The Manuscript Academy #MSWL

We are honored that author Elizabeth (Liz) Holden, author of the forthcoming YA novel Mighty Millie Novak, allowed us to go through her work as a teaching tool for you--what each element accomplishes, WHY it works, and how you can do the same in your own query and first page.

If you'd like to follow along visually, head to our YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/@manuscriptacademy, or the podcast episode page, https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-elizabeth-holden, for the captioned video, transcript, and more.

And be sure to check out our other episode, The Roller Derby of Querying, in our feed.

TIMESTAMPS:
Elements of a Successful Query (00:05:25) Analysis of the query's opening, use of comps, and character introduction.

Navigating Conflict and Tension (00:07:17) Discussion on building conflict and tension in the query and its impact.

Character Growth and Story Arcs (00:10:47) Explanation of character growth and the importance of story arcs in the query.

Personal Experience and Bio (00:12:13) Analysis of the author's personal experiences and bio presented in the query.

Flexibility and Professionalism (00:13:31) Discussion on the author's flexibility and professionalism demonstrated in the query.

Setting High Stakes (00:16:10) Analysis of the opening line and setting high stakes in the first page of the story.

Mighty Millie's Dream (00:17:50) Mighty Millie's aspirations and determination in roller derby are highlighted, setting the stage for the story's conflict and potential growth.

Coach Ann's Challenge (00:18:39) Mighty Millie's desire to prove herself and her ambition to be recognized as a formidable competitor in roller derby are showcased.

A Disastrous Setback (00:19:29) A dramatic turn of events leads to Mighty Millie's setback, creating tension and raising the stakes for her roller derby aspirations.

The Power Dynamics (00:21:04) The discussion revolves around the protagonist's power dynamics, her aspirations, and the fluctuations in her journey, setting the tone for the story's development.

Book Launch and Roller Derby (00:22:20) Elizabeth Holden discusses her upcoming book launch and the roller derby theme, adding an exciting real-life connection to the story.

Learn more about Liz here: https://elizabeth-holden.com/

View our in-depth video of what Liz did right in her query letter and first page here: https://www.youtube.com/@manuscriptacademy

Meet Elizabeth Holden, Physics professor, travel entrepreneur, and author of Mighty Millie Novak, a YA novel coming out from Flux Publishing in August. https://www.elizabeth-holden.com/

Liz is also the travel coordinator for our 2025 Manuscript Academy Retreat, which we're calling Enchanted Summer. Early Bird ends May 24. https://www.leapinghound.com/enchanted2025.html

Transcript + video at https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-elizabeth-holden

Timestamps:
00:02:03 - Writing Journey (00:02:03) Elizabeth Holden shares her writing journey, including querying experiences and the ups and downs of her writing career.

00:09:50 - Book Offer and Celebrations (00:09:50) Elizabeth recounts the experience of receiving a book offer and the challenges she faced due to being sick at the time.

00:12:11 - Viral Twitter Experience (00:12:11) Elizabeth shares the story of her viral Twitter experience related to the representation of queer characters in her novel and the subsequent impact on her querying process.

00:16:09 - Managing Multiple Offers (00:16:09) Elizabeth discusses the process of managing multiple offers from literary agents and making a decision about representation.

Querying and First Page Feedback (00:21:46) Discussion and feedback on the query letter and the first page of the novel.

Character and Conflict Introduction (00:27:33) The introduction of the main character and the presentation of internal and external conflicts.

Advice on Writing Process (00:33:05) Flexibility in mindset and recognizing when to take lateral steps in the writing process.

Leaping Hound Travel (00:37:13) Starting a travel company during the pandemic, focusing on niche topics and small group tours in Europe and Mexico.

Lake Bled Writing Retreat 2025 (00:41:09) Announcement of a writing retreat and vacation in Lake Bled, Slovenia, with details about the location and activities.

Enchanted Summer (00:44:44) Discussion about the magical and inspiring environment of Lake Bled, Slovenia, and the benefits of stepping away to focus on writing.

Please note: This episode contains mentions of alcoholism, recovery, and sobriety.

We are so happy to welcome author Jessica Guerrieri and agent Ismita Hussain (Great Dog Literary) to the podcast.

They're a great example of what to look for in an author-agent relationship--they're creative, collaborative, supportive, and successful (Jessica's debut book club fiction, Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea, comes out 2025 with HarperCollins).

We also discuss re-querying, facing rejection, and the healing power of storytelling and personal narrative.

Meet with Ismita here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/ismita-hussain

Find the transcript and show notes here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-ismita-hussain-jessica-guerrieri

00:44 Introducing Jessica Guerrieri
00:54 Ismita Hussain's Journey from Healthcare to Literary Agent
01:55 Jessica Guerrieri's Writing Journey and Sobriety
03:04 The Power of Perseverance: Jessica Guerrieri's Path to Publication
04:18 The Editorial Process: From Query to Preempt
06:58 Understanding the Preempt and the Publishing Process
10:50 Revising with Resilience: Jessica Guerrieri's Approach to Feedback
17:13 Building Trust and Thickening Skin in the Publishing World
21:31 Looking Ahead: Plans After the Book Deal
22:02 Embarking on a Unique Memoir Journey
22:13 Exploring Motherhood and Recovery
22:48 The Power of Sharing Personal Stories
27:02 The Role of Fiction and Nonfiction in Recovery
29:42 The Importance of Representation in Literature
39:57 The Value of Specificity in Storytelling
43:15 The Memoir Market and Connecting with Agents

We are so grateful to Emmy Nordstrom Higdon, agent at Westwood Creative Associates, who has offered to teach a free workshop for you all about the elements of querying—interest, emphasis, tension—that keep a busy agent reading in 2024.

Get your free ticket (or replay ticket!) here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/emmy

The event is Tuesday, May 7, 8:30pm ET—and comes with a replay, in case you can’t make it live.

This workshop is appropriate for all experience levels—whether it’s your first query or your 100th draft, come for the 101 basics, the checklists, the how-to’s—and leave with a real understanding of how you can use these skills to give an agent a 360 “I can’t wait to read more” reading experience.

Emmy (they/them) represents across age categories + genres, specializing in identity-driven works. They work in both fiction and non-fiction, from PB to adult, including commercial, upmarket, book club & literary. They specialize in contemporary books grounded in reality, with and without speculative elements. Mystery, thriller, suspense, romance, romcom, women’s fiction, LGBTQ2S+, magical realism, fabulism, horror, graphic, narrative non-fiction, true crime, religion + spirituality, humanities + science.

We are thrilled to introduce Ali McLafferty, author, teacher, and most recent winner of the as-yet-untitled (Manuscript) Academy Awards.

Ali was nominated by agent Melissa Edwards (Stonesong Literary) for this gorgeous fantasy novel that brings up a lot of issues in our world as well.

We discuss how she polished her query, how many drafts she did of her first page--and what she learned along the way.

Learn more about Ali at https://www.alimclafferty.com/.

Full transcript at https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-ali-mclafferty

TIMESTAMPS:
Feedback on Ali's query letter and first page (00:10:09) Julie and Jessica provide feedback on Ali query letter and first page, discussing its strengths and areas for improvement.

Ali's revision process for the query letter (00:15:24) Ali discusses her process of revising the query letter, including feedback from friends and an editor, and the changes she made.

The query letter (00:20:22) Discussion on the effectiveness of the query letter's opening and structure, focusing on the emotional impact and the feedback received.

First page of the manuscript (00:21:44) Analysis and feedback on the opening page of the manuscript, highlighting its grounding effect and the portrayal of the character and setting.

Writing process and first draft (00:24:04) Discussion about the unique experience of the book's creation, the absence of significant revisions, and the influence of personal connection and understanding of the material on the first draft.

Genre and target audience (00:35:28) Challenges in defining the genre and target audience for the book, particularly in conveying the blend of fantasy and imagined scientific systems, and the potential for pitching to adult audiences.

Rejection and perseverance (00:34:15) Acknowledgment of the emotional impact of rejections and the importance of perseverance, as well as the advice on finding rewards in the process and maintaining determination.

Pitching and query letter adjustments (00:38:05) Consideration of pitching the book as adult fantasy and the potential adjustments for the query letter to cater to an adult audience without compromising the narrative drive.

Author's website and future queries (00:39:25)

Advice for Writers (00:41:49) Ali shares her advice for aspiring writers, emphasizing the joy of writing and the importance of perseverance.

Touching Moments (00:44:03) Ali recounts a touching moment when her husband was moved by a part of her first book, emphasizing the impact of writing on loved ones.

We love this creativity-packed episode with Melissa Vogan (née Melissa Warten), former editor at Macmillan, current editor at Epic For Kids.

We discuss:
*“Just enough” art notes - and how they’re useful for every genre
*How you can guide the focus of your reader through sensory language
*How to get to the heart of your story
*How to disagree with an editor or agent's feedback
*How to create your first visual work after writing only text-based projects

And much more!

Transcript and timestamps here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-melissa-vogan

Book a consultation with Melissa here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/melissa-warten

Melissa Vogan (Warten) is an editor at Epic for Kids, the leading digital reading platform for children, where she works on IP comics development projects for readers ages 12 and under, including the smash hit series Cat Ninja. Prior to Epic, she spent more than five years on the editorial team at Farrar Straus Giroux Books working on picture books, middle grade, young adult, and select nonfiction and graphic novel projects.

Her notable editorial work includes the popular Cat Ninja and Bright Family franchises, New York Times bestselling titles We Hunt the Flame and We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal, and award-winning titles by Maurene Goo, Barbara O’Connor, Sarah Allen, Hanif Abdurraqib, Tegan and Sara Quin, and Tillie Walden. Melissa is a graduate of Boston College and the Columbia Publishing Course. Find her on Twitter: @melissa_warten