Author Interview: Donna Cooner, Author of the YA Novel SKINNY

Author Katherine Valdez interviewed fellow author Donna Conner, to ask her about the process of getting an agent, her new book SKINNY, and other writing tips.

How did you meet your agent?

I submitted Skinny to my top 10 dream agents. Within a week, three of them called, and all requested the full manuscript. I chose Sarah [Davies of Greenhouse]. She wrote this long email about why she was the agent for me. I was surprised. It’s usually the other way around.

I knew I had hit some kind of chord with this book. It went out on submission very quickly, and then to auction. It was such a whirlwind.

 

 

Donna Cooner has been writing for 22 years and is the author of
20 children’s books. She wrote two unpublished novels before SKINNY
(Oct. 2012, Scholastic, Inc.). The story of an obese teenager who has
gastric bypass surgery landed on several “best of YA” lists, including that
of the American Booksellers Association. Her second novel, CAN’T LOOK AWAY,
was published Aug. 26. Connect with her on Facebook or on Twitter. 

What kind of personality did you look for?

Personality is really important in an agent. Do you want your agent to be a rah-rah cheerleader or strictly business? Talk with other writers and ask about agents’ personalities.

The agent relationship is the most important relationship. They’re going to be your face in the business place.

What is your agent like?

My agent has a lovely British accent, is a former editor in the U.K., has great international connections, and is incredibly professional but also personable. You’re pretty fragile when you go out on submission. Sarah’s fantastic. She’s amazing.

This author interview is conducted by Katherine Valdez, who blogs
about author events and recently quit her job to write a novel. She
eats a lot of ramen. Please, pretty please, subscribe to her blog, like
her Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

What was the difference between Skinny and your unpublished novels? You and the main character both had gastric bypass surgery.

I really think the difference was that personal connection. It was definitely very close to what I was feeling. Skinny got a lot of attention when it came out because body image issues are such a hot topic.

Writers ask me for advice. I tell them, “Start with something real and give it a twist.” You have to, otherwise it’s memoir.

How did you persevere?

At one point, I thought, “I’m going to paper my bathroom with rejection letters.” Then it became the living room. Learn from rejection and get better. Do you truly love writing and telling stories? There’s the fear, “Am I good enough?” But would you stop? No.

Do you have any other tips for writers?

• Try writing YA. I consider YA writing the Wild West. You can be so creative in this genre: long, short, futuristic, contemporary. I find it to be very open to new writers.
• Don’t burn bridges. Publishing is a small community.
• Attend conferences to make connections and possibly meet your future editor or agent.
• Be kind. Pay it forward. Be as generous and honest as you can be.
• Write with no expectations. I was just writing Skinny for the beauty of the language and what I wanted to say.

 

Want to build your visibility and sell more books?
Create Your Writer Platform shows you how to
promote yourself and your books through social
media, public speaking, article writing, branding,
and more. Order the book from WD at a discount.

 

 

Other writing/publishing articles & links for you:

• 10 Keys to Becoming a Successful Writer: An Agent Spills Secrets.
• Agent Spotlight: Clelia Gore (Martin Literary Management) seeks Young Adult and Middle Grade.
• How I Found My Literary Agent: Sara Polsky (young adult fiction).
• Polish Your Work Before Submitting: 6 Revision Tips.
• Follow Chuck Sambuchino on Twitter or find him on Facebook. Learn all about his writing guides on how to get published, how to find a literary agent, and writing a query letter.

 

Your new complete and updated instructional guide
to finding an agent is finally here: The 2015 book
GET A LITERARY AGENT shares advice from more 
than 110 literary agents who share advice on querying, 
craft, the submission process, researching agents, and
much more. Filled with all the advice you’ll ever need to
find an agent, this resource makes a great partner book to
the agent database, Guide to Literary Agents.

The post Author Interview: Donna Cooner, Author of the YA Novel SKINNY appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

from WritersDigest.com » Writing Editor Blogs
http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/author-interviews-author-donna-cooner