Interviews
You. A Published Author. Yes, You!
Written by Ellen Marie Hawkins, "RELATE" Contributing Writer
Market guide. Literary Agent. Query. If these words confuse you but you would like to be a writer, they’re words to familiarize yourself with. These are the gates into the publishing world, and every writer who’s peeked inside understands them and how they will help.
In Tina P. Schwartz’s new book Writing and Publishing: The Ultimate Teen Guide (It Happened to Me), you will not only get a better understanding of what these words mean, but you will get a new perspective of what it means to be a writer who could potentially see her words in print. The book addresses many careers where writers can utilize their talents including advertising and even songwriting.
Learn how to submit your work to magazines and agents, and see what colleges and courses of study she recommends. She also gives advice about critique groups and how to avoid every writer’s pitfalls such as distractions, writer’s block and isolation. And she sought out answers from other writers who were published when they were teens, the advice that matters the most because they’ve been where you are right now.
Tina graduated from Columbia College and has a BA in Marketing Communications. Besides marketing, she has not only been a freelancer but a librarian, as well. She has also written books on motorcross freestyle (she describes herself as a tomboy and enjoys extreme sports) and organ transplants.
“I wrote this book,” Tina says, “to encourage them [writers] and to serve as a reference. It answers their questions in a way that is simple and easy to understand.”
This book can be found at www.scarecrowpress.com and www.amazon.com. It is published by Scarecrow press and costs $42.00, but Amazon will often provide books for a cheaper price so keep checking their site. There is more to being a writer than just writing, and this book gives you a lot to think about and consider. Check out Tina’s interview that follows!
Tina P. Schwartz, author of Writing and Publishing: The Ultimate Teen Guide answered a few questions about writing and her new book. Not all of her responses were expected, but each one was honest and thought-provoking. Writing is part of everyday life for most of us, and Tina has great perspective on what can be a difficult task for many but what can become a joy for us all.
Relate: Give us two reasons why young writers should read your book.
TINA: First, there are SO many things young people can do with their writing talents. There are an abundance of careers they can choose, and my book takes a good look at the many options available to people who want to turn their talents into a career. Secondly, basics are discussed with writing exercises, along with many “how-to’s” on basic writing and professional writing (such as query letters, etc.). I hope this book includes everything from how to write a journal, to a short story or article, to an entire book…then what to do with your finished piece to get it published.
Relate: In one sentence, what is the best advice you could give to an aspiring author?
TINA: Read and write EVERY day . . . train like an athlete, even if it’s only 15 minutes a day to start.
Relate: What is the best question you’ve ever been asked about writing and what is your response?
TINA: “As a kid, were you a bookworm?” My answer was “no.” I didn’t really like reading as a child, and even now, I’m a picky/reluctant reader. I read EVERY day and love it now, but am very selective about the things I read…that’s why I wanted to write. I wanted to create something that would make people LIKE to read, who normally didn’t enjoy it.
R: Tell me about your first rejection and what you learned from it. How about your first acceptance?
T: I was actually very excited by my first rejection. It made me feel like a professional writer finally. To know that an actual editor had read my stuff validated me. I was finally in the “club” of writers…after all, my favorites like Stephen King and S.E. Hinton had received hundreds of rejections, and now I had something they had, too. My first acceptance was amazing! I received word via e-mail, and it was late at night when my family was sleeping, so I was dancing around the room with my dog, then finally called my mom and woke her up. I had to tell SOMEONE the great news!
R: What inspires you to write and what motivated you to write this book?
T: My biggest motivation to write is to get those reluctant readers to pick up a book and enjoy the experience from cover to cover. I remember what a chore reading was as a kid, and if I had learned to like reading earlier, it would have made everything in life from school to work much easier. I love reading now, and once I find a good book, I’ll push aside almost everything to finish it in one sitting if I’m able! That’s how “hooked” I get. As far as motivation to write this book, I tried to write a book that will help readers and writers of any age. Writing is such a giving experience, it’s cathartic and a joy. I want anyone with an inkling of motivation to experience what writing can give to a person. It’s a very satisfying thing to see something you create in your mind and heart being read and then discussed with someone, and hearing his/her interpretations and thoughts, and what it meant to him/her.
R: For you, what is the most difficult part about being a writer? The most rewarding?
T: The most difficult part is the isolation of the job. I spend most of my writing time alone late at night at a local coffee shop, or up in my office when everyone in my house is sleeping. (That’s why I stress the importance of critique groups in my book so you can have feedback and camaraderie.)
The most rewarding is to receive a note, email or letter from someone who read your work, and was genuinely touched or inspired. I wrote about organ transplants after my father received a liver transplant, and the letters I received touched my heart and made the months and months of work really worth while. The interaction with the readers is the most rewarding part, I’d say.
Be sure to pick up a copy of WRITING AND PUBLISHING: The Ultimate Teen Guide or check it out at your local public library. It just might encourage you to go down a path you hadn’t yet considered or might give you the extra motivation to submit for the first time when you weren’t sure how to do it. And if you’ve read the book, let us know your thoughts!
In Tina P. Schwartz’s new book Writing and Publishing: The Ultimate Teen Guide (It Happened to Me), you will not only get a better understanding of what these words mean, but you will get a new perspective of what it means to be a writer who could potentially see her words in print. The book addresses many careers where writers can utilize their talents including advertising and even songwriting.
Learn how to submit your work to magazines and agents, and see what colleges and courses of study she recommends. She also gives advice about critique groups and how to avoid every writer’s pitfalls such as distractions, writer’s block and isolation. And she sought out answers from other writers who were published when they were teens, the advice that matters the most because they’ve been where you are right now.
Tina graduated from Columbia College and has a BA in Marketing Communications. Besides marketing, she has not only been a freelancer but a librarian, as well. She has also written books on motorcross freestyle (she describes herself as a tomboy and enjoys extreme sports) and organ transplants.
“I wrote this book,” Tina says, “to encourage them [writers] and to serve as a reference. It answers their questions in a way that is simple and easy to understand.”
This book can be found at www.scarecrowpress.com and www.amazon.com. It is published by Scarecrow press and costs $42.00, but Amazon will often provide books for a cheaper price so keep checking their site. There is more to being a writer than just writing, and this book gives you a lot to think about and consider. Check out Tina’s interview that follows!
Tina P. Schwartz, author of Writing and Publishing: The Ultimate Teen Guide answered a few questions about writing and her new book. Not all of her responses were expected, but each one was honest and thought-provoking. Writing is part of everyday life for most of us, and Tina has great perspective on what can be a difficult task for many but what can become a joy for us all.
Relate: Give us two reasons why young writers should read your book.
TINA: First, there are SO many things young people can do with their writing talents. There are an abundance of careers they can choose, and my book takes a good look at the many options available to people who want to turn their talents into a career. Secondly, basics are discussed with writing exercises, along with many “how-to’s” on basic writing and professional writing (such as query letters, etc.). I hope this book includes everything from how to write a journal, to a short story or article, to an entire book…then what to do with your finished piece to get it published.
Relate: In one sentence, what is the best advice you could give to an aspiring author?
TINA: Read and write EVERY day . . . train like an athlete, even if it’s only 15 minutes a day to start.
Relate: What is the best question you’ve ever been asked about writing and what is your response?
TINA: “As a kid, were you a bookworm?” My answer was “no.” I didn’t really like reading as a child, and even now, I’m a picky/reluctant reader. I read EVERY day and love it now, but am very selective about the things I read…that’s why I wanted to write. I wanted to create something that would make people LIKE to read, who normally didn’t enjoy it.
R: Tell me about your first rejection and what you learned from it. How about your first acceptance?
T: I was actually very excited by my first rejection. It made me feel like a professional writer finally. To know that an actual editor had read my stuff validated me. I was finally in the “club” of writers…after all, my favorites like Stephen King and S.E. Hinton had received hundreds of rejections, and now I had something they had, too. My first acceptance was amazing! I received word via e-mail, and it was late at night when my family was sleeping, so I was dancing around the room with my dog, then finally called my mom and woke her up. I had to tell SOMEONE the great news!
R: What inspires you to write and what motivated you to write this book?
T: My biggest motivation to write is to get those reluctant readers to pick up a book and enjoy the experience from cover to cover. I remember what a chore reading was as a kid, and if I had learned to like reading earlier, it would have made everything in life from school to work much easier. I love reading now, and once I find a good book, I’ll push aside almost everything to finish it in one sitting if I’m able! That’s how “hooked” I get. As far as motivation to write this book, I tried to write a book that will help readers and writers of any age. Writing is such a giving experience, it’s cathartic and a joy. I want anyone with an inkling of motivation to experience what writing can give to a person. It’s a very satisfying thing to see something you create in your mind and heart being read and then discussed with someone, and hearing his/her interpretations and thoughts, and what it meant to him/her.
R: For you, what is the most difficult part about being a writer? The most rewarding?
T: The most difficult part is the isolation of the job. I spend most of my writing time alone late at night at a local coffee shop, or up in my office when everyone in my house is sleeping. (That’s why I stress the importance of critique groups in my book so you can have feedback and camaraderie.)
The most rewarding is to receive a note, email or letter from someone who read your work, and was genuinely touched or inspired. I wrote about organ transplants after my father received a liver transplant, and the letters I received touched my heart and made the months and months of work really worth while. The interaction with the readers is the most rewarding part, I’d say.
Be sure to pick up a copy of WRITING AND PUBLISHING: The Ultimate Teen Guide or check it out at your local public library. It just might encourage you to go down a path you hadn’t yet considered or might give you the extra motivation to submit for the first time when you weren’t sure how to do it. And if you’ve read the book, let us know your thoughts!
PROFILE: Tina P. Schwartz of The Purcell Agency
Written by Kirkus Reviews, 2014
What are some trends you’ve noticed throughout 2014? “Dystopian” is a genre that some say is a trend (The Hunger Games, Divergent, Gone). But I feel it is its own genre that is here to stay. The debate on that is open. Also, regarding middle-grade books especially, the age-old adage of “Boys don’t read because there aren’t enough boy books,” and “We don’t want ‘boy books’ because enough boys don’t read,” is like the chicken-and-the-egg quandary. I represent several boy books, but editors seem reluctant to sign on to them, initially. Books like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is popular for boys, but how does an author break into that category? By writing something completely new and unique, such as Wonder (2012).
What are you anticipating for 2015? Fantasy is superhot, but unfortunately, it is a genre I do not represent. (However, I’d say around 50 percent of the submissions I receive are for this genre.) I think coming-of-age books are the quickest sellers for me and what I gravitate toward, as well. I sold two books that I’d consider “coming-of-age” last year. One was about a wealthy Vietnamese girl in the 1970s who left her family and country, per her family’s urging, to come to America on a fishing trawler. She spent time in a refugee camp and overcame many harsh circumstances to find love and freedom. The second book was edgy realistic fiction dealing with one parent’s mental illness and trust issues with the other parent, who ended up in jail on child pornography charges. The protagonist must learn to let go, to trust and to find her own way in the world.
What book/genre/topic would you like to see cross your transom? Realistic fiction is my favorite. I like coming-of-age stories where you can really see a character grow and evolve! The teen years, in a person’s life, are so exciting and difficult. That transition from kid to adult is full of emotions, struggles, good times and bad, just tons of feelings bubbling up to the surface. It’s thrilling to be able to feel like you, as a reader, are a part of someone’s life at that time.
What topic don’t you ever want to see again? I don’t particularly care for vampires, personally.
What is unique about your corner of the industry? I represent mainly middle-grade and young-adult literature. Young adult is so hot, as a market, with the trend of making books into movies. I saw a poster at my local Barnes & Noble that had approximately eight to 10 titles of books being made into movies. It’s pretty exciting!
Anything else you’d like to add? A note for authors: Books with new, fresh concepts are a rare treat but ones that succeed most often. If a writer has a new idea, or a fresh take on a traditional idea, get it down on paper, and get it out there in the marketplace! Don’t worry that you think it’s too “out there”: It might be just what readers need and are thirsting for. (A great example is a book called Every Day (2013) by David Levithan!)
Tina P. Schwartz is both an author and a literary agent. A Columbia College (Chicago) graduate with a marketing communications degree, she spent her early adult years in advertising, mainly in radio sales. After writing 10 books and helping several others get published, she turned to her true passion, selling manuscripts. In July 2012, she opened The Purcell Agency, LLC. You can find out more about her at www.ThePurcellAgency.com or www.tinaPschwartz.com.
What are you anticipating for 2015? Fantasy is superhot, but unfortunately, it is a genre I do not represent. (However, I’d say around 50 percent of the submissions I receive are for this genre.) I think coming-of-age books are the quickest sellers for me and what I gravitate toward, as well. I sold two books that I’d consider “coming-of-age” last year. One was about a wealthy Vietnamese girl in the 1970s who left her family and country, per her family’s urging, to come to America on a fishing trawler. She spent time in a refugee camp and overcame many harsh circumstances to find love and freedom. The second book was edgy realistic fiction dealing with one parent’s mental illness and trust issues with the other parent, who ended up in jail on child pornography charges. The protagonist must learn to let go, to trust and to find her own way in the world.
What book/genre/topic would you like to see cross your transom? Realistic fiction is my favorite. I like coming-of-age stories where you can really see a character grow and evolve! The teen years, in a person’s life, are so exciting and difficult. That transition from kid to adult is full of emotions, struggles, good times and bad, just tons of feelings bubbling up to the surface. It’s thrilling to be able to feel like you, as a reader, are a part of someone’s life at that time.
What topic don’t you ever want to see again? I don’t particularly care for vampires, personally.
What is unique about your corner of the industry? I represent mainly middle-grade and young-adult literature. Young adult is so hot, as a market, with the trend of making books into movies. I saw a poster at my local Barnes & Noble that had approximately eight to 10 titles of books being made into movies. It’s pretty exciting!
Anything else you’d like to add? A note for authors: Books with new, fresh concepts are a rare treat but ones that succeed most often. If a writer has a new idea, or a fresh take on a traditional idea, get it down on paper, and get it out there in the marketplace! Don’t worry that you think it’s too “out there”: It might be just what readers need and are thirsting for. (A great example is a book called Every Day (2013) by David Levithan!)
Tina P. Schwartz is both an author and a literary agent. A Columbia College (Chicago) graduate with a marketing communications degree, she spent her early adult years in advertising, mainly in radio sales. After writing 10 books and helping several others get published, she turned to her true passion, selling manuscripts. In July 2012, she opened The Purcell Agency, LLC. You can find out more about her at www.ThePurcellAgency.com or www.tinaPschwartz.com.
Interview regarding Agent Tina P. Schwartz circa 2014
Written by Melody Maysonet 2014
Book Covers Grab Publishing Contracts- Tina P. Schwartz
Written by Chris 2007
The full Writer’s Webcast audio interview with Tina P. Schwartz is now online at www.waukegan.org.
Tina P. Schwartz does more than visualize what the book she wants to write will look like when published.She makes a mock up book cover to motivate herself and entice publishers. Tina was at one conference, with a mock up cover, when a publisher approached her. “Is this one of ours?” the publisher asked Tina, zeroing in on the similarity with what Tina was offering and what had already been published. Tina’s book idea wasn’t spoken for. “It could be,” Tina quickly responded, taking advantage of the publisher’s interest to demonstrate why this was a good topic and why she was the perfect person to write about it. Tina makes a mock up book jacket on her computer. It looks just like an existing book and has her name displayed, too. The book cover generates interest from a publisher or editor at a convention. Then, Tina says she uses plenty of enthusiasm to close the sale since she likes to write about topics she has some experience with or a special interest in. “Personality and charm are vastly underrated,” she jokingly maintains, but only half heartedly since showing a publisher her interest is what made each of the books possible. “Your passion comes through when you are really into something,” she said in our discussion that continued after we stopped recording the interview.
Her dad received an organ transplant, a story that she reveals in Organ Transplants. Her son was interested in bmx bike riding, which lead her to Motorcross. Tina teaches writing in adult education programs and Writing and Publishing, The Many Career Opportunities will be published this fall. Tina’s interest in teens and writing has lead her to another book she is developing about cutting, kids who cut themselves. The year all of her friends turned against her is about one difficult year growing up and is the basis for a novel. With a family, writing, teaching, and a financial consulting job, Tina says there’s no such thing as not having enough time to write. “What are you willing to give up?” she asks. For Tina is has been watching TV in the evenings. But, it hasn’t really been a huge sacrifice. “There is nothing good on anyway,” she says.
Tina P. Schwartz does more than visualize what the book she wants to write will look like when published.She makes a mock up book cover to motivate herself and entice publishers. Tina was at one conference, with a mock up cover, when a publisher approached her. “Is this one of ours?” the publisher asked Tina, zeroing in on the similarity with what Tina was offering and what had already been published. Tina’s book idea wasn’t spoken for. “It could be,” Tina quickly responded, taking advantage of the publisher’s interest to demonstrate why this was a good topic and why she was the perfect person to write about it. Tina makes a mock up book jacket on her computer. It looks just like an existing book and has her name displayed, too. The book cover generates interest from a publisher or editor at a convention. Then, Tina says she uses plenty of enthusiasm to close the sale since she likes to write about topics she has some experience with or a special interest in. “Personality and charm are vastly underrated,” she jokingly maintains, but only half heartedly since showing a publisher her interest is what made each of the books possible. “Your passion comes through when you are really into something,” she said in our discussion that continued after we stopped recording the interview.
Her dad received an organ transplant, a story that she reveals in Organ Transplants. Her son was interested in bmx bike riding, which lead her to Motorcross. Tina teaches writing in adult education programs and Writing and Publishing, The Many Career Opportunities will be published this fall. Tina’s interest in teens and writing has lead her to another book she is developing about cutting, kids who cut themselves. The year all of her friends turned against her is about one difficult year growing up and is the basis for a novel. With a family, writing, teaching, and a financial consulting job, Tina says there’s no such thing as not having enough time to write. “What are you willing to give up?” she asks. For Tina is has been watching TV in the evenings. But, it hasn’t really been a huge sacrifice. “There is nothing good on anyway,” she says.
Author Q & A with Tina P. Schwartz
Written by Books Uplift, September 7, 2020
Recently, I caught up with my dear friend, Tina Schwartz, an award-winning author, speaker, literary agent and owner of the successful Purcell Literary Agency. Tina and I were founding leaders of a thriving Chicago chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) where I journeyed alongside this budding author who quickly blossomed into a successful publishing industry professional and renown author. I’m always in awe of Tina’s talent and incredible body of creative works. But one thing that I admire most, is how she’s channeled her passion for books and reading into a successful literary agency connecting authors with publishers and getting compelling stories into the hands of readers. Tina was gracious enough to answer questions about her books, career and the authors that she works with.
Did you always want to be an author? What about your work as a literary agent? As a child, I hated to read. Now I have to do it daily! I fell into writing after a career in advertising. Once I had children, I had to find a job I could do from home. I was always a pretty good writer in school, and I found a correspondence course that taught writing, and how to publish your work through The Institute of Children’s Literature. Then I joined SCBWI that helped me get published through their conferences where I’d met my future editors.
What is your most recent book and what inspired you to write it? The last book I had published is called Depression: The Ultimate Teen Guide in the “It Happened to Me” series by Scarecrow Press – Rowman & Littlefield. I suffered with depression since childhood and the teen years and want to help kids understand that they will get through that rough time in life.
How do you hope your book uplifts those who read it? I’d like readers to know that they are not alone, and that tough times are not permanent, things do get better.
What are you most excited about with this book? I’m most excited that this book can actually save lives! I’ve had readers who had been suicidal tell me that this book gave them more healthy coping mechanisms and ideas to get through the rough patches.
How did writing a book help your career take off? This book helped me get more speaking engagements and was the first book to be sold in bigger stores on-line like Target.com.
What advice would you give to someone pursuing a career as a literary agent? Start out at an agency, if possible, even if it’s a super entry-level (even unpaid) position, if possible. Learn everything from the ground up! You need to be encouraging, learn how to critique in a helpful way, and read a ton.
How do you handle setbacks and criticism in regard to your work as an author? And agent? Criticism is always difficult, no matter how many books you have published! Each project is like one of your children… you’ve put your heart and soul into the writing, and it is a very personal thing. Same thing with agenting, you have to wonder why more people don’t have the same taste in literature, or don’t like your specific taste, if they don’t offer to publish the work you submit.
How do you hold yourself accountable and achieve the goals that you set forth? I make a “to do” list each day and try to accomplish as many things on the list as I can. It’s usually a much longer list than there are hours in the day, but then I put the unfinished tasks to the next day. It helps to have clear goals, and then be able to check them off a list.
What do you find most fulfilling in the career that you’ve chosen? As an author, it’s wonderful to get feedback from a fan of your writing. To hear how your book helped the reader is very satisfying. I write non-fiction on somewhat difficult topics (organ transplants, depression), so when a person takes the time to write how the book has helped them through a difficult time in life, it makes my job as a writer that much more validated.
What book uplifts you? I really enjoy Mitch Albom books… Tuesdays with Maury, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, etc.
Anything else you’d like to share with your readers? If a specific book really speaks to you, or even changes your life in any way, take the time to write and share that with the author. Writing can be a lonely and solitary profession, so when someone takes the time to reach out and pay a compliment, it means the world to that writer!
Did you always want to be an author? What about your work as a literary agent? As a child, I hated to read. Now I have to do it daily! I fell into writing after a career in advertising. Once I had children, I had to find a job I could do from home. I was always a pretty good writer in school, and I found a correspondence course that taught writing, and how to publish your work through The Institute of Children’s Literature. Then I joined SCBWI that helped me get published through their conferences where I’d met my future editors.
What is your most recent book and what inspired you to write it? The last book I had published is called Depression: The Ultimate Teen Guide in the “It Happened to Me” series by Scarecrow Press – Rowman & Littlefield. I suffered with depression since childhood and the teen years and want to help kids understand that they will get through that rough time in life.
How do you hope your book uplifts those who read it? I’d like readers to know that they are not alone, and that tough times are not permanent, things do get better.
What are you most excited about with this book? I’m most excited that this book can actually save lives! I’ve had readers who had been suicidal tell me that this book gave them more healthy coping mechanisms and ideas to get through the rough patches.
How did writing a book help your career take off? This book helped me get more speaking engagements and was the first book to be sold in bigger stores on-line like Target.com.
What advice would you give to someone pursuing a career as a literary agent? Start out at an agency, if possible, even if it’s a super entry-level (even unpaid) position, if possible. Learn everything from the ground up! You need to be encouraging, learn how to critique in a helpful way, and read a ton.
How do you handle setbacks and criticism in regard to your work as an author? And agent? Criticism is always difficult, no matter how many books you have published! Each project is like one of your children… you’ve put your heart and soul into the writing, and it is a very personal thing. Same thing with agenting, you have to wonder why more people don’t have the same taste in literature, or don’t like your specific taste, if they don’t offer to publish the work you submit.
How do you hold yourself accountable and achieve the goals that you set forth? I make a “to do” list each day and try to accomplish as many things on the list as I can. It’s usually a much longer list than there are hours in the day, but then I put the unfinished tasks to the next day. It helps to have clear goals, and then be able to check them off a list.
What do you find most fulfilling in the career that you’ve chosen? As an author, it’s wonderful to get feedback from a fan of your writing. To hear how your book helped the reader is very satisfying. I write non-fiction on somewhat difficult topics (organ transplants, depression), so when a person takes the time to write how the book has helped them through a difficult time in life, it makes my job as a writer that much more validated.
What book uplifts you? I really enjoy Mitch Albom books… Tuesdays with Maury, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, etc.
Anything else you’d like to share with your readers? If a specific book really speaks to you, or even changes your life in any way, take the time to write and share that with the author. Writing can be a lonely and solitary profession, so when someone takes the time to reach out and pay a compliment, it means the world to that writer!
Wisdom from the Publishing World with Tina Schwartz
Written by Valerie Biel
The December installment of the 2021 Author Series wraps up our first year of asking published authors to share the advice they would give to their pre-published self along with what they wished they'd known before they published their first book. But this is not the end! I will continue featuring published author wisdom in this space in 2022!!
Author and literary agent Tina Schwartz joins us this month. I first met Tina as a fellow author, long before she began her agenting career, but back when she was negotiating her own book contracts. I'm guessing a number of my blog readers pitched their work to Tina at the UW-Madison Writers' Institute through the years. (Indeed, that's how I ended up joining Tina's literary agency as a client myself!)
ABOUT TINA
The Purcell Agency started in July of 2012 after author Tina P. Schwartz spent twelve years writing and marketing her work, along with helping several others get published. After a career in Advertising, Radio Sales and Marketing, she turned to her true passion, selling manuscripts. She sold her first book contract in 2004 and sold ten non-fiction titles for one author in the Teen and Youth markets, to traditional publishers. Since opening the agency, she's sold many manuscripts, including YA Non-fiction along with novels aimed at children (chapter books), middle grade readers, young adult, and several adult titles, as well. "My favorite part of the business is meeting new people and building relationships!" says Schwartz. "I look forward to continuing to build fruitful relationships with editors, publishers and authors around the globe."
If I could go back and talk to my pre-published self, what advice would I give? I’d tell myself to go to all the conferences I could go to, near or far, and market and network myself as much as possible! Meeting editors and agents face-to-face is the most valuable thing I’ve ever done. It’s how I received my first two book contracts… pitching editors IN PERSON. Building relationships is essential. Trying to get published on a one-page query is nearly impossible these days!
What do I wish I had known before publishing my first book? I wish I knew to start marketing a good 3-4 months before the book came out. I wish I knew to ask for blurbs, to get a one-sheet out to all the bookstores and schools within a 10-mile radius, to send press releases out, to find a REALLY great publicist, if possible.
ABOUT TINA'S BOOKS:
The book I'm most proud of is the book on Depression for ages 13 and up. With all that the world has gone through in the past two years, it’s an important book that gives healthy coping mechanisms for dealing with depression, along with stories for those who have gone through it. It gives a wealth of information about Depression and how to navigate your way through mental health struggles in a positive way.
The fishing book series was a fun project for kids on all types of fishing. I learned how to ice fish while writing that particular book!
The book on Writing & Publishing is also one I’m very proud of as it includes so much valuable information, showing nearly all of the possible careers you can go into if you like writing. It’s not just being a journalist or a novelist… there are things you’ve never thought of like being an editor, being a stand-up comedian, being a librarian, being a political satirist, so many careers rely on writing abilities. This book shows what schooling is needed, potential earnings, things you need to do to pursue a certain career. Plus, it describes different styles of writing and how to do them, as well.
Lastly, is the book nearest to my heart, the one on Organ Transplants. It was written after my father received a liver transplant. It was a book aimed at family members and caretakers of those receiving a transplant. My father’s transplant gave him 17 extra years of life, before getting cancer, and passing away. A new transplant book is being written for actual recipients and donors, right now, which I hope to finish in 2022. This one was inspired by my sister giving her son, my nephew, a kidney in 2020. Both are doing well thanks to her Gift of Life!
News to Note & How To Follow Tina's Publishing Adventures
The Purcell Agency, LLC, is in the suburbs of Chicago, and we are working on hosting a Writer’s Conference in Spring 2024. Watch my Social Media for details to come in the following months!
You can see my work at www.TinaPSchwartz.com, www.ThePurcellAgency.com, on Twitter at @TPurcellAgency, and on LinkedIn at TinaPSchwartz.
Author and literary agent Tina Schwartz joins us this month. I first met Tina as a fellow author, long before she began her agenting career, but back when she was negotiating her own book contracts. I'm guessing a number of my blog readers pitched their work to Tina at the UW-Madison Writers' Institute through the years. (Indeed, that's how I ended up joining Tina's literary agency as a client myself!)
ABOUT TINA
The Purcell Agency started in July of 2012 after author Tina P. Schwartz spent twelve years writing and marketing her work, along with helping several others get published. After a career in Advertising, Radio Sales and Marketing, she turned to her true passion, selling manuscripts. She sold her first book contract in 2004 and sold ten non-fiction titles for one author in the Teen and Youth markets, to traditional publishers. Since opening the agency, she's sold many manuscripts, including YA Non-fiction along with novels aimed at children (chapter books), middle grade readers, young adult, and several adult titles, as well. "My favorite part of the business is meeting new people and building relationships!" says Schwartz. "I look forward to continuing to build fruitful relationships with editors, publishers and authors around the globe."
If I could go back and talk to my pre-published self, what advice would I give? I’d tell myself to go to all the conferences I could go to, near or far, and market and network myself as much as possible! Meeting editors and agents face-to-face is the most valuable thing I’ve ever done. It’s how I received my first two book contracts… pitching editors IN PERSON. Building relationships is essential. Trying to get published on a one-page query is nearly impossible these days!
What do I wish I had known before publishing my first book? I wish I knew to start marketing a good 3-4 months before the book came out. I wish I knew to ask for blurbs, to get a one-sheet out to all the bookstores and schools within a 10-mile radius, to send press releases out, to find a REALLY great publicist, if possible.
ABOUT TINA'S BOOKS:
The book I'm most proud of is the book on Depression for ages 13 and up. With all that the world has gone through in the past two years, it’s an important book that gives healthy coping mechanisms for dealing with depression, along with stories for those who have gone through it. It gives a wealth of information about Depression and how to navigate your way through mental health struggles in a positive way.
The fishing book series was a fun project for kids on all types of fishing. I learned how to ice fish while writing that particular book!
The book on Writing & Publishing is also one I’m very proud of as it includes so much valuable information, showing nearly all of the possible careers you can go into if you like writing. It’s not just being a journalist or a novelist… there are things you’ve never thought of like being an editor, being a stand-up comedian, being a librarian, being a political satirist, so many careers rely on writing abilities. This book shows what schooling is needed, potential earnings, things you need to do to pursue a certain career. Plus, it describes different styles of writing and how to do them, as well.
Lastly, is the book nearest to my heart, the one on Organ Transplants. It was written after my father received a liver transplant. It was a book aimed at family members and caretakers of those receiving a transplant. My father’s transplant gave him 17 extra years of life, before getting cancer, and passing away. A new transplant book is being written for actual recipients and donors, right now, which I hope to finish in 2022. This one was inspired by my sister giving her son, my nephew, a kidney in 2020. Both are doing well thanks to her Gift of Life!
News to Note & How To Follow Tina's Publishing Adventures
The Purcell Agency, LLC, is in the suburbs of Chicago, and we are working on hosting a Writer’s Conference in Spring 2024. Watch my Social Media for details to come in the following months!
You can see my work at www.TinaPSchwartz.com, www.ThePurcellAgency.com, on Twitter at @TPurcellAgency, and on LinkedIn at TinaPSchwartz.
