The Whirlwind of a Publishing Auction with Eli Raphael

Andi Bartz on AI, Craft, and Writing the Next Best Thing

Andrea Bartz is a journalist and the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese’s Book Club pick We Were Never Here, The Spare Room, The Lost Night, The Herd, and The Last Ferry Out. Her thrillers have been optioned by Netflix, Hulu, and other production companies, and more than half a million copies of her books have been sold worldwide. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Marie Claire, Vogue, and many other outlets, and she's held editorial positions at Glamour, Psychology Today, and Self, among other publications. She was also a lead plaintiff in the landmark class-action lawsuit Bartz v. Anthropic, which was the first major win for creatives against an AI company as well as the largest copyright recovery in history. She lives with her girlfriend and pets in Brooklyn and the Hudson Valley.

Mid-Year Review Pt 2: Tali is a Literary Agent!

Tali grew up devouring books by flashlight long past her bedtime. After several years practicing corporate law, she joined Storm Literary Agency as an Associate Literary Agent. With her legal knowledge and skills in client advocacy and contract negotiation, she looks forward to building a diverse client list. She is an editorial agent who loves to sink her teeth into a great manuscript and work with the writer to make their story shine. Tali is a champion for underrepresented voices, gives back by offering mentorship to up-and-coming writers, runs workshops on legal issues writers should consider, and hosts a literary podcast called The Prose Pros. She lives with her husband, two children, and a very spoiled (and handicapable) cockapoo with wheels. Query Tali: https://QueryTracker.net/query/talishammas [https://QueryTracker.net/query/talishammas] Storm Literary Agency: https://www.stormliteraryagency.com/tali-shammas.html [https://www.stormliteraryagency.com/tali-shammas.html] MSWL: https://manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/tali-shammas/ [https://manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/tali-shammas/]

How to Land a Literary Agent with Danya Kukafka of Trellis Literary Management

Danya Kukafka is the author of the bestselling novels Notes on an Execution and Girl in Snow. She works as a literary agent, and is actively building her client list at Trellis Literary Management. Danya began her career as a student at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where she created a major titled “The Art of the Novel.” After internships at various literary agencies, she followed that passion to Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House, where she was privileged to work as an assistant editor for writers like Meg Wolitzer, Paula Hawkins, Lauren Groff, Brit Bennett, Emma Straub, Gabriel Tallent, Helen Oyeyemi, Maile Meloy, Sigrid Nunez, and many more. Danya’s most recent novel, Notes on an Execution, won the 2023 Edgar Award for Best Novel and was chosen as the New York Times Best Overall Crime Novel of the Year.  Her debut, Girl in Snow, was released in 2017—it was alsoa national bestseller, an IndieNext Pick, a B&N Discover pick, and received favorable reviews from The New York Times (Editor’s Choice) and The Wall Street Journal, among others. Her fiction has been translated into over a dozen languages worldwide, and Notes on an Execution is currently in development as a feature film. Danya is interested in representing literary fiction with particularly propulsive storylines. She is seeking literary suspense, sophisticated thrillers, book club fiction, speculative fiction, and experimental fiction. She also loves true crime that feels attuned to today's cultural conversations, and upmarket fiction you can read in one gulp. Her dream authors include: Megan Abbott, Angie Kim, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Rene Denfeld, Julia Phillips, Celeste Ng, Akwaeke Emezi, Susan Choi, Alex Marzano-Lesnevish, Jia Tolentino, Karen Thompson Walker, and Gabrielle Zevin.

The Whirlwind of a Publishing Auction with Eli Raphael

Eli Raphael grew up in Miami, Florida, and now lives in rural Washington State. NIGHT OBJECTS is her first novel. This suspenseful novel transports readers to the windswept coast of Washington State and a boarding school steeped in privilege and deadly secrets—a remarkable story of grief, power, and the dangerous price of belonging. “Eli Raphael announces herself in Night Objects as a writer to watch. Her prose is vivid and immersive; her storytelling is top-notch. Part mystery, part coming-of-age tale, Night Objects will keep readers guessing all the way through, but it’s the book’s emotional center—a daughter in deep mourning for her late mother—that elevates this novel into something truly memorable.” ―Liz Moore, New York Times bestselling author of The God of the Woods

Mid-Year Review Pt 1: Lauren's 47 Full Requests and Signing with a New Agent

In this episode, co-hosts Lauren Khan and Tali Shammas sit down for part 1 of their mid-year review. This episode focuses on Lauren's querying journey, which led her to sign with her dream agent. Covering topics ranging from craft to querying, we tackle the nitty-gritty of writing and marketing a standout manuscript. Join us next week for part 2 and Tali's path to becoming a literary agent!