Carolyn Kaufman recently signed with agent Kate Epstein of The Epstein Literary Agency. Thank you Carolyn for agreeing to this interview, and good luck with your book.

QueryTracker: How long have you been writing?

Carolyn Kaufman: I’ve been writing since I was 11.

QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?

CK: This isn’t my first nonfiction book idea, and it’s also not the first one I’ve done considerable research on. It’s the first one that I’ve cared enough about and believed in strongly enough to follow all the way through on.

I found the process of building a platform sometimes exhausting; I also had some trouble marshalling my ideas into a coherent book outline. I don’t think giving up was ever an option, but sometimes I needed a little while to get my perspective back and dig in with fresh enthusiasm.

QT: Is this your first book?

CK: No, but it’s the first one on it’s way to publication!

QT: How long have you been working on this book?

CK: About 2 years.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

CK: I got my undergrad in writing and psychology. Mostly my “writing” courses were literature though, so I’m essentially self-taught.

QT: Do you follow a writing "routine" or schedule?

CK: Not for nonfiction, no.

QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your proposal?

CK: Wow. A lot. I probably do a minimum of 10-12 drafts for anything lengthy that I write, and I definitely did more than that for this project!

QT: Did you have beta readers for your proposal?

CK: Yes.

QT: Did you outline, or do you write from the hip?

CK: For nonfiction, you have to outline, since you’re often selling the book without writing it. So I did outline. I went through many iterations of outlines.

QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?

CK: It took me about two months, start to finish, from my first query to landing an agent for this nonfiction project.

I have been querying on and off for fiction projects since I was around 16, though, and I haven’t pulled that one off yet. So I feel like I’ve spent a lot of time in the trenches.

QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?

CK: I queried agents who had successfully represented similar books. It was a big help that Query Tracker includes links to agent websites as well as Agent Query and Publisher’s Marketplace. I let QT make a list of agents for me, and then used the links to decide whether to include the agent in my query list. I used the Notes section to store information on agents’ other projects.

QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?

CK: If I was able to find that information, I mentioned similar books they’d represented and/or remarked on relevant personality characteristics I’d gleaned from reading their (auto)biographical information on agency sites. (Look at my query letter for more on the personality characteristics.)

QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?

CK: For nonfiction, a platform is key. So build a strong one, and don’t be afraid to make it unique. The industry advice to people who want to build a platform is always “start public speaking.” The problem is, I get paid to teach, so I wasn’t willing to start speaking for free. And I’m not patient enough to build a speaking business on the side. So I considered what I could do instead of speaking.

I enjoy web design, and I’m good at it (and oh-so-modest about it!), so I decided to build a website (http://www.archetypewriting.com). And building a website on writing and psychology required me to write new material, because nobody else is doing it. So I began syndicating my articles.

I also began working with the print media as an expert resource through ProfNet Experts.

None of these ideas were suggested by the books and articles I read on building a platform. I assessed my skills and relied on them instead.

QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us?

CK:
According to a survey by the National Alliance for Mental Illness, seventy percent of writers can't describe how manic depression is different from schizophrenia and multiple personality. Film portrayals of therapists are so off-base that a Baylor College researcher and psychiatrist claims only three have been accurate since 1960. In spite of this, there is no approachable, comprehensive resource for fiction and screenplay writers who want to avoid common misconceptions and write authentic scenes that:

* Depict psychological disorders and emergencies accurately.

* Portray therapists and psychological treatments realistically.

* Use psychological terms correctly.

* Apply psychological principles to character development, motivation, and behavior.

My proposed book, Nervous Breakdowns and Psychotic Killers: The Fiction Writer's Guide to Psychology, is designed to fill that gap. I am seeking an agent's representation and would particularly like to work with you because of your hands-on approach. (From your website and Jeff Herman's Guide, you also seem to have a great no-BS attitude, which appeals to me.)

In addition to my experience as a clinical psychologist and a professor of psychology, I run ArchetypeWriting.com, a website devoted to teaching writers to use psychology accurately in their fiction. My writing articles have appeared on Fiction Factor, The Megaphone magazine, and on freelancewriting.com. I recently agreed to write a piece for The Writer magazine entitled Get Your Psych Right! I am also regularly quoted as an expert source in media like The Boston Globe, FOXNews, and Marie Claire.

If you are interested, I would love to send you my completed proposal and sample chapters.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

QT: Here is your chance to plug your book. Tell us a little about it.

CK: Based on my work with fiction writers and my ten years as a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology, Nervous Breakdowns and Psychopathic Killers: The Writer’s Guide to Psychology is a fun, accessible, easy-to-use resource for writers who want to incorporate realistic psychological information into their work and avoid the mistakes that appear in so many books, television shows, and movies.

QT: Thank you Carolyn. 

And don't miss her article What Will Your Character Do When Disaster Strikes?