ADJUNCT FACULTY
2018

AGENT Andy Ross of the Andy Ross Literary Agency, adjunct faculty, will select one or two whole-novel manuscripts (YA or upper MG) for offsite critique, and a phone or in-person consult. Andy opened his literary agency 10 years ago, following a 30-year stint as owner of the legendary Cody’s Books in Berkeley. Through Cody’s, Andy sold more than 10 million books and hosted 5,000 events for some of the world’s greatest authors.

An author himself (Ask the Agent: Night Thoughts on Writing and Book Publishing), Andy presents at nationwide writers events. His topics include how to write book proposals and effective query letters, and how to find the agent who’s right for you. 

Andy is a hands-on, editorial agent who advises novelists, “I can tell you what’s working and what isn’t. A great novel is 20% about the story, and 80% about how you tell the story.”

Andy is eager to work with projects in most genres “as long as the subject or its treatment is smart, original, and will appeal to a wide readership... [For teen novels, my single requirement is] that the writing reveal the terrain of that vast and unexplored country, the human heart.”

SENIOR EDITOR Amy Cloud (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers) edits middle grade and YA fiction. Previously she was an editor at Aladdin Books/Simon & Schuster. Amy has worked with writers such as number one New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Weiner, Bruce Coville, John David Anderson, Jen Malone, and Alison Cherry. Earlier, at Callaway Arts & Entertainment, Amy worked with authors such as David Kirk and Madonna on cross-platform stories.

Amy is currently seeking well-crafted novels in almost any genre. Though she's not drawn to high fantasy or science fiction, she says fantasy grounded in reality “is great.” She especially enjoys heartfelt and/or humorous fiction. Amy adds: “I gravitate toward character-driven novels. I tend to focus on a mixture of literary and commercial novels, or literary voices with commercial hooks. I always want beautiful writing.” 

As an offsite editor for our workshop, Amy will offer a video talk on advanced aspects of the editorial process and/or character development. She’s happy to participate in our event: “The greatest thrill of being an editor, to me, is discovering new talent. That means finding debut authors, and helping them nurture a manuscript through the publication process. I’m terribly impressed by the level of talent you’ve been able to nurture at this workshop, over the years.”

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