Guide to Literary Agents - Wednesday, January 30, 2008

"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 Janet Reid of FinePrint Literary Management. She was formerly with Imprint Literary; before that, she had her own agency: JetReid.

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

JR: Siesta Lane, by Amy Minato to Skyhorse Publishing.

GLA: The FinePrint Web site indicates you're seeking mysteries and offbeat literary fiction; elsewhere you've said you're also interested in nonfiction: justice and death penalty issues, African politics, contemporary art and music, and how-to books. Do you consider anything else? What about graphic novels?

JR: I'll look at anything people send me. I don't know anything about fantasy or Westerns, so I tend to say no, but I read every query letter.

GLA: If you happened to receive a promising submission that was outside your areas of interest, might you pass it along to one of the other agents at FinePrint?

JR: You bet. And if you query me and I say no, you can still query anyone else at FinePrint.

GLA: How would you describe your ideal client?

JR: Jeff Somers. Mindy Tarquini. Sean Ferrell. Eric Stone, Jake Needham. Bill Cameron. Bob Fate. Oh, you mean generally? They write well. They write really, really well.

GLA: How do you prefer to be contacted by writers seeking representation?

JR: E-mail. Snail mail is fine. I really, really don't like phone calls.

GLA: What is your defining personality trait? What don't we already know about you?

JR: I'm cruel, unkind, demanding and fierce. And I drink a lot of scotch.

GLA: What publishing industry periodicals or blogs do you currently read that might also be helpful to prospective clients?

JR: 1) Yours (GLA). 2) GalleyCat. 3) Kristin Nelson's Pub Rants blog. 4) Nathan Bransford.

GLA: You've said you don't enjoy traveling, but will you be attending any conferences or events in the future where writers can meet you?

JR: Scene of the Crime Conference, Wichita, Kan., April 11-13. The Muse & the Marketplace, Boston, Mass., April 26-27. Surrey International Writers’ Conference, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, Oct. 23-26, 2008. No one else has been brave enough to ask.

GLA: What's your best piece of advice regarding something we haven't discussed?

JR: Read Stephen King's book On Writing. Read E.B. White's books of essays. Surround yourself with beautiful things when you write, even if you prop open an art book from the library. Expect great things from yourself. Don't talk about what you're going to do ... Do it.

Janet Reid is an agent with FinePrint Literary Management in New York City. She became a literary agent after working for 15 years in book publicity and hosting an author interview program for an Oregon Public Broadcasting affiliate.
FinePrint’s Web site provides submission guidelines, and Janet’s blog includes much more detailed information about her personal tastes and how to send her a query. At present, she is reading all types of manuscripts, but she especially appreciates crime fiction and authors with a wry sense of humor.

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Genre Writing

1/30/2008 3:04:31 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Should You Mention Your POD Work in a Query?
Posted by Chuck

Q: I just purchased the 2008 Guide to Literary Agents. I am an author of three books, all of them published by POD publishers. Looking at the agents' requirements, some only except published authors. I am working on my fourth book and this one I would like to find an agent for. My question is: Shall I tell the agent in my query that I am a published author by POD publishers? I know they want to know how my books are doing, etc.
- Gabe

A: Let me address this in two parts. Some agents indeed will request that "only published authors" query them. Usually, these are established agents who are not "actively" building their client list. Requesting only published authors is their way of trying to eliminate most of the slush that comes in. The best way to get signed by a high-level agent like this is through a referral or meeting them at a conference/retreat.

As for the POD books, sure you can mention them. If I were you, I would mention it at the bottom of your query very briefly (don't even include the titles just yet). That way, you are being upfront about your publishing past, but not drawing a whole lot of attention to it. If you mention your POD books in the first line or two, the agent may stop reading simply because of the stigma that goes along with self-publishing and POD work. Let the agent/editor see your pitch and get hooked. If they are interested enough, your bio details (such as the POD books) will have no effect.

Hope that helps.

Self-Publishing and Agents

1/30/2008 2:19:12 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Making Sense of an Impersonal Rejection Letter
Posted by Chuck

At the conference last weekend, an attendee raised a complaint to agents and editors when we were all sitting together on a panel. Rejections letters he received over time were usually impersonal - without any comments as to why the story was rejected; sometimes the letters were often xeroxed to the point that the text was barely legible, if at all. He felt insulted by these letters.

Various agents on the panel took turns addressing his concerns. The consensus was that agents do not have time to personalize rejections in almost any way. Occasionally, agents will have "checklists," where they will check a box saying why they rejected something (e.g. "POV confusion," "I don't handle this category of fiction," etc.).

Miriam Hees, publisher of Blooming Tree Press, said it like this: She was spending so much time trying to personalize rejections that her slush pile contained material more than a year old. She changed her policies, figuring that a cold, impersonal rejection was more compassionate to a writer than keeping their manuscript for a crazy amount of time. Makes sense to me.

That said, everyone agreed that rejections with the wrong book title pasted in, or rejections that were not readable, were not fair to writers. (To avoid the latter problem, use e-queries where possible!)

While we're talking about rejections, it's important to mention that more and more agents have adopted the policy of only responding to queries if interested. Usually, they are upfront about this policy and their reply timeframe. If they say "We will reply within 6 weeks, only if interested," you should probably wait eight to be certain. After that, consider it a "no" and move on.

Blooming Tree Press

1/30/2008 2:05:40 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Monday, January 28, 2008

New Agency Alert: Will Entertainment
Posted by Chuck

Cool new alert to see. Will Entertainment is looking for children's book writers whose writing is good enough to brave both the literary and film worlds. Awesome opportunity, but your work better be up to snuff to challenge both worlds!

Important note: Garrett Hicks is a literary and script manager, meaning he is similar to an agent but not exactly an agent, per say.

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.

Will Entertainment

1228 Romulus Drive, Glendale CA 91205. Phone: (818)389-6895. Fax: (818)246-4520. E-mail: garrett@willentertainment.com. Web site: www.willentertainment.com. Contact: Garrett Hicks. Seeking new and established writers. Prior to becoming an agent, Mr. Hicks was a development executive for Disney Animation. Established: 2003. Represents 20 clients. 30% of clients are new/unpublished writers. Specializes in: children's book authors and illustrators, especially those crossing over from film, TV and animation. Currently Handles: 30% Juvenile Books, 30% Movie Scripts, 40% TV Scripts

Script categories/genres of interest: Action/Adventure, Cartoon/Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Juvenile, Mainstream, Romantic Comedy, Teen. How to Contact: Query with SASE and synopsis. Accepts e-mail queries. No fax queries. Accepts simultaneous submissions. Responds in 2 weeks to queries. Responds in 2 weeks to manuscripts. Does not return submissions. Actively seeking: Juvenile, picture books and young adult.

Recent Sales: Sold 2 titles in the last year. Sold 5 scripts in the last year. Hot Sour Salty Sweet, by Sherri Smith (Delacorte); Flygirl, by Sherri Smith (Putnam); Patty Dolan is Dead, by Patrick O'Connor (FP Prods/Disney); Hopeville, TV pilot by Howard Nemetz (Fox). Terms: Agent receives 15% commission on domestic sales; 15% commission on foreign sales. Offers written contract. Termination notice: 60-day.

Children's Writing | New Agency Alerts | Screenwriting and Script Agents

1/28/2008 7:31:59 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Sunday, January 27, 2008

New Agent at Martin Literary Management
Posted by Chuck

A while back, I blogged about how Ronnie Gramazio was a new agent at Martin Literary Management. Recently, I got an e-mail from Sharlene Martin saying a third rep is now aboard the agency.

Ginny Weissman helms the agency's Chicago area office and runs the Mind, Body and Spirit division. Her contact info is below. She seems very accomplished in the entertainment and literary worlds. To learn more exactly about what she reps and how to submit, see her new personal Web page.

In an e-mail, she told me this: "I am looking for writers with a developed platform in speaking, radio/TV, and the web with a book that fits the Mind/Body/Spirit genre, including health, spirituality, religion, diet, exercise, psychology, relationships and metaphysics."

Ginny Weissman
2511 West Schaumburg Road
No. 217
Schaumburg, IL 60194
(312)420-2665
Ginny@MartinLiteraryManagement.com

New Agency Alerts | Nonfiction | Random Updates

1/27/2008 10:29:01 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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My Adventures in Cocoa Beach...
Posted by Chuck

Just got back from Cocoa Beach, Fla., and the Space Coast Writers' Conference. It was my first conference of the year and the first in about three months, so it was nice to get back out and meet writers. The conference went well, with good attendance and a great cast of speakers, agents and editors.

Friday night keynote speaker Davis Bunn.

I did two presentations - one on shaping your pitch to agents, and another on playwriting. Everything went well and, as usual, I still found a little bit of time here and there to play some piano for folks. It was pretty cold - about 60 degrees - so there was no sunbathing for me (All at once, Florida: "Thank God"), though I did get to enjoy a run on the beach.

Cocoa Beach in January. A bit cold, but still enjoyable.

A few us of got to let loose on Saturday night at a cool seafood restaurant. Back at the hotel bar, there was a singles dance for seniors, which was pretty crazy (believe you me). Maybe the coolest moment of the night was meandering down A1A with some people and then walking into a karoake bar and singing "Margaritaville" with Bloomingtree Press editor Madeline Smoot, who has quite the singing voice (believe you me again).

Texas gals Madeline Smoot (left) and Miriam Hees, editors of Bloomingtree Press in Austin.

Writers' Conferences

1/27/2008 7:45:16 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Contests: Good News and Bad News
Posted by Chuck

This weekend, at the Space Coast Writers' Conference, I sat down on a large panel of agents and editors. During the panel, we pretty muched talked about everything. One particular subject of interest that came up was online writing contests, and whether or not winning such contests was a good way to hook an agent.

The bad news is that all five agents said they never looked online at published contest winners, such as the winners of any Amazon.com contests. Both audience members and agents remarked about how such contests were gaining popularity and Internet buzz; however, the agents aren't looking online at the winning stories.

The good news is that a few agents present did mention that when they judge a competition, they may indeed contact winners and ask about representing them. This is not new news, exactly, but it was promising to hear agents confirm that contests will still lead to a contract for representation. (You just have to make sure some awesome agents are the judges.)

And remember: Just because agents are not reading online contests, that doesn't mean that the accolades are worthless. On the contrary, including these awards in your query letter will show an agent that you're a serious and skilled scribe.

Contests | Writers' Conferences

1/27/2008 11:16:46 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Thursday, January 24, 2008

Closure: Writers in the Sky Lit Agency
Posted by Chuck

I just got an e-mail from someone working at Writers in the Sky Literary Agency, a (practically) brand new agency that was openly looking for clients. They have shut down for good, it seems. I had previously profiled their agency on the blog.

By the way, I have tagged this post "Random Updates." To see more updates, click on this category on the left side of the Web page. "Random Updates" includes changes in information such as
      - Agency closures
      - Changes in address
      - Agents leaving one agency to join another
      - Etc.

Random Updates

1/24/2008 1:35:11 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Lindstrom Open to Clients Again
Posted by Chuck

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 | Random Updates

1/23/2008 3:20:26 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

New Info for Stimola Literary Studio
Posted by Chuck

Stimola Literary Studios, LLC, has a new e-mail and Web site.

The new Web site has information on submissions, clients, previous sales and everything in between. It will definitely help if you want to submit to them. According to their submission page, they handle nonfiction and fiction, adult and children's, but they do have a big interest in children's work - middle grade, young adult, graphic novels, etc.

The new submission e-mail is info@stimolaliterarystudio.com.

Children's Writing

1/23/2008 11:29:04 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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New Agency Alert: Laura Gross Literary Agency
Posted by Chuck

Laura Gross Literary Agency

75 Clinton Place, Newton MA 02459. Phone: (617)964-2977. Fax: (617)964-3023. E-mail: LGLitAg@aol.com; lgross@lauragrossliteraryagency.com. Contact: Laura Gross. Prefers established writers, mostly referrals. Prior to becoming an agent, Ms. Gross was an editor. Established: 1988. Represents 30 clients. 75% of clients are new/unpublished writers. Currently Handles: 40% nonfiction, 50% novels, 10% scholarly books

Nonfiction areas of interest: Biography, Child Guidance/Parenting, Current Affairs, Ethnic/Cultural, Government/Politics, Health, History, Memoirs, Popular Culture, Psychology, Sports, Women's Issues. Fiction areas of interest: Historical, Literary, Mainstream/Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller. How to Contact: Query with SASE. Submit author bio. Accepts e-mail queries. No fax queries. Responds in several days to queries; several weeks to manuscripts.

Sold 10+ titles in the last year. This agency prefers not to share information on specific sales. Terms: Agent receives 15% commission on domestic sales; 20% commission on foreign sales. Offers written contract.

New Agency Alerts

1/23/2008 11:03:20 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

Susan Ann Protter Seeks Thrillers
Posted by Chuck

AAR Agent Susan Ann Protter is currently looking for a few good thriller writers. She recently updated her listing, saying that she is looking for new mystery and thriller writers.

Susan accepts queries by snail mail: Susan Ann Protter, Literary Agent, 110 W. 40th St., Suite 1408, New York, NY 10018.

Those submitting should make sure their manuscript is not only complete, but edited and polished. Established agents such as Susan don't often open up like this, so make the most of such an opportunity. Check out her Web site for more info. On the site, she also mentions a few other categories where she is looking for good queries.

Genre Writing

1/23/2008 10:42:38 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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