Lynn Jones Johnston

Literary Agent

Lynn Johnston Literary

#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her

Lynn Jones Johnston
@lynnjohnstonlit
Literary Agent
#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her
26 MSWL
118 Tips
Lynn Jones Johnston
@lynnjohnstonlit
Literary Agent
#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her
26 MSWL
118 Tips

-Have proposal/ms ready to go before querying agents so you can send requested materials right away.
-Your 1st ms might not be your 1st published book.
-Don't be afraid to follow-up (gently) if you don't hear from an agent. #pubtip #amquerying

Lynn Jones Johnston
@lynnjohnstonlit
Literary Agent
#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her
26 MSWL
118 Tips
Lynn Jones Johnston
@lynnjohnstonlit
Literary Agent
#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her
26 MSWL
118 Tips
Lynn Jones Johnston
@lynnjohnstonlit
Literary Agent
#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her
26 MSWL
118 Tips

Met today with one of my fav ghostwriters. #Writers, there should be no shame in outside help to make your writing the best it can be. Knowing the range of services will help you match what you need. #pubtip #anwriting 🧵

Lynn Jones Johnston
@lynnjohnstonlit
Literary Agent
#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her
26 MSWL
118 Tips
Lynn Jones Johnston
@lynnjohnstonlit
Literary Agent
#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her
26 MSWL
118 Tips
Lynn Jones Johnston
@lynnjohnstonlit
Literary Agent
#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her
26 MSWL
118 Tips

Someone asked me today my favorite kind of author and I said, someone who knows they don't know what they don't know. #Authors: make peace with the fact publishing is a weird industry & many things simply don't make sense. #pubtip

Lynn Jones Johnston
@lynnjohnstonlit
Literary Agent
#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her
26 MSWL
118 Tips
Lynn Jones Johnston
@lynnjohnstonlit
Literary Agent
#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her
26 MSWL
118 Tips

Lynn Jones Johnston @lynnjohnstonlit

A project I placed last year with a mid-6-figure advance at 5-bidder auction got 11 passes. Another project with a healthy 6-figure advance in a 4-bidder auction had 13 passes. Some projects get 1-2 bidders. No project pleases everyone.

Many factors contribute: They like it but don't love it. It's too similar to something else they publish. Someone on the team isn't into it. My point is, you're going to get rejections. Lots of them. Prepare yourself. Ultimately you only need ONE. #pubtip

Lynn Jones Johnston
@lynnjohnstonlit
Literary Agent
#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her
26 MSWL
118 Tips
Lynn Jones Johnston
@lynnjohnstonlit
Literary Agent
#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her
26 MSWL
118 Tips

#Pubtip I just read the introduction to a forthcoming book & recognized a lot of the material from the overview of the original book proposal. If you get tripped up over the diff btwn a book intro & overview, you're not alone.

Lynn Jones Johnston
@lynnjohnstonlit
Literary Agent
#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her
26 MSWL
118 Tips

Tara Parker-Pope @taraparkerpope

@maudnewton @CaitlinKellyNYC I much prefer non fiction/memoir audio books read by the author -- it feels weird otherwise.

Hey #authors, if you want to narrate your audiobook, let your publisher know when you negotiate the contract. If they don't agree outright, ask that you be given the opportunity to do a test narration of a few pages. #pubtip

Lynn Jones Johnston
@lynnjohnstonlit
Literary Agent
#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her
26 MSWL
118 Tips
Lynn Jones Johnston
@lynnjohnstonlit
Literary Agent
#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her
26 MSWL
118 Tips
Lynn Jones Johnston
@lynnjohnstonlit
Literary Agent
#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her
26 MSWL
118 Tips

I'm closed to submissions until early Jan as are many other agents. #Pubtip it's a good habit to check agency websites/SM before querying but esp over the holidays. In the meantime, here's what you can do while waiting:

Lynn Jones Johnston
@lynnjohnstonlit
Literary Agent
#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her
26 MSWL
118 Tips

Lynn Jones Johnston @lynnjohnstonlit

I passed on a well-written proposal with a promising premise. The issue has to do with familiarity editors feel when considering projects. On many topics, the editor has probably seen some version in dozens of proposals & even books she's edited.

The challenge is to stand out. You don't have to present totally new ground BUT you do have to present a fresh take. Do you have a new way to tell the story? Is your conclusion counterintuitive? Highlight the freshest, most unexpected aspects. #pubtip

Lynn Jones Johnston
@lynnjohnstonlit
Literary Agent
#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her
26 MSWL
118 Tips
Lynn Jones Johnston
@lynnjohnstonlit
Literary Agent
#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her
26 MSWL
118 Tips
Lynn Jones Johnston
@lynnjohnstonlit
Literary Agent
#LiteraryAgent repping journalists, teachers, healers, thought leaders, fire breathers & all-around good people. Board @aalitagents . She/Her
26 MSWL
118 Tips