Lane has chosen three winners from the batch of 50-Word Blurbs, so without further ado, congratulations go to:
Michelle Rose: OUTLANDER meets TITANIC when a girl is sent back in time to the ship after holding a séance to summon a boy aboard Titanic. There, she discovers the witchy powers that send her there can no longer get her home. She has a choice: save the ship, or save herself.
Salma T. Wahdy: Set in a world reminiscent of the Balkans during WWI with an energy-field that is manipulated by second-class Loders, HEIRESS OF DANISKAR is a reimagining of Shakespeare blended with elements of STAR WARS and DOWNTON ABBEY. Hamlynne’s thirst for revenge is complicated by her Loder abilities and approaching war.
WINNERS! I'll be in touch to tell you what to send the amazing Mr. Heymont.
We couldn't let Lane go without an introduction and asking a few questions. :-)
Hi all, Lane Heymont here. I’m an agent at The Seymour Agency. My
fellow agents include Mary Sue Seymour, Nicole Resciniti, and Julie Gwinn. We represent a range of
genres from Christian/Inspirational to Fantasy/Science Fiction and a great deal
of Romance.
(OA) How did you become an agent?
(Lane) I saw a tweet that The Seymour Agency was looking for an
intern/reader, so I applied and got the job! After a few months they bumped me
up to literary assistant. Then, a year and a half later our senior agent Nicole
Resciniti asked me if I wanted to make the switch to an agenting position.
That’s where I am today.
(OA) What draws you to Sci-Fi and Fantasy?
(Lane) I grew up on science fiction and fantasy. I was a huge
Trekkie as a kid, read fantasy novels intended for adults in middle school, and
played Dungeons and Dragons, Shadowrun, and even Marvel Legends. As kids we all
have our ways to escape during tough times, and science fiction and fantasy
film and literature were mine.
(OA) Best advice for querying authors? (besides "never give
up")
(Lane) Do. Your. Research. I cannot express that enough. I have
submission guidelines. All agents do. If I ask for five pages pasted in the
body of the email you should give me five pages pasted in the body of the
email. If I sound curt, it’s because this is something I see constantly and
don’t understand why. If having your baby (book) published is your dream, then
why wouldn’t you go for that dream as hard as you can. People may say, “I don’t
know where to begin” and I feel that’s a cop out. Google “how to find a
literary agent” and go from there. You cannot run a marathon if you haven’t
trained a day in your life. Just like you cannot succeed as a writer without
learning the craft and industry.
(OA) Will you be at any conventions this year?
(Lane) Yes! I will be at several, including RT Booklovers
Convention in Dallas, RWA National in NYC, Unicorn Writers’ Conference in New
York, The Southern California Writers’ Conference in Los Angeles, and the 2015
Florida Writers’ Association Annual Conference.
I’ll be taking pitches, sitting on several panels, and
presenting a workshop on worldbuilding. For dates, registration, and more information
you can click here to view my
conference schedule.
(OA) Are there trends in plots that you get tired of
seeing?
(Lane) I’m tired of post-apocalyptic and dystopian settings.
Demons as antagonists is getting old for me, mainly because I have clients and
agency mates who write demons so perfectly that it’s an unfair competition. I’m
also not a big fan of space opera. For me it’s become oversaturated with
outlandish settings and alien species that just don’t make sense. Flying toilet
people don’t sit well with me. I thrive on subtlety and subtext.
QUICKIES:
Sugar or
Salt? Truvia in my coffee and salt on my popcorn.
Coffee or
Tea? Both! I have a constant IV of coffee and only drink green tea.
Dream
Vacation spot? Only one? The Caribbean.
Dream Car? A Bugatti
Veyron 16.4, or Ford Mustang (I’m simple).
Proudest
moment of your life? Reading letters from Holocaust survivors thanking my grandfather
for changing their lives while he oversaw the Landsberg DP Camp.
Most
embarrassing? Winter. Ten years ago. Walking outside, I slip on a patch of ice
and land on my ass in front of my boss. I’ve never heard a man cackle so loud.
2 comments:
Such a fun interview!!
This guy is GREAT!! Almost makes me wish I was querying again. LOL
Anyway, congrats to our 3 winners! If you haven't receive your next set of instructions via the email you used for the contest entry, please let me know.
Good luck!!
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