Sarah LaPola shares her thoughts on editing, writing, and publishing based on more than a decade of experience as a literary agent. We discuss her freelance editorial services and query consultations, as well as the business of being an author in the time of COVID-19. And we do a deep dive on perfecting a novel’s opening, how to fix its lagging middle, writing proactive characters with a life beyond the page, avoiding stereotypes and clichés, enhancing a story’s theme without becoming preachy, and so much more.

Sarah LaPolla is a former literary agent with over a decade of experience in the publishing industry. Starting in the foreign rights department at Curtis Brown, Ltd. in 2008, she became an agent there in 2010. Most recently, she was a literary agent at Bradford Literary Agency, where she continued to work with talented MG, YA, and Adult fiction writers.

Sarah received her MFA in Creative Writing (Nonfiction) from The New School in 2008, and has a BA in Creative Writing from Ithaca College. In 2020, she started Next Chapter Editorial and Consulting, and regularly teaches writing workshops and offers consulting services through Inked Voices, Manuscript Academy, and various writing programs and conferences.

Editorial areas of expertise include the following markets/genres: Young Adult fiction (all genres); Middle Grade fiction (all genres); Adult (Literary Fiction; Science Fiction; Low/Contemporary Fantasy; Paranormal/Supernatural; Horror; Upmarket/Contemporary fiction; Mystery/Suspense; Memoir/Essay.

Sarah *would not* be the best match for non-fiction (with the exception of memoir), category romance or erotica, children's books (younger than MG), high/epic fantasy, or religious/spiritual books.