Guide to Literary Agents - Wednesday, October 31, 2007

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 Represents 50+ clients. 15% of clients are new/unpublished writers.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

10/31/2007 4:26:32 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Dwyer & O'Grady: Reminders
Posted by Chuck

Dwyer & O'Grady, Inc., a literary agency that represents juvenile writers and illustrators, recently sent out a reminder that they have moved all offices to Florida. Evidently, they had different locations around the country at different points (and were most recently in New Hampshire), but now do all business at the address below.

Also note that the agency is still closed to unsolicited queries/submissions and has been for some time. The only real reason you would need to use their new address below is if you, per chance, were lucky enough to meet an agent at a writers conference and they OK'd you sending some work to them.

Dwyer & O'Grady, Inc.
Agents for Writers & Illustrators of Children's Books
725 Third Street
P.O. Box 790
Cedar Key, FL 32625-0790
(352)543-9307
(603)-375-5373 - fax
www.dwyerogrady.com

Random Updates

10/31/2007 1:40:40 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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How to Pitch an Agent
Posted by Nancy Parish

Literary Agent Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literary Agency has recently posted several blog posts regarding how to craft a pitch - i.e., how to sum up your story in a query letter.

Some writers find composing the query and pitch extremely frustrating, even to the point where they would rather write another novel than a query letter. If this is you, do not miss these posts. (If you happen to come upon this post many months after I've written it, just go to her blog home page and look to the right where she has a category of "Blog Pitch" posts.) Here's an example of what she's talking about:

"When writing your pitch paragraph, all you need to do is examine the first 20 or 50 pages of your manuscript. Then zero in on the main catalyst that starts the story forward—the main conflict from which all else in the novel evolves. It’s the catalyst kernel of your story that forms your pitch.
Don’t worry, I’ll show you some examples over the next couple of days but what you need to remember is that your pitch paragraph needs to read like the back cover copy of a novel. Notice that when you read the back cover of a book, it just gives a hint or a teaser of the story and that it also usually focuses on a crucial early event in the novel. That gets the ball rolling."

10/31/2007 11:01:47 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Coming Soon: The Steinberg Agency, Inc.
Posted by Chuck

Thanks to yet another tip - this one from Writer Unboxed's Therese Walsh, I saw that Publishers Weekly had a nice scoop on how literary agent Peter Steinberg is going solo to launch his own agency.

Check out PW's full story here.

Steinberg is pretty big time. He's worked with Mario Puzo (The Godfather) and Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club). Little else is known right now. I'll keep you posted.

10/30/2007 4:36:37 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Grosvenor Literary Agency Folds Into Kneerim & Williams
Posted by Chuck

Thanks to a tip from blogger Kristen Howe, I saw that Deborah Clarke Grosvenor, the DC-based literary agent who had her own literary agency called The Grosvenor Literary Agency, has recently joined Kneerim & Williams. She is now one of seven agents at K&W. Take note, if you're sending out queries. While other Kneerim & Williams agents seem to be based in Boston, Grosvenor is based in DC. Her address is 1425 K St. NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20005; phone (202)626-6401.

This paragraph on her K&W page will help you figure out what she's looking for:

"During her publishing career, she has edited
or represented hundreds of nonfiction books
in the areas of narrative nonfiction, history,
biography, politics, current affairs, memoir,
the environment, the Middle East, the military,
science, and the American South, all areas in
which she maintains a strong interest. For
fiction, she is particularly interested in works
with historical or American South themes
and settings."

Deborah Clarke Grosvenor

Random Updates

10/30/2007 4:26:33 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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The Unknown Screenwriter Site
Posted by Chuck

Maybe I was the only person who hadn't stumbled onto this site by now, but if you haven't checked out The Unknown Screenwriter, you should definitely do so.
This anonymous scriptmaster is kinda like a movie-oriented Miss Snark - someone (seemingly) deep within their field and very knowledgeable who can give great advice.

On that note: WD sure has a good set of blogs for those interested in writing, and the blogroll is soon to be even one bigger.
Chad Gervich, an LA-based television producer and playwright, will soon be running a WD blog for screenwriters. It goes live on Nov. 1 and the Web address is:

www.writersdigest.com/scriptnotes

Screenwriting and Script Agents

10/30/2007 4:06:46 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Thursday, October 25, 2007

Bradford Literary Agency Address Change
Posted by Chuck

Just got word of an address change for Bradford Literary Agency, which specializes in romance. The agency's new address is:

Bradford Literary Agency
10353 San Diego Mission Road
Suite 333
San Diego, CA 92108

Random Updates

10/25/2007 2:50:19 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Agency Profile: Collins Literary Agency
Posted by Chuck

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

10/25/2007 1:27:56 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Tuesday, October 23, 2007

When's the Best Time to Query an Agent?
Posted by Chuck

Is summer bad because of so many agents (and editors) on vacation? Is sending a submission during the holidays a huge waste of time?

Good questions both - and the man who has answers for these questions is Brian Klems, a Writer's Digest staffer who runs the Questions and Quandaries Blog for WD.

Check out Brian's full response on when to query an agent.

10/23/2007 2:17:04 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Around the Properties 10/23/2007
Posted by Chuck

Phil Sexton, a cohort of Writer's Digest magazine, actually went through 80+ years of magazine back issues to scour for the best gems in WD's past. In doing so, he found old articles on writing penned by writers such as H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, Tom Clancy, Ken Kesey, Dean Koontz, Stan Lee, and many more. His research led to a book called Legends of Literature.
In an article online, he talks about the book and his research. Check it out!

As always, Alice Pope's blog - Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market - has tons of information for writers of juvenile and children's fiction. A recent post includes a full listing for what Chronicle Books is seeking.

If you've ever considered going back to school for writing but don't have the time, consider one of many Writers Online Workshops. The online classes usually last six or 12 weeks and are taught by Writer's Digest staffers and contributors.
I myself will be teaching a class called "Getting Started in Writing" that starts on Dec. 6, so sign up now!

Around the Properties

10/23/2007 2:10:20 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, October 22, 2007

April Eberhardt at Andrea Brown Lit
Posted by Chuck

The Andrea Brown Literary Agency, a well respected agency in California, has certainly been mentioned on this blog before. There's the great interview with agent Michelle Andelman, and also the news that Jennifer Laughran was seeking clients to hopefully joing ABLA.

In addition, one other thing worth mentioning is how ABLA has a relatively new agent on staff: April Eberhardt, who, ironically enough, does not rep children's writers, but is actively seeking some good literary fiction.

According to her online bio, her specialty is "adult literary fiction, particularly family dramas and realistic midlife tales, often with a twist, preferably involving strong female characters. She is attracted to collections of interlinked stories with a common character or theme. An original voice and smart, speedy delivery are critical. She enjoys working with new authors to edit and streamline their manuscripts before submitting them to publishers. April does not represent children's titles."

Children's Writing | New Agency Alerts

10/22/2007 3:43:39 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Agents on the Web: BookEnds, LLC
Posted by Chuck

It's been too long since I spotlighted great agent blogs around the Web.

That said, let me sing the praises of the BookEnds, LLC Blog. BookEnds is a literary agency based in New Jersey and is part of the AAR. The agency's three agents are Jessica Faust, Jacky Sach and Kim Lionetti. (To learn more about all three, check out their "About Us" page.)

The most recent post I read was this post on why exactly agents request exclusive reads. The blog is worth a long look, so give it just that!

10/22/2007 1:49:14 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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