Karen Neches

My Favorite Writing Resources:


Publisher’s Weekly http://www.publishersweekly.com/ (30-day trial subscription)
Publisher’s Marketplace http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/ ($20 a month)

Publisher’s Lunch http://www.caderbooks.com/ Find out what books are selling now.

Shaw Guide to Writers Conferences http://writing.shawguides.com/

Agent Query http://www.agentquery.com/

Evil editor http://evileditor.blogspot.com/

Miss Snark http://misssnark.blogspot.com/ (read the archives. They’re invaluable.)

Pub Rants http://pubrants.blogspot.com/

Preditors and Editors http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/

AAR http://www.aar-online.org/mc/page.do (organization to keep literary agents honest)

Newbie’s Guide to Publishing http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/

Reading List

Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (I credit this book for getting in the right creative frame of mind.)

First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King

Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott

Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Mass (I LOVE this book!)


A New Query Letter

I ended up having to get a new agent and guess what? I had to re-query agents all over again!

This is the letter I used, and everyone I sent it to asked for a partial or a full. I ended up picking and choosing my new agent. You probably think that's because I'm already a published author. And you're right, that was an advantage. But I'm friends with a lot of authors and sometimes they have real troubles getting a new agent when they switch so I'm hoping that it was the project that enticed the agents. Anyway, here's the letter:

Dear Ms. Agent: (I used their real name, of course)

I’ve written three novels in the critically acclaimed Bottom Dollar Girl series (Simon and Schuster) and have co-written The Sweet Potato Queen’s First Big-Ass novel with New York Times best-selling author Jill Conner Browne. My novel Earthly Pleasures will be released in February 2006. I’m seeking representation for THE GRANNY PANTIES TOUR, a mainstream novel. It’s the work I planned to submit to Simon and Schuster in accordance with my option clause.

Quinn is a disgruntled schoolteacher who is continually looking after Claire, her manic-depressive sister. Her greatest disappointment in life came when, twenty years ago, she belonged to an eighties girl band called the Bikini Panties. The lead singer Jet, who was also Quinn’s best friend, ran off with Quinn’s fiancé Gerald. Quinn hasn’t seen either of them in twenty years. Gerald, may or may not be the father of Quinn’s daughter Heather.


Jet returns to town, begging Quinn’s forgiveness. She’s also determined to revive the band, this time calling it the Granny Panties. Quinn resists her offers of friendship but wants to make music again.The two former friends forge an uneasy alliance, which is complicated when Gerald comes back into the picture.

Meanwhile Agnes, a former band member, is grappling with an inattentive husband. She’s the author of a book called Bless His Southern Heart: A Guide for Finding and Keeping the Man of Your Dreams. When her husband takes off to live in an ashram, she has to re-examine her outmoded ideas about male/female relationships.

I’m familiar with the type of fiction you represent. (mention clients here)


The novel isn’t complete. I have one-hundred and fifty pages and a synopsis. My contract requires only an outline. I’ve recently made an amicable parting with my agent of four years. Our split had nothing to do with this project. (If you are a new novelist the project would have to be complete.)

Would you like to see the first few chapters? Thanks for your kind consideration. I can be reached at kgillespie@knology.net and my phone number is XXXXXXX.


Warm regards,

Karin Gillespie