Space City Scribes

By Margaret Lea Mel considers himself “a five-year-old at heart,” which drew him to picture books. But before picture books, he spent over 30 years as a scientist and professor of microbiology, and many years as a jazz singer and saxophonist. Over the past eight years, Mel has focused on honing his writing skills and establishing his presence in the literary world. He has attended conferences, self-published numerous books, and successfully pitched a children’s literature podcast. For the past two years, he has interviewed authors, agents, illustrators, publishers, and librarians on the New Books Network’s Children’s Literature Channel. You can access the podcast directly through his website authormel.com or through wherever you listen to podcasts.       Born and raised in Ottawa, Canada, Mel moved to Israel at age 18 to escape antisemitism. Now he feels at home, despite the difficulties posed by the current war. He notes that people continue with their lives a...

  Getting to know  Morgan Hughes By Renee Nolte Lubbock-based Morgan Hughes is from the Midwest. You can take the girl out of Kansas, but you can't take Kansas out of the girl! She and her family are HUGE Chiefs fans, especially Quarterback superstar Patrick Mahomes. She is doubling up on rocking the support because she also attended Texas Tech with him; that's super cool!  While in college, Morgan interned for agent extraordinaire and NY Times Best Seller Holly McGhee. Hughes learned a great deal from her, including how to exude confidence, which has helped her gain respect in the industry and empowers her to advocate for her clients. Morgan is now a literary agent for FinePrint Literary, working remotely from the sidelines, taking in Football, and hoping to score some new clients!   Getting down to the nitty-gritty, here are inquiring questions you may find helpful: What happens if a pitch is not accepted? First, research who is the best agent for your book. I...

In an interview with Renee Nolte, Heather Cashman, Agent at Storm Literary Agency, shares an inside view of growing successfully in the publishing business. By Renee Nolte Should everyone have an agent?  Having an agent for representation has advantages and disadvantages. Whichever your choice, literary agent Heather Cashman believes your work is valid and has an audience. But with that said, an agent is not for everyone.  Heather says if a person’s work is not commercial enough for the trade market, or if they enjoy the freedom of self-publishing and do not want to relinquish editorial control, then an agent would not benefit them.  There are those who are both equipped and better served pioneering the self-published road, but there is also power in a team. (fun fact: T.E.A.M. stands for together everyone achieves more.) And it's this synergistic work of people joining in a common goal that many of us are looking for.  Heather shares that an agent is a good idea if ...