Guide to Literary Agents - Agency Profile

Greystone Literary is Back in Business

Chuck — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:11:16 GMT

I first met literary ageny Michael Mancilla in New York in 2007. He founded a cool, newer agency called Greystone, but the agency closed after a few years. Fortunately, it has recently reopened. Michael specializes in nonfiction and is looking for good writers.

Greystone Literary Agency

437 New York Ave. NW, No. 211, Washington DC 20001. (202)234-2299. E-mail: mike@greystonelit.com. Web site: www.greystonelit.com. Contact: Michael Mancilla. This agency is dedicated to both cultivating the voices and perspectives of the authors it represents and acting as a liaison to the publishing community. Seeking new and established writers. Prior to opening his agency, Mr. Mancilla trained with literary agent Peter Rubie via New York University's publishing program. He is also a nonfiction author who earned a Lambda literary award nomination for his writing. Established: 2003. Represents 15 clients. 25% of clients are new/unpublished writers. Currently Handles: 100% Nonfiction Books and Scholarly Books.

Nonfiction subjects of interest: Agriculture, Animals, Archaeology, Biography, Parenting, Computers/Electronic. Current Affairs, Education, Ethnic/Cultural Interests, Health, History, Interior design/decorating, Juvenile nonfiction, Language/Literature, Money/Finance, Music/Dance, Nature, Photography, Popular Culture, Psychology, Religious/Inspirational, Science, Self-Help.

How to Contact: Query with SASE. Accepts e-mail queries. No fax queries. Responds in 3 weeks to queries. Responds in 6 weeks to manuscripts. Does not return submissions. Actively seeking: narrative nonfiction by recognized leaders in their field. Also encourage submissions by journalists who want to expand beyond magazine and newspaper writing. Does not want to receive memoirs. Agent receives 15% commission on domestic sales; 20% commission on foreign sales. Offers written contract. Binding time: 1-year. Charges for postage and photocopying. Writers' Conferences: BookExpo America; Washington Independent Writers Conference. Tips: "To write is human, to edit is divine. I also want to know why you are the best person to write this book and I encourage authors with good writing skills to consider pairing up with an expert in the field as either a coauthor or to write the foreward."

Agency Profile: Ashley Grayson Literary Agency

Chuck — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:42:37 GMT

Ashley Grayson Literary Agency

1342 18th St., San Pedro CA 90732. Fax: (310)514-1148. E-mail: graysonagent@earthlink.net. Member Agents: Ashley Grayson (fantasy, mystery, thrillers, young adult); Carolyn Grayson (chick lit, mystery, children's, nonfiction, women's fiction, romance, thrillers); Denise Dumars (mind/body/spirit, women's fiction, dark fantasy/horror); Lois Winston (women's fiction, chick lit, mystery). Prefers established writers, mostly referrals. Established: 1976. Member of AAR. Represents 100 clients. 5% of clients are new/unpublished writers.

Specializes in: "We prefer to work with published (traditional print), established authors. We will give first consideration to authors who come recommended to us by our clients or other publishing professionals. We accept a very small number of new, previously unpublished authors." Currently Handles: 20% Nonfiction Books; 50% Novels; 30% Juvenile Books. Nonfiction areas of interest: Business/Economics; Computers/Electronic; History; Popular Culture; Science/Technology; Self-Help/Personal Improvement; Sports; True Crime/Investigative; mind/body/spirit; health; lifestyle. Fiction areas of interest: Fantasy, Juvenile, Multicultural, Mystery/Suspense, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Women's, chick lit.

How to Contact: As of 2008, the agency was only open to fiction authors with publishing credits (no self-published). For nonfiction, only writers with great platforms will be considered. Accepts e-mail queries. Recent Sales: Ball Don't Lie, by Matt de la Pena (Delacorte); Heaven, by Jack Cohen and Ian Stewart (Warner Books); I Wish I Never Met You, by Denise Wheatley (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster). Other Clients Represented: Isaac Adamson, John Barnes, Andrew Fox, Barb and J.C. Hendee, Geoffrey Landis, Bruce Coville, J.B. Cheaney, David Lubar and Christopher Pike. Terms: Agent receives 15% commission on domestic sales; 20% commission on foreign sales.

Ageny Profile: Diana Finch Literary Agency

Chuck — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:27:30 GMT

Diana Finch Literary Agency

116 W. 23rd St., Suite 500, New York NY 10011. Phone: (646)375-2081. E-mail: diana.finch@verizon.net. Contact: Diana Finch. Seeking new and established writers. Prior to opening her agency, Ms. Finch worked at Ellen Levine Literary Agency for 18 years. Established: 2003. Member of AAR. Represents 45 clients. 20% of clients are new/unpublished writers. Currently Handles: 65% Nonfiction Books, 25% Novels, 5% Juvenile Books, 5% Multimedia.

Represents: Nonfiction Books, Novels, Scholarly Books. Nonfiction areas of interest: Biography, Business, Child Guidance/Parenting, Computers, Current Affairs, Ethnic/Cultural, Government/Politics/Law, Health/Medicine, History, How-to, Humor, Juvenile nonfiction, Memoirs, Military, Money, Music/Dance, Nature, Photography, Popular Culture, Psychology, Science, Self-Help/Personal Improvement, Sports, Theater/film, Translation, True Crime, Women's Issues. Fiction areas of interest: Action/Adventure, Detective/Police/Crime, Ethnic, Historical, Literary, Mainstream/Contemporary, Thriller, Young Adult.

How to Contact: Query with SASE or via e-mail (no attachments). Accepts e-mail queries. No phone or fax queries. Accepts simultaneous submissions. Returns materials only with SASE. Actively seeking: narrative nonfiction, popular science, and health topics. Does not want: romance, mysteries, or children's picture books.

Recent Sales: Armed Madhouse, by Greg Palast (Penguin US/UK); The Bush Agenda, by Antonia Juhasz; Journey of the Magi, by Tudor Parfitt (Farrar, Straus & Giroux); Radiant Days, by Michael FitzGerald (Shoemaker & Hoard); The Queen's Soprano, by Carol Dines (Harcourt Young Adult); Was the 2004 Election Stolen?, by Steven Freeman and Joel Bleifuss (Seven Stories); An Iranian Memoir, by Azadeh Moaveni (Random House); Great Customer Connections, by Rich Gallagher (Amacom). Terms: Agent receives 15% commission on domestic sales.; 20% commission on foreign sales.
Offers written contract. "I charge for photocopying, overseas postage, galleys, and books purchased, and try to recap these costs from earnings received for a client, rather than charging outright." Tips: "Do as much research as you can on agents before you query. Have someone critique your query letter before you send it. It should be only 1 page and describe your book clearly—and why you are writing it—but also demonstrate creativity and a sense of your writing style."

New Agency Alert: The Croce Agency

Chuck — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:29:29 GMT

Reminder: Newer agencies are golden opportunities for new writers because they're likely building their client list; however, always make sure your work is as perfect as it can be before submitting, and only query agencies that are a great fit for your work. Otherwise, you're just wasting time and postage.

The Croce Agency

PO Box 449, Leonia NJ 07605. Phone: (201)248-3175. E-mail: submissions@thecroceagency.com. Web site: www.thecroceagency.com. Contact: Nicholas Croce. New agency actively seeking clients. Prior to becoming an agent, Nicolas was an editor. He is also a writer. Established: 2008. 25% of clients are new/unpublished writers. Currently Handles: 50% Nonfiction Books; 50% Novels

Nonfiction areas of interest: Biography, Business, Parenting, Cooking/Foods, Current Affairs, Ethnic/Cultural, Health, History, Humor, Money, Popular Culture, Psychology, Science, Self-Help, True Crime. Fiction areas of interest: Action/Adventure, Comic Books/Cartoon, Confession, Detective/Crime, Ethnic, Experimental, Family Saga, Glitz, Historical, Humor, Literary, Mainstream, Mystery/Suspense, Religious, Thriller, Women's. How to Contact: Query with SASE. For fiction, a one-paragraph synopsis, author bio, 3 sample chapters. For nonfiction, send a one-paragraph synopsis, book outline and author credentials and platform. Accepts simultaneous submissions. Responds in 8 weeks to queries; 4 weeks to manuscripts. Returns materials only with SASE.

Actively seeking commercial fiction and narrative nonfiction. Does not want to receive poetry, children's, sci-fi, romance, horror or fantasy. Recent Sales: Red: A Curious History of the Rarest Hair Color, by Jennifer Papale Rignani (Univ. Press of Florida). Terms: Agent receives 15% commission on domestic sales; 20% commission on foreign sales. This agency charges for postage if a sale is made. Writers' Conferences: Maui Writers' Conference; BookExpo America; San Francisco Writers' Conference.

Lindstrom Open to Clients Again

Chuck — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:20:26 GMT

Lindstrom Literary Management has a new Web site, as well. Check it out and review the detailed submission guidelines.

A few months ago, Lindstrom sent out a notice saying they were temporarily closed to submissions. As far as I can tell from all the Web site info, that is no longer the case. Check them out and see if they're worth a query.

Here's what they handle:

Commercial fiction
Thrillers and mysteries
Women's fiction
Narrative nonfiction
Biography/memoir
Current events

The agency does not handle young adult or children's books, or short stories and poetry.

Lindstrom Literary Management, LLC
871 N. Greenbrier Street
Arlington, VA 22205
(703) 522-4730
lindstromlit@aol.com (NEW E-MAIL)

Agency Profile: Park Literary, LLC

Chuck — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:57:34 GMT

Thanks to a tip from blog contributor Kristen Howe, I heard that Park Literary Group, LLC had changed addresses. I figured I'd just post a complete agency profile for everyone.

The Park Literary Group, LLC

270 Lafayette St., Suite 1504, New York NY 10012. Phone: (212)691-3500. Fax: (212)691-3540. E-mail: info@parkliterary.com. Web site: www.parkliterary.com. Member Agents: Theresa Park (plot-driven fiction and serious nonfiction); Shannon O'Keefe (literary and commercial fiction—including modern love stories, social comedies, mysteries, graphic novels and young adult novels—as well as nonfiction, including cookbooks, sports, music, education, travel, memoir and popular culture); Abigail Koons (quirky, edgy and commercial fiction, as well as superb thrillers and mysteries; adventure and travel narrative nonfiction, exceptional memoirs, popular science, history, politics and art). Established: 2005. Writer's Guidelines: www.parkliterary.com/contact.html.

Specializes in: "The Park Literary Group represents fiction and nonfiction with a boutique approach: an emphasis on servicing a relatively small number of clients, with the highest professional standards and focused personal attention." How to Contact: Query with SASE; submit synopsis, SASE. Send all submissions through the mail. No e-mail or fax queries. Responds in 4-6 weeks to queries. Does not want: Does not want to receive poetry or screenplays or materials for children/young adults. Clients Represented: Nicholas Sparks, Robert Whitaker, Laura Zigman, Lee Silver, Dominika Dery, B.R. Myers, Frank Partnoy, Linda Nichols, and Thomas Levenson.

Agency Profile: Liza Dawson Associates

Chuck — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 20:26:32 GMT

Liza Dawson Associates, a good AAR-member agency, just put up a cool new Web site. On that note, I figured I would post an updated profile of this agency. Note all the different agents and their varied tastes.

Liza Dawson Associates

350 Seventh Ave., Ste. 2003, New York NY 10001. Phone: (212)465-9071. Fax: (212)947-0460. Web site: www.lizadawsonassociates.com.

Member Agents: Liza Dawson (plot-driven literary fiction, historicals, thrillers, suspense, parenting books, history, psychology - both popular and clinical - as well as politics, narrative nonfiction and memoirs); Caitlin Blasdell (science fiction, fantasy - both adult and young adult- as well as parenting, business, thrillers and women's fiction); Anna Olswanger (gift books for adults, young adult fiction and nonfiction, children's illustrated books, and Judaica); Havis Dawson (business books, how-to and practical books, spirituality, fantasy, Southern-culture fiction and military memoirs); David Austern (fiction and nonfiction, with an interest in young adult, pop culture, sports, and male-interest works). Seeking new and established writers.

Prior to becoming an agent, Ms. Dawson was an editor for 20 years, spending 11 years at William Morrow as vice president and 2 years at Putnam as executive editor. Ms. Bladell was a senior editor at HarperCollins and Avon. Ms. Miller is an Essence-bestselling author and niche publisher. Ms. Olswanger is an author. Member of AAR, MWA, Women's Media Group. Represents 50+ clients. 15% of clients are new/unpublished writers. Writer's Guidelines: www.lizadawsonassociates.com/submission.html. Specializes in: This agency specializes in readable literary fiction, thrillers, mainstream historicals, women's fiction, academics, historians, business, journalists and psychology. Currently Handles: 60% nonfiction books; 40% Novels

How to submit: Query with SASE. Individual query e-mails are "query[agentfirstname]@lizadawsonassociates.com." Responds in 3 weeks to queries. Responds in 6 weeks to manuscripts. Sold 40 titles in the last year. Recent sales: Going for It, by Karen E. Quinones Miller (Warner); Mayada: Daughter of Iraq, by Jean Sasson (Dutton); It's So Much Work to Be Your Friend: Social Skill Problems at Home and at School, by Richard Lavoie (Touchstone); WORDCRAFT: How to Write Like a Professional, by Jack Hart (Pantheon); ...And a Time to Die: How Hospitals Shape the End of Life Experience, by Dr. Sharon Kaufman (Scribner); Zeus: A Biography, by Tom Stone (Bloomsbury).

Terms: Agent receives 15% commission on domestic sales; 20% commission on foreign sales. Offers written contract. Charges clients for photocopying and overseas postage.

Agency Profile: Collins Literary Agency

Chuck — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 17:27:56 GMT

I just saw that literary agent Ayesha Pande, formerly of Lyons and Pande, has now moved over to Collins Literary Agency. On that note, I thought I would provide more information on how to submit to all three agents at Collins.

Collins Literary Agency

30 Bond St., New York NY 10012. Phone: (212)529-4909. Fax: (212)358-1055. Web site: www.collinsliterary.com. Member Agents: Nina Collins (memoir, literary fiction, lifestyle, young adult, travel, psychology, and women and/or mother/daughter issues); Matthew Elblonk (literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, pop culture, music, young adult and anything that is slightly quirky or absurd); Ayesha Pande (literary to popular fiction, including women’s fiction, African-American and international fiction; nonfiction interests include biography, history, popular culture, multicultural, science, and some how-to). Seeking new and established writers. Prior to opening her agency, Ms. Collins was a literary scout for foreign publishers and American film companies. Established: 2005. Represents 30 clients. 40% of clients are new/unpublished writers. Writer's Guidelines: www.collinsliterary.com/submission.php

How to submit: Query with SASE. Send queries via snail mail. No e-mail or fax queries. Accepts simultaneous submissions. Responds in 2 weeks to queries; 1 month to manuscripts. Returns materials only with SASE. Recent sales: Why the Devil Chose New England to Do His Work, by Jason Brown (Open City Books); The Mother Daughter Project, by Hamkins & Schulz (Hudson St. Press); Over the Hill and Between the Sheets, by Gail Belsky (Warner); Evo-lution, by Stephanie Staal (Bloomsbury); Gonzo Gardening, by Katherine Whiteside (Clarkson Potter). Agent receives 15% commission on domestic sales; 20% commission on foreign sales. Offers written contract.

Agency Profile: Irene Goodman Literary Agency

Chuck — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 18:53:10 GMT

I recently received word (thanks to contributor Kristen Howe) that the Irene Goodman Literary Agency had taken on a third agent: Barbara Poelle. Hearing that, I decided to just post an updated full agency profile for the agency. See it below!

Agency Profile:
Irene Goodman Literary Agency

80 Fifth Ave., Suite 1101, New York NY 10011, E-mail: queries@irenegoodman.com. Web site: www.irenegoodman.com. Member Agents: Irene Goodman; Miriam Kriss; Barbara Poelle. Seeking new and established writers. Member of AAR. Writer's Guidelines: www.irenegoodman.com/submission.php. Specializes in "the finest in commercial fiction and nonfiction. We have a strong background in women's voices, including mysteries, romance, women's fiction, thrillers, suspense, and chick lit. Historical fiction is one of Irene's particular passions and Miriam is fanatical about modern urban fantasies. We are also very interested in young adult fiction, both literary and those with an edgy, chick-litty voice. In nonfiction, Irene is looking for topics on narrative history, social issues and trends, education, Judaica, Francophilia, Anglophilia, other cultures, animals, food, crafts, and memoir."

How to submit: Query with SASE. Submit: detailed novel synopsis and the first 10 pages. E-mail queries only! See the Web site submission page. No e-mail attachments. Responds in 2 months to queries. Recent sales: Beg For Mercy, by Toni Andrews; The Devil Inside, by Jenna Black; Hooking Up or Holding Out, by Jamie Callan; Seducing The Spy, by Celeste Bradley.

Tips: "We are receiving an unprecedented amount of e-mail queries. If you find that the mailbox is full, please try again in two weeks. E-mail queries to our personal addresses will not be answered."

>>>

FinePrint Literary Management Opens

Chuck — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:10:17 GMT

It's been in the works for a while now, but it now seems to be official.

Two great midsize literary agencies in Manhattan - Imprint Agency and the Peter Rubie Literary Agency - have merged into FinePrint Literary Management.

The new Web site is up. Both agencies are part of the Association of Authors' Representatives. Make submission changes if necessary.

Imprint Agency consists of:
      Stephany Evans
      Gary Heidt
      Meredith Hays
      Janet Reid, formerly of JetReid Literary

Peter Rubie Literary Agency consists of:
      Peter Rubie
      June Clark
      Amy Tipton

Hat Tip: The great Kristen Howe

Agency Profile: Anderson Literary Management

Chuck — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 18:00:12 GMT

The following is submission
information for Anderson Literary
Management, LLC in New York

12 W. 19th St., New York NY 10011. Phone: (212)645-6045. Fax: (212)741-1936. E-mail: kathleen@andersonliterary.com. Contact: Kathleen Anderson. Seeking new and established writers. Prior to her current position, Ms. Anderson was with Grinberg Literary. She has more than two decades of publishing experience. Established: 2006 Member of AAR. Represents 100+ clients. 20% of clients are new/unpublished writers. Specializes in: commercial fiction (literary, women's, thriller, historical, young adult) and commercial nonfiction (investigative journalism, women's studies, biography, environmental studies, history, philosophy and religious studies).

Currently Handles: 50% nonfiction books; 50% novels. Nonfiction subjects of interest: Anthropology/Archaeology, Art/Architecture, Biography, Current Affairs, Education, Ethnic, Gay/Lesbian, Government, History, Memoirs, Music, Nature, Psychology, Women's. Fiction subjects of interest: Action/Adventure, Ethnic, Family Saga, Feminist, Gay/Lesbian, Historical, Literary, Mystery/Suspense, Thriller, Westerns, Young Adult, Women's.

How to submit: Query with SASE. Submit: Synopsis, first 3 sample chapters (fiction), proposal (nonfiction). Accepts e-mail queries. No fax queries. Accepts simultaneous submissions. Responds in 12 weeks to queries and manuscripts. Returns materials only with SASE. Does not want: genre fantasy, sci-fi or romance. Sold 20+ titles in the last year.
Recent sales: Vibes, by Amy Ryan (Houghton Mifflin); Another Faust, by Daniel and Dina Nayeri (Candlewick); The Assassins' Gate, by George Packer; 17 Huntley Gardens, by Richard Mason (Knopf); The Reindeer People, by Piers Vitebsky (Houghton Mifflin); Maps for Lost Lovers, by Nadeem Aslam (Knopf). Terms: Agent receives 15% commission on domestic sales. Offers written contract.

>>>

New Agency Alert: Spiridon Literary Agency

Chuck — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 14:18:46 GMT

Update: As of April 2009, it looks
like this agency
is closed.

- Chuck

---------

The Spiridon Literary Agency

P.O. Box 47594, 946 Lawrence Ave. E., Unit 2, Toronto ON M3C 1P0, Canada. Phone: (416)850-8767. E-mail: spiridon@rogers.com. Contact: Alethea Spiridon. Seeking new and established writers. Prior to becoming an agent, Ms. Spiridon was an editor for Harlequin Books in Toronto. Established: 2007. This agency specializes in romance and women's fiction. "I lived and breathed romance fiction for 6.5 years while an editor. I know what editors are looking for and can guide writers so they can land that much coveted first or next contract."

Currently Handles: 25% nonfiction books, 25% novels, 25% short story collections, 25% juvenile. Nonfiction subjects of interest: Business/Economics, Child Guidance/Parenting, Cooking/Foods/Nutrition, Current Affairs, Health/Medicine, History, How-To, Juvenile nonfiction, Language/Literature/Criticism, Memoirs, Nature/Environment, Popular Culture, Self-Help/Personal Improvement, Women's Issues/Studies. Fiction subjects of interest: Action/Adventure, Confession, Erotica, Experimental, Family Saga, Fantasy, Feminist, Glitz, Historical, Humor/Satire, Juvenile, Literary, Mainstream/Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense, Picture Books, Romance, Young Adult.

How to contact: Query with SASE. Submit:Outline/Proposal, Synopsis, Author Bio, 50 pages if submitting fiction, SASE. Accepts e-mail queries. No fax queries. Accepts simultaneous submissions. Responds in 4 weeks to queries. Responds in 6 weeks to manuscripts. Returns materials only with SASE. Actively seeking: Actively seeking romance, women's fiction, young adult, middle grade, nonfiction, mysteries, literary fiction and commercial fiction.

Terms: Agent receives 15% commission on domestic sales; 20% commission on foreign sales. Offers written contract. This agency charges for office expenses, such as postage and photocopies. Tips: "Think of the agent as your first reader. Do a meticulous self-edit of your work to ensure you present your best possible writing. Observe how other books are marketed by reading tons of back cover copy and then write a blurb for your own book. If you’re struggling, you might not have a clear sense of direction for your work. You need to have a solid sense of your manuscript so you can present it seamlessly to agents (and then editors). Be clear. Be concise."

International Transactions Address Change

Chuck — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 14:31:49 GMT

International Transactions, the literary agency of agents Sandra and Peter Riva, just sent me a postcard saying that the agency's addresses have changed. To see their submissions guidelines, open this PDF link. The submissions e-mail is submissions@IntlTrans.com.

The New Principle Mailing Address:

I.T., Inc.
Box 97
28 Alope Way
Gila, NM 88038-0097
Phone/fax/e-mail remain the same

New NYC Office:

I.T., Inc.
Suite 9L
3 Hanover Square
New York, NY 10004
Phone/fax/e-mail remain the same

Agent Advice: John Ware of John A. Ware Literary Agency

Chuck — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 20:51:50 GMT

"Agent Advice" is a series of quick interviews with literary and script agents who talk with Guide to Literary Agents about their thoughts on writing, publishing, and just about anything else.

This installment features literary agent John Ware of John A. Ware Literary in Manhattan. He has an AB in philosophy from Cornell, and did some graduate work in English and American Literature at Northwestern, Radcliffe Publishing Procedures Course. John was an editor at Doubleday for eight years, (during which time he taught the industry-wide editorial course at NYU), then spent a year as an agent with James Brown Associates/Curtis Brown, Ltd.

How to contact & submissions: To query him, send a snail mail query with a SASE to 392 Central Park W., New York, NY 10025. Fiction wants: detective, police, crime, mystery, suspense and thriller. Nonfiction wants: biography, current affairs, health, history, language, music, nature, pop culture, psychology, science, sports, true crime, women's and investigative journalism.

John Ware.

GLA: What's the most recent thing you've sold?

JW: Some of my recent sales include Jon Krakauer's Untitled on Afghanistan to Doubleday, and Jennifer Niven's High School to Simon Spotlight Entertainment.

GLA: You represent a lot of nonfiction, which means you look for authors with platforms. Let’s say a university professor queries you, and this professor is an acknowledged expert in his field. However, he doesn't speak at conferences or have media contacts. Is his expertise enough? Or does he need a bigger platform before you consider him?

JW: I would take this professor on in a minute. If he’s the acknowledged authority on his subject, the publisher’s publicity aces can "build" him a platform.

GLA: What is the most common mistake you see in a nonfiction book proposal?

JW: I guess the most common mistake would be authors repeating material in the sample chapter pages already covered (sometimes verbatim) in the proposal's overview or chapter summaries.

GLA: Your fiction interests lean toward genres such as crime, suspense and thriller. What separates a good manuscript in these subjects from the many bad ones? What, for you, helps a query or story stand out?

JW: A "good" one would be so identified by my not being able to stop turning the pages! And, sure, it’s the writing itself that makes any query or story stand out.

GLA: If you read a fiction manuscript that contains brilliant writing, but is very similar in premise and plot to something else big on the market, would you take it on?

JW: Probably not, if it were that similar, but I sure would be tempted by the quality of the writing.

GLA: What’s your best piece of advice?

JW: My best piece of advice would be this: Work hard at your craft to make your work just as good as it can be. Then, with, the comfort that you’ve done this, you can approach agents with real confidence.

Want more on this subject?

See all agent interviews here!

How to Write a Query Letter.

What Should You Write in the "Bio Paragraph" of a Query Letter.

Why Your Manuscript Can Get Rejected, by Hallie Ephron.

10 Hidden Gifts of Rejection Letters.

Google Alerts and Agents.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agency Profile: Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency

Chuck — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 19:01:47 GMT

The following is submission
information for the Sarah Jane
Freymann Literary Agency
in Manhattan.

59 W. 71st St., Suite 9B, New York NY 10023. Phone: (212)362-9277. E-mail: sarah@sarahjanefreymann.com. www.sarahjanefreymann.com
Contact: Sarah Jane Freymann, Steve Schwartz. Member Agents: Sarah Jane Freymann; Steve Schwartz, steve@sarahjanefreymann.com (historical novels, thrillers, crime, sports, humor, food, travel); Katharine Sands.

Represents 100 clients. 20% of clients are new/unpublished writers.
Currently Handles: 75% nonfiction books, 23% novels, 2% juvenile books. Nonfiction areas of interest: Animals, Archaeology , Art/Architecture, Biography, Business, Child Guidance, Cooking, Current Affairs, Ethnic/Cultural, Health, History, Design, Memoirs (narrative), Nature, Psychology, Inspirational, Self-Help, Women's, Lifestyle. Fiction areas of interest: Ethnic, Literary, Mainstream/Contemporary.

How to submit: Query with SASE. Responds in 2 weeks to queries; 6 weeks to manuscripts. Recent sales: Girl Stories, by Lauren Weinstein (Henry Holt); The Good, Good Pig, by S. Montgomery (Ballantine); The Man Who Killed the Whale, by Linda Hogan (W.W. Norton); Writing the Fire! Yoga and the Art of Making Your Words Come Alive, by Gail Sher (Harmoney/Bell Tower); Mexicocina, by Melba Levick and Betsy McNair (Chronicle); Holy Play, by Kirk Byron Jones (Jossey Bass).

Terms: Agent receives 15% commission on domestic sales; 20% commission on foreign sales. Offers written contract. Charges clients for long distance, overseas postage, photocopying. 100% of business is derived from commissions on ms sales. Tips: "I love fresh, new, passionate works by authors who love what they are doing and have both natural talent and carefully honed skill.">>>>>

New Agent at Firebrand Literary

Chuck — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:10:54 GMT

Editor's Note: Firebrand Literary closed in July 2009. Four agents from Firebrand Literary have broken off to form a new agency: Upstart Crow Literary. It will be headed up by Michael Stearns, who was formerly a prolific children's book editor. Also onboard are agents Ted Malawer, Chris Richman and Danielle Chiotti. Between the three of them, they handle adult fiction, lots of kids fiction, and some nonfiction, too.

-----

Firebrand Literary, a relatively new literary agency based in New York, has a new literary agent: Ted Malawer.

On children's writer Verla Kay's message board, Ted recently gave a great introduction of himself as well as what kind of submissions he's interested in. I have pasted a lot of his post below.

Good luck submitting!

"I'm Ted Malawer, a new agent at Firebrand Literary. I wanted to say hello to all the members here and introduce myself, as I am actively looking to build my client list. As many of you know, Firebrand loves books for young readers. I am looking to build upon our success with YA fiction (recent sales include novels to Random House, Simon & Schuster, Penguin, and Flux) and also expand our middle grade, chapter, and picture book list.

For YA, I am really looking for books that walk the line between commercial and literary. I like high concept novels with great 'hooks,' unique premises, and great humor. I also enjoy lyrical fiction, as long as it has an authentic and compelling voice. I'm a huge fan of mysteries, smart historicals, and urban fantasy about original topics (no vampires, please). I'm not so much into the snarky 'chick lit' voice, but great writing trumps everything...

For middle grade, I am drawn to unique coming-of-age stories. I like stories that make me laugh, but if you can make me cry, even better. I like projects with fantastical/supernatural elements, too, and action/adventure plots.

I love fun and exciting chapter books, especially with multicultural characters. I'm always on the lookout for the next amazing picture book, but I'd rather not consider anything over 1,000 or so words, and I'm not interested in bedtime or food stories. Additionally, I do a select amount of adult books, so if you write in both genres that's not a problem for me.

Writers interested in querying Ted should check out the Firebrand Literary Web site. Ted and his co-agent, Nadia, work very closely together and often review submissions together. Therefore, a "no" from Ted is a "no from Firebrand."

News hat tip: Nancy Parish

New Agency Alert: Daniel Literary Group

Chuck — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:21:16 GMT

Daniel Literary Group

1701 Kingsbury Drive, Suite 100, Nashville TN 37215. E-mail: submissions@danielliterarygroup.com. Phone: (615)730-8207. Web site: www.danielliterarygroup.com. Contact: Greg Daniel. Seeking new and established writers. Established: 2007. Prior to becoming an agent, Mr. Daniel spent 10 years in publishing—six at the executive level at Thomas Nelson Publishers. Specializes in: "We take pride in our ability to come alongside our authors and help strategize about where they want their writing to take them in both the near and long term. Forging close relationships with our authors, we help them with such critical factors as editorial refinement, branding, audience, and marketing."

Actively seeking: Nonfiction. The agency is open to submissions in almost every popular category of nonfiction, especially if authors are recognized experts in their fields. The agency will take fiction submissions as well, but no romance, children's or science fiction. Does not want: No screenplays, poetry or short stories.

How to submit: Query with SASE. Submit publishing history, author bio, brief synopsis of the work, key selling points. Send no e-mail attachments. Send first 5 pages if querying by e-mail. Submit 1-2 sample chapters with snail mail. Accepts e-mail queries. No fax queries. Responds in 1-6 weeks to queries. Returns materials only with SASE.