WHY I AM NOT ON TWITTER...

Dear Writers, Authors, Lovers of Books,

I have much to do. As a literary agent, I am constantly reading and considering, sending manuscripts with thoughtful intent, and frankly, just trying to publish every writer I deem worthy.  I do not need people following me - I have too many emails now that I can't possibly address - guilt is one of those things that I have learned to live with. This is the New World - I get it, but I'm not happy that I can't personally answer all the queries I receive.  Please keep trying, and if you don't receive a timely response, send your query again.  It's our responsibility to read and review your work, professionally.  We try to do our best. Good work will always rise to the top - no question about it.  Keep going and know that we are there to help.  I wish you the happiest of the holiday season.

Three KC&A Book Deals Announced!

Kimberley and I are excited to announce that we have finalized three book deals this week!  

NONFICTION

History/Politics/Current Affairs

Kimberley sold her client Doug Burgess's THE FIRE GODS: IMAGINING EMPIRE IN THE AGE OF STEAM, which documents the development of the steam engine with regards to the annihilation of space, and suggests that as the motivating force behind imperialism, the steam engine was among the most destructive forces of the nineteenth century, to Elizabeth Demers at Potomac Books, for publication in Spring 2014.

FICTION

  

I was fortunate to sell digital rights for two of my projects:

Thriller

Art Kerns’s debut THE RIVIERA CONTRACT, in which a retired FBI agent/CIA contractor accepts a “low risk” assignment in the Cote d’Azur and finds himself in a tangle with U.S. and French Intelligence and the target of a terrorist trifecta, each with its own agenda, to Mary Cummings at Diversion Books, for publication in Spring 2013.

Fantasy

Garrett Calcaterra’s DREAMWIELDER, in which a young girl with supernatural abilities and of royal blood embarks on an epic journey to harness her power and free an empire from tyranny and the war against magic, to Mary Cummings at Diversion Books, for publication in Spring 2013.

Ken Kulken Quote for YESTERDAY'S ECHO

Award winning author of the Tom Hickey California crime novels, Ken Kulken, gave a quote for Matt Coyle's YESTERDAY'S ECHO (Oceanview Publishing).

"Anyone who wishes, as I do, that Raymond Chandler had written more novels ought to read Matt Coyle's YESTERDAY'S ECHO, which zings with wit while it convinces us that police, politicos, and business folk can be as mean and corrupt as ever."

Marin Magazine: The New Art of Publishing

Kimberley was recently interviewed by Marin Magazine for an article titled, "The New Art of Publishing."

Follow the link, scroll to page 58 and enjoy!

http://digital.marinmagazine.com/publication/?m=4609&l=1

Books & Booze

Below is a link to photos taken by Ted Weinstein at the Books & Booze cocktail party held at Chronicle Books earlier this month. Take a look; you just may see some faces you recognize in the bunch.

Kimberley Cameron & Associates was well represented at the event.  I believe there were eight of us who attended the event, three agents and five readers.

http://www.tedweinstein.com/pics/2012/20121108_Books&Booze/?baa

RUN TO GROUND 2012 USA Best Book Award Finalist

We are very excited to announce that D.P. Lyle's book RUN TO GROUND (Oceanview Publishing) was a 2012 USA Best Book Award Finalist in the Thriller/Adventure Category.

Our SiWC Interns

Canadian writers Dana Ramstedt (left) and Fern Hinse (right) with agent Elizabeth Kracht in Tiburon.

At last year's Surrey International Writers' Conference (SiWC), they held an auction to raise money for the conference.  Beforehand, the organizers asked me if I had anything to contribute, like books our agency had sold. I knew I didn't want to cart books with me from California, but tried to think of something else that might be helpful and of interest to writers. 

Before I became a literary agent, I thought of myself as a writer. In fact, I got closer to the industry to figure out how to get published. One of the biggest eye openers for me as a writer, was interning at Kimberley Cameron & Associates.  After reading through hundreds of submissions over that six-month period, certain, almost template, patterns emerged; every manuscript had its Achilles heel, however small.  Most inspiring to me, was having the opportunity and perspective to see those template mistakes. This opportunity is a real gift to any writer, I thought.

I asked Kimberley if we could auction off a three-day internship at the agency and she said yes.  Traveling from Canada to California for a three-day internship is no small undertaking, so I wasn't sure if it would be of interest.  But after the conference, I soon received an e-mail putting me in touch with Dana Ramstedt, who won the internship and was eager to begin making arrangements to come and read for us.

Nearly a year to the date she won the auction, Dana has not only put in her three days, but also brought a writer from her critique group along with her, Fern Hinse, who has also been reading for us.  In these three days they've had a peek at the inner workings of a literary agency, from reading submissions and sending those rejection letters no writer wants to give (much less get), to overhearing conversations between agents, editors, and writers, and getting feedback on their own work.  They also had to listen to me grumble a couple times.

It has been a real pleasure and honor to have Dana and Fern with us, and we are very grateful for their help in reading submissions as well as the other contributions they made while interning for us. I'm hoping to get one of them to contribute a guest blog on their experience at the agency!

As a side note, if you're looking for a great conference to attend, the SiWC is a warm, fun community of writers, and one of the best conferences I've had the good fortune of attending.