Inklings is looking for interns!

Inklings Literary Agency is looking for a few good men (AND WOMEN!) remote (unpaid) interns to join our ranks and help tackle our ever looming to-read lists.

This means reading full and partial manuscripts and writing up reader reports. It may also mean helping to manage a query inbox, assisting in content and line edits of client manuscripts, and various other creative and administrative tasks.

Some basics:

·         This is a remote position. You don’t have to be located in NYC, or near any of our agents. It can be done anywhere as long as you have wifi. Literally.

·         You can work at any time of the day or night. We do ask, however, that applicants be able to commit to at least one manuscript per week—we expect this will be a 10-15 hour per week commitment, for a minimum of 6 months.

·         It’s okay if you are a writer. It’s okay if you are querying and have queried me or plan to. It's okay if you are agented and/or published. It’s okay if you’re none of the above, too.

·         If you are currently interning for another agency, publisher, we are unfortunately unable to consider you for this position, simply to avoid any conflicts of interest.

Please note:

While this is a agency-wide call for interns, selected individuals will be paired with the agent whose tastes most match their own, and will, in general, work solely with that agent during their time with Inklings.

Our agents are currently looking for readers in the following:

·         Jamie Bodnar Drowley — Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Romance (all sub genres)

·         Naomi Davis —Young Adult and Adult (romance, light sci-fi, and fantasy)

·         Whitley Abell —Young Adult and Middle Grade (all genres) and Fiction (women’s fiction [chick-lit, upmarket, literary, historical, thriller], select fantasy)

·         Alex Barba — Young Adult and Middle Grade (all genres, but especially contemporary and fantasy)

·         Amanda Jain — Fiction (romance, mystery, historical, women’s fiction [book club / upmarket])

To apply, please send an email to whitley@inklingsliterary.com with INTERN in the subject line. Please indicate which agent(s) you are interested in working with, and include the following:

·         A short description of why you want this internship.

·         Any publishing background (No experience required, but it’s good to know if you do have some.)

·         A list of your favorite books (Please limit 5 to 10 titles and do not include classics. We are looking for interns whose tastes align well with ours in the current market.)

·         A list of the last 10 books you’ve read.

·         If you want to include your resume that is fine, but please paste it below the rest.

This position will remain open until Saturday, August 6, at 11:59 PM Central Time.

Naomi Davis on agenting, queries and more!

Groundbreaking, market-smashing books were not such huge hits because they were what was "popular" at the time. They were unexpected and made the reader look at the world - or imagine a world - in a way they had never conceived of before.

In 2014, Naomi told 'Adventures in YA Publishing' why she became an agent. Check out the interview here!

Alex Barba talks to 'Adventures in YA Publishing'

"I look for projects that are polished as-is, but I am not averse to editing - if I find something I totally love but that just needs a few tweaks, I'll offer representation with the author's understanding that we'll do some editing before submitting!"

In 2015, Alex told 'Adventures in YA Publishing' just what she hopes to see in her query inbox. Get a peek at her wishlist here!

Alex Barba answers Query Questions!

"Hearing that you've checked my preferences is always good - then I can safely assume that it's the type of story I'm looking for before I even get into it!"

Last year, Alex Barba did an interview with Michelle4Laughs and answered the query questions all writers have. Check it out for advice on comp titles and decoding your rejection!

YA Bookcase speaks to Jamie Bodnar Drowley

"Write about what interests you and don’t let people discourage you. This is a very subjective business. What may not work for one person may be exactly what someone else is looking for. It is also important to attend conferences, meet other writers, share you work with beta readers and have your work critiqued by a non-biased audience. "

In 2012, YA Bookcase featured Jamie as their Agent Most Awesome! They chatted to Jamie about life as an agent and as an author.

Get to know Jamie Bodnar Drowley!

"In MG, she loves stories that make her laugh and are imaginative with a clear voice."

In 2013, Writer's Digest featured Jamie in their 'New Literary Agent Alert'! Check it out here.

Everything you need to know...about Margaret Bail!

...historical, thriller, sci-fi, horror, fantasy, romance, memoir. If you are a nonfiction writer she also represents biography, cooking, pop culture and humor, and westerns...

Dorine White did a profile on Margaret for her blog, The Write Path. Check out the 2013 feature here!

Interview with Margaret Bail!

"Most agents won’t touch a self-published book unless it’s had outstanding sales, which doesn’t happen often. I get many, many, many queries from authors who have self-published, but are still querying agents. I can’t sell those books, so I have to reject."

Margaret Bail chatted to 'Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers' about everything from self-publishing to social media. Check out her 2014 interview here!

Functional Nerds podcast...featuring Margaret Bail!

In 2015, Margaret took part in a live interview with Patrick Hester! Hear what she had to say...

Writer's Digest spotlight on Margaret Bail!

Back in 2013, Writer's Digest gave a rundown of Margaret's submission guidelines! Make sure to check them out here.

FIRST FIVE FRENZY with Whitley Abell!

"While the first line has (almost) never broken a pitch for me, the first line has definitely made a pitch. For a couple of my clients, it was their first line that made me root for them from the get-go, hoping I’d be just as in love when I reached the end. Once I’m hooked like that, I’m definitely going to keep reading."

In this 2015 interview, Whitley gave a lot of advice on making your first pages stand out!

SATURDAY SIT-DOWN with Whitley Abell

"I’d love to see a good geeky YA thriller; something like Chuck or Ally Carter’s Heist Society series—only Simon’s P.O.V., and preferably with an awesome female protagonist with a great voice. The thrill of the heist, the hidden identities, the espionage… ah!"

Last year, Whitley chatted with 'Coffee Cups and Post-It Notes' about common query mistakes and how to grab her attention fast!

Whitley Abell talks about MG!

"Middle grade is where the morality line really begins to blur. There’s more grey area between right and wrong in MG than in children's chapter books…especially in upper MG. Protagonists are much more subversive and the adults are no longer portrayed as perfect pillars of society."

In 2014, Whitley spoke to 'Middle Grade Minded' about her love of magical realism and how to nail that Middle Grade voice!

Whitley speaks to 'Adventures in YA Publishing'!

"If I recognize a story is marketable but I'm not emotionally invested, then I'm guaranteed to pass. But if I'm in love with a manuscript, I will fight tooth and nail to get it the deal it deserves."

In 2014, Whitley Abell gave 'Adventures in YA Publishing' a peek at her wishlist. Check it out and see if your manuscript is a good fit!

Whitley Abell: Writer's Digest

"She likes characters who are relatable yet flawed, hooks that offer new points of view and exciting adventures, vibrant settings that become active characters in their own right, and a story that sticks with the reader long after turning the last page, be it contemporary or historical, realistic or supernatural, tragic or quirky."

In 2014, Writer's Digest did a profile of Whitley for their New Literary Agent Alerts feature. Read it here!

Michelle Johnson speaks to C.M. McCoy

 "I look for books that are relatable to everyone, and books that are beautifully written."

Michelle recently visited the blog of our very own C.M. McCoy (author of EERIE) to answer questions about agent life!

FIRST FIVE FRENZY with Michelle Johnson

"The most important thing to me is to connect with the main character. If I care about the character quickly and deeply and that character feels real to me, I will want to read the entire book."

In 2013, Michelle told writers how to make their first pages stand out. Read the interview here.

Interview with our founder, Michelle Johnson!

"The thing that drives me is always a desire to help authors get their stories out there to share with the world, and to help protect them from all of the pitfalls that can entail."

In this 2015 interview, Michelle tells Nancy Lee Badger what it's like to be a literary agent.

Michelle Johnson...the questions you didn't ask!

"As far as social media goes, the one mistake I see a lot of authors making is that they look to connect on social media with other authors. That is great for support, but it isn’t other authors that will buy the books. Authors need to reach out and find their readers - read other books in their genre and chat with the people who have read them."

Back in 2013, YA Bookcase asked Michelle about everything from approaching agents at conferences to making the best of social media. Check out the interview here!

DISCLAIMER: Inklings now signs authors for career rather than on a book by book basis.

Writer's Digest interviews Michelle Johnson!

"Never stop learning. Never stop creating. Go to conferences. I can’t stress enough how much a writer can learn and connect at a conference."

For more great advice on surviving the slush pile, read the rest of Michelle's 2013 interview at Chuck Sambuchino's 'Guide to Literary Agents'.