe from thieves, you can still fall victim to unscrupulous people. Some of them masquerade as literary agents, but make their livings preying on the enthusiasm of writers and exploiting the competitive nature

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-91436634308372071902007-12-03T17:35:00.000-08:002007-12-03T17:37:07.434-08:00

As a writer, your work is one of your most cherished possessions. You nurture it. You polish it. You pour months, if not years, of your life into it. Letting go if it long enough to try to get it published is scary enough, but if you stop to think about the people out there who make their livings preying on the dreams of writers, it can get downright terrifying.But it doesn’t have to be. The

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-3530155988555119412007-11-21T18:33:00.000-08:002007-11-21T19:54:41.341-08:00

As of this writing, tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the United States. It's a time for togetherness, a time for pause, and a time to reflect on the things that we're thankful for.I'm thankful for many things. I'm thankful for my family, for my wonderful wife and our amazing two year-old son. I'm thankful for the friends who've lent us their support, and for the opportunities I've been given

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-73937561919149113742007-11-19T18:12:00.000-08:002007-11-19T19:19:39.069-08:00

When was the last time someone went out of his way to make your job easier? Think hard, because it doesn’t happen all that often. But when it happened, you took notice, didn’t you?Now, consider the literary agent. His job is to find new writing talent, marketable writing talent in the form of a writer whom he can work with, perhaps for years to come. It’s not an easy job, but if you, while you’re

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-32704897409912896202007-11-07T07:45:00.000-08:002007-11-07T07:48:44.983-08:00

We just launched a new feature which will be of particular interest to those of you who have websites and blogs of your own. Now you can add our powerful, full-content search directly to your own page. By cutting and pasting a single line of HTML code, you can allow your readers and friends to begin their search for representation right from your own site.The search box comes in two varieties at

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-6619045910266056432007-10-31T18:27:00.000-07:002007-10-31T18:29:33.727-07:00

For those who might not be aware, November is National Novel Writing Month, and the good folks at the NaNoWriMo website have issued their yearly challenge: write a 50,000 word novel in just one month. Impossible, you say? Thousands of writers do it every year. So, check out the site and if you’re up to the task, your novel could be a reality in thirty short days.You can find all the details at

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-22003108525327222212007-10-26T18:31:00.000-07:002007-10-26T18:34:17.420-07:00

We live in an instant gratification society, and few things are as instantly gratifying to the writer seeking representation than sending a submission to an agent by email. There’s something satisfying, almost seductive, about the idea of pushing a button and having your query arrive on an agent’s desktop in a matter of seconds. But precisely because it’s so quick and simple, the email

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-74983918587789681512007-10-17T17:41:00.000-07:002007-10-17T17:43:58.845-07:00

We’re very excited to announce a new feature that we recently added to our listings. That feature is our Agent-Updated Listings program. Over 150 agents have participated by updating their listings and the listings of their agencies, and more are being added every week. What that means for you is an unprecedented level of accuracy and a more reliable search experience.To access this feature,

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-60777876661887912192007-10-11T21:00:00.000-07:002007-10-11T18:44:15.479-07:00

Last time, I talked a little about the materials you’ll need for a Fiction submission. Non-Fiction submissions have very different requirements than Fiction submissions, but the main goal is the same: get the agent excited about the prospect of representing your project. As with Fiction, each agent will have slightly different requirements, but the main elements are fairly standard. Here’s

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-11262212988725231672007-10-04T18:00:00.000-07:002007-10-11T18:40:51.088-07:00

For many, the hardest part of submitting to an agent is knowing where to start. If you’re a fiction writer reading this post, chances are good that you’ve completed your novel, and you’re ready to move on to the next step. Here’s a list of things you’ll need in order to begin your search.The Finished Manuscript. For fiction, there’s no way around this one. Yes, there are stories about people

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-3768812096973705272007-10-01T19:00:00.000-07:002007-10-11T18:37:23.617-07:00

A little less than a month has gone by since we launched LitMatch.net. The response has been fantastic, and we’re very excited about the feedback and positive comments we've gotten in this short amount of time. We decided it was high time we introduced ourselves, so without further ado…Christopher Hawkins, President and Lead DeveloperThis is me, a writer and web developer from the Chicago area.

Christopher Hawkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08019150453606634046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1050399743331140062.post-1995919924341899442007-09-06T21:10:00.000-07:002007-09-06T21:11:44.597-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted, and now I can finally (and quite proudly, I might add) reveal what's been keeping me away: This week marked the launch of my new website, www.litmatch.net!LitMatch is a free online resource for finding and researching literary agents. And yet, it is much more than that. It's also a sophisticated submission tracking system that lets writers record and manage

Krisnoreply@blogger.com0