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Here are some tips if you're lucky enough to have the opportunity to pitch an agent in person. 

http://carlywatters.com/2013/05/06/how-to-pitch-an-agent/

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Not everyone needs an agent, but you should know what an agent can do for you before you decide. 

http://www.rachellegardner.com/2013/04/the-benefits-of-having-an-agent/

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Prepare using these dos and don'ts. 

http://forewordliterary.com/2013/04/pitching-dos-and-donts/

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My agency puts out a quarterly catalog featuring all of the artists in our group, and each catalog has a theme.  The second catalog of the year has the theme "Family", and I decided to take a slightly darker view of the subject than would be "typical" for the children's market, but is nonetheless very real for many children.

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MB Artists, the amazing artist agency that I belong to, has released a promotional catalog with the theme "Fairy Tales".  Each artist contributed a piece of artwork with that theme. There are so many great illustrations!

http://files.flipsnack.com/iframe/embed.html?hash=fdumen9c&wmode=window&bgcolor=EEEEEE&useOnSW=true&t=13672483201367248319

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Answers to the questions you were afraid or embarrassed to ask. 

http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/literary-agents-unleashed-answers-to-questions-youre-too-afraid-to-ask

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If you’ve every queried an agent you’re probably familiar with the no response = not interested policy. This is when an agent/agency says if you haven’t heard from them within X-amount of time, they’re passing on your project. This isn’t a new policy. It’s been around for years.

Writers hate this policy. We get a little neurotic about it. Waiting to see if someone likes us – Ahem! I mean, likes our project – is hard. How can we know if an agent “just isn’t into us” if all we get is the silent treatment?

On the other hand, agents are busy. I mean busy! One agent reported getting 20 queries a day, and at the time of the blog-post, had 967 queries in her in-box. Is she supposed to send a personal email to all of them?

This has been a controversy for a while now, and there seem to be great points on both sides of the debate.

The agents say:

• Not having to send rejection letters means they can actually read more query letters, request more materials, and find YOU sooner!
• An agent’s time is valuable! They’re busy. They have their normal day-to-day duties to tend to – like selling their client’s books!
• It’s a business transaction. Do you get a response from every job you apply to? No.
• There’s negative karma with sending out rejection letters.
• Agents have the right to create whatever submission policy they like.

But… some agents also say:

• Responding to queries gives them a “leg up” on other agents. Now they have the “kindness factor.”
• They like to send responses because it allows them to feel like they have no loose ends.

Meanwhile the writers…

• Find it discouraging. A no-response can feel harsher than a rejection letter. Does the agent not respect them or their time?
• It can make a writer feel like they are in limbo. Did the query letter even get to the agent? Was it ever considered? Did it get stuck in the SPAM filter? (To combat this problem, some agents have created auto responders which let a writer know the query was received).
• May the mass-querying begin! If a writer knows they aren’t going to hear from an agent for months (and possibly never at all), they may start to send out mass queries. Of course, this creates more letters in an agents in-box, and the cycle begins.

Is there an easy answer to this? No.

I think an agent has every right to conduct business any way they see fit. But I do have respect for those who have sent me a rejection letter in the past. It shows me they’re a professional and they respect me. Personally, I am more likely to recommend that agent to my writer friends (even though I was rejected).

As for us writers, I think we all need to take a step back and practice our skills of patience and perseverance. The right agent is out there waiting for us – and they will contact us when the time is right.

Want to read more about this subject? Check out these other interesting articles:

SCBWI Open Letter to the Industry

Agent Natalie Lakosil’s Opinion

Agent Rachelle Gardner’s Opinion

Agent Janet Reid’s Opinion

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Many of the traditional ways literary agents discover talent have changed over the last few years, and many agents spend their time exploring blogs and the Amazon bestseller list.

The Hollywood Reporter recently hosted a panel discussion with major literary agents, offering some invaluable intelligence for aspiring authors. You can watch the entire presentation in the video embedded above. The participating agents included Sloan Harris, the co-head of ICM Partners’ literary department, who offered this advice:

I grew up scouring magazines and literary journals, but that has largely dried up. Most magazines have their writers already under contract, and there’s very little space there. Our younger colleagues are reading blogs, are watching Amazon best-seller lists for books that may be unrepresented but are starting to pop. It’s encouraging to see the business learning how to create new places where writers can actually develop their voice and make money while they’re growing enough of a fan base to potentially jump over and join the commercial trade publishing side.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

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Usually the reason an agent drops a project has nothing to do with its quality. 

http://www.booksandsuch.biz/blog/when-an-agent-gives-up-on-a-project/

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A huge thank you to all the fabulous agents who participated in this months round-up!

This month we asked the agents: What is different about the way you read the first pages of a manuscript as an agent versus how you would read them as a reader or critique partner? 


Catherine Drayton, Inkwell Management


That’s a really good question! When I read the first pages of an unsolicited manuscript as an agent I’m hoping that the author will impress me, make me feel that I’m in the presence of a writer who has command of the language and their characters. I am looking for a distinctive, confident voice that isn’t afraid to take risks and which makes me curious to keep reading. I’m basically looking to make a quick decision. When I read a published novel that level of trust has already been established ( especially if I know if has sold well and been published by well-known imprint) so I’m more forgiving. I believe that the it will be worth my while to continue and trust the author to take me on that journey. I’m also always thinking about my clients - how the book I’m reading relates to their work in terms of quality and the market. It’s a 24 hour job being agent!




Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary Agency


When I read a submission, I read it like I would a "real" book - to be delighted, surprised, and to fall in love with the characters. I want to read it until the very last word because I'm loving it that much. Unfortunately, that doesn't usually happen and I have to stop reading when the story isn't carrying me away, is too familiar, the character isn't someone I want to go on a journey with, or any of the other reasons that a manuscript stops keeping my interest. (I would stop reading a published book for any of these reasons too.) Of course, many of the authors whom I've offered representation to had sent me submissions that I still thought needed work. So, beyond simply falling in love or being carried away, I need to see that there are problems that can be fixed, and that are within my abilities and time limits.

When I'm reading a manuscript that is one of my client's, however, I'm already starting off with a critical eye. I'm challenging every word, sentence, and paragraph, to make sure my client has chosen the best words. I'm looking for holes so that I can help him/her fill them. I'm pushing the author to ask difficult questions of his/her characters and looking for the places an editor/reviewer/reader might have problems. This is where I get my hands dirty, so that the manuscript is the strongest it can be when we send it out to editors.


 
Ginger Clark, Curtis Brown Ltd.


There is no difference. I read the first pages of a book thinking about whether a customer in a bookstore somewhere will pick up that book and start reading it and be enthralled. And if that customer won’t be enthralled, then why? And are the problems something I can assist an author in fixing, or not?







Juliet Mushens, The Agency Group, Ltd.


When I read as an agent there are three different responses to what I'm reading. One is the 'reader' response, which is fairly instinctive stuff. Is it gripping? Do I like the characters? Do I want to know what happens?
One is a more technical response which is where my editorial side comes to the fore. Does the dialogue feel believable? Does the style work? Do the sentences flow? Do the character motivations work?
And finally I consider it with my 'sales' hat on. What would an editor think? Who would I send it to? How would I pitch it?
That makes it sound very complicated when in reality it is much more of a gut feeling. However, if I am seriously considering something I am always aware of these three aspects to my reading process.


Marie Lamba, Jennifer de Chiara Literary Agency

I think when you read an opening as a critique partner, you've got your "editing hat" on. Meaning you are on the lookout for ways the manuscript can be improved right from the get-go. But as a reader, you are looking for a way into the story. Something that makes you flip the page and want to continue. With my "agent hat" on (which I imagine is large, flouncy, and probably has purple feathers sprouting from it), I'm seeing things more as a reader would.

Does the writing and story pull me in and make me want to continue flipping pages? Is this a book that I'd purchase? Or would I set it back on the shelf and move on to something else? As an agent, I'd hope to not see a ton of things that need fixing in those opening pages, since I assume the writer is sending me her very best work. Sometimes the pluses in a manuscript's opening will have me overlook bits of clumsy writing and read on, but more often it'll signal that this manuscript isn't at the level it needs to be for me to take it on.

The most successful openings are the ones that suck me in and make me quickly forget that I'm reading something. These are stories that get me involved in the character and welcome me with a voice I'll want to spend lots of time with.


Carlie Webber, CK Webber Associates

The biggest difference in reading a manuscript as an agent vs reading for entertainment is that I have to look at the pages with an eye towards the current book market and how well the manuscript fits into its gaps. I have to ask myself not only, "Do I like this book?" but "Will someone else like this book and want to invest time and money in it?" Reading as an agent means reading not only for pleasure, but for commerce.

Having never been anyone's critique partner, as I am not a writer, I don't have an answer for how I would read one as if I were. But as an agent I do a lot of editing of manuscripts so they can be in great shape before I send them to editors. When I do that, I read for flow, voice, continuity, plot holes, or anything else that could keep a book from being the best it can be.


Gina Panettieri, Talcott Notch Literary Services

When I read opening pages to a manuscript, naturally I'm looking for my 'reader reaction', but I'm also reading with an immediate eye toward the market. So not only am I purely gauging my enjoyment of the writing, but I'm evaluating where the book might fit and who I've heard asking for a project like this, how fresh and unique the concept feels, what I know is already 'in the hopper' at publishing houses that would compete with this book, and how it could be positioned.

That doesn't mean I won't keep reading if something is amazing and I'm not getting a clear view on those issues immediately. A beautiful voice and compelling character will keep me turning the pages every time. I'm so excited to see the envelope being pushed in YA and I'm looking for books that can do just that.


Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency

When I read the first pages of a manuscript it is always in the interest of find a new voice, a new author to represent. And we are in the business of representing what we believe we can sell. When I begin the sample pages I would have already read the cover/query letter which will have given me a brief introduction to the story. With the genre, hook, word count in mind, I may be starting out feeling like the work is super promising because of the general state of the market or a total long shot. At the end of the day, every agent knows that we can love something that may not be very marketable. And we can love work that isn't in our best interests to take on. We have to be mindful of business and not just purely at the mercy of our emotional reactions. Does emotion and our gut reaction play in to our decisions? You bet. On the flip side, if I am reading for fun, I really don't have to do anything BUT emotionally react to the story. I definitely don't have to be mindful of anything other than my own enjoyment. When I read to critique, I usually take the perspective of playing devil's advocate. What would an editor think about it? Would the average reader who can choose from a gazillion books keep reading after the 1st page? I listen to my own reactions but I also try to project how it could be received by others.




Jennifer Mishler, Literary Counsel


What is different about the way you read the first pages of a manuscript as an agent versus how you would read them as a reader or critique partner?
As I read manuscripts that are sent to me, the first few pages undergo the most scrutiny. As I read, I have a checklist beside me with questions like: Do I like how this starts? Are the main characters interesting? Do I care about them? Does this fit my list?
Of course this list is a lot longer but I think you get the point. If I find myself wanting to skip past the first three chapters, odds are that I will most likely reject a manuscript. If the story cannot keep me interested, then how is it going to keep a reader’s attention?
Unfortunately I think like this as a critique partner but not as a reader. When I have the time to read for enjoyment, I read the book without my agent cap on and try not to analyze every paragraph.



Jessica Regel, Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency

I actually don't see a difference in how I read a book as an agent versus how I read a book as a reader. The questions are the same: Does it immediately draw me in? Is it well-written? Is it fresh (or have I read an opening like this a million times before)? Does it flow nicely? Do I get a clear sense of setting or a clear sense of character? Ultimately, do I want to keep reading?

As an agent and as a reader, I have a limited amount of time I can devote to reading, so I'm constantly asking myself that question: Do I want to keep reading? If the answer is no, I have plenty of other things on my office to-do list, like read a current client's next book and catch up on my emails or, if I'm reading for fun, catch up on my laundry or watch the next season of Game of Thrones. So if a book doesn't demand that I keep reading it, I won't... and neither will the editor that I'm trying to sell the book to... and neither will the reader who picks it up in a bookstore.



Gordon Warnock, Foreword Literary Agency

If it’s something I’m looking to sign, then it also has to pass the subjective test. I’m very hands-on with my clients’ manuscripts, so it has to not only work for a specific market, but it also has to excite me enough to make me put the kind of time, effort, and enthusiasm into it that it deserves. When seeking an agent, it’s all about finding the perfect match for your work. You might find someone who handles your genre, but if they can’t connect with your work, it’s best to keep looking.

I get asked to read a lot “as an agent” for critiques and consultations, and for those, I’m quicker to let go and be purely objective. Sure, if it works for me, I’ll want to snap it up, but I tend to be more focused on matters of craft and marketability for the pure benefit of the author. Most of what I critique doesn’t excite me enough to garner an offer of representation. But that’s perfectly fine when I get the email later on thanking me for helping them attract an agent or publisher.



Christa Heschke, MacIntosh & Otis, Inc.

That’s a great question. When I am reading for fun , I try to turn off that part of me that critiques and thinks about what imprint and Publisher may be a good fit for a novel (although as an Agent it can be hard to turn off). I’m thinking more about the big picture and that is---is this novel entertaining me? Has it grabbed a hold of me? As an agent, I think about this too, of course. The first pages are so important. They need to pull you in---something exciting needs to happen. If they’re too slow or I can’t see where the story is going, I’m not likely to read on. This is why it’s paramount, that as a writer, you really think about your opening pages as you’re writing and after you finished the novel. Do they foreshadow what’s to come and pull readers in? This is also why critique partners or trusted readers can be such a crucial asset to have in your corner. Think of them as a test audience before sending to Agents (and beyond)—just make sure it’s someone who isn’t afraid to be completely honest with you.

As an Agent, I’m also thinking whether what I’m reading is sellable in the current market. While entertainment value and compelling first pages are important, if the plot is too familiar or doesn’t stand out to me in a meaningful way, a little red flag pops up as I read. The writing could be wonderful, the story well executed, but if it reads too much like other novels on the shelves I may pass. Reading for fun (or as a critique partner) I may not think about this as much. If the story is engaging, even if it’s just like Twilight except with another paranormal creature, I probably won’t care. I’m enjoying the read, not thinking about how to pitch the novel to editors.

My advice is this: Actively read other books in your genre/ for your target audience and don’t write for trends. Remember it takes a book 1-2 years to publish after it’s been sold, so while you may be seeing a lot of one genre now and it’s selling well, the market may be oversaturated in two years and editors will already be looking for other genres for their list. Write what you love. Write the story that you have to get out or you can’t sleep at night. Leave the rest to us!

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What does it mean if your agent won't send out your manuscript anymore? 

http://www.booksandsuch.biz/blog/when-an-agent-gives-up-on-a-project/

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The most common reason agents reject a manuscript is it's not in a genre they represent. 

http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-1-reason-for-queryfailshow-to-avoid.html

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Congratulations, but what happens next? 

http://betweenfactandfiction.blogspot.com/2013/03/yay-you-signed-with-agent-what-now.html

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Ten questions to ask a prospective agent before accepting representation. 

http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/10-questions-to-ask-an-agent-before-you-sign

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Three seasoned agents, Laurie McLean, Gordon Warnock and Pam van Hylckama Vlieg, have partnered together to launch a new agency called “Foreword Literary.”

On submissions, the agents represent writers who specialize in a plethora of different genres from children’s picture books to upmarket commercial fiction. This agency’s current client list includes young-adult author Julie Kagawa, thriller novelist Ransom Stephens and romance writer Lisa Kessler.

Here’s more about the agency’s blog: “We are a brand new type of author representative. Sure, we’ll sell books to publishers and sell subsidiary rights to movie studios, foreign publishers, magazines, audiobook companies, etc. But we’ll also work with a network of affiliates such as self-publishers, cover designers, app creators, web series developers, comic book producers, social media marketers, publicity experts, teachers, game designers, speaker bureaus, and many, many others to offer our clients a fully-fleshed world of possibilities for their creativity.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

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Do you need an agent if you are working with a small press? 

http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/2013/02/friday-night-at-question-emporium.html

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What happens if your agent thinks there's no market for your latest book, but you do? 

http://deareditor.com/2013/02/06/re-my-agent-says-no-i-say-yes-whos-right/

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How do you handle offers from several agents? 

http://kidlit.com/2010/05/31/getting-offers-from-multiple-agents/

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Literary agent Irene Goodman founded a nonprofit called Publishing for Vision & Hearing (PubVH) in honor of her son, Rob, who suffers from Usher Syndrome.

Currently, PubVH is hosting a charity auction.

Those who are interested can place their bids until the end of December. Some of the items up for grabs include a picture book critique by veteran editor Nancy Paulsen (who now presides over her own imprint at Penguin Young Readers Group) and a partial critique by Movable Type Management co-founder/president Jason Ashlock.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

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Here are some hints for evaluating agents new to the business. 

http://glasscasesblog.blogspot.com/2012/11/shady-business.html

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The more you understand everything your agent does, the better you'll be able to work together. 

http://www.lisaschroederbooks.com/2010/02/timeline-and-checklist-for-ya-of-mg.html

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An agent does much more than just find a publisher for your manuscript.

http://hannahmosk.blogspot.com/2010/08/reasons-you-want-agent-that-you-havent.html

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Elena Mechlin has been promoted to literary agent at Pippin Properties, Inc.

Prior to joining the agency in 2009, Mechlin worked at Fulcrum Publishing, Simon & Schuster, and Random House.

Mechlin’s client list includes 2013 Newbery Medal-winning author Katherine Applegate, debut young-adult novelist Jason Reynolds, picture-book author Beth Ferry and illustrator Rob Dunlavey. On submissions, she represents clients who create all types of children’s literature projects from picture books through young-adult.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

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I’m at a writer’s conference this weekend, and at first, I was disappointed that several of my good friends wouldn't be attending this year. But then I thought, that’s okay. I won’t play it safe. You see, when I don’t know many people at an event, I’m sort of a different person.

It’s funny but true. I stand a little taller, I smile a bit more. I can’t be lazy, falling back on the old reliables. When I look around and don’t recognize anyone, I have to put my best foot forward. I want to make a favorable first impression, so walking into a room full of strangers definitely keeps me on my toes.

Now, maybe you’re wondering why I bother. After all, we go to writer’s conferences to learn writing stuff, right? Isn't it enough to find a chair and take copious notes at the workshops? Maybe pay extra-close attention if you've paid for a manuscript critique?

Well, yes, there’s that purpose to the conference. But a writer’s conference is also a wonderful opportunity to make a few connections. If you play it safe, you’ll never meet anyone. So you have to take the risk, and give yourself a push.

Of course, us writers are notoriously reserved. If we liked the whole social scene, we probably wouldn't be hunkered down in our cubbyholes, writing. So. How to pack a push?

Come prepared to put yourself out there. Bring business cards to share. Sit at the table where no one seems to know anyone. Polish up your elevator pitch. You may not meet many agents to pitch, but every time you meet someone new, you have a chance to fine-tune that pitch, and that’s incredibly beneficial. Because if you’re having difficulty figuring out what your novel is really about, explaining it to strangers, and getting their reactions, can be very illuminating.

Don’t forget to ask people what they’re writing. Writers may not always be the most social creatures, but I've never met one who didn't like talking about the work. And don’t be surprised if you meet a couple true kindred spirits.

Once, I overheard a writer discussing zombies. As it happens, zombies are one of my favorite topics. So we had a lively chat (Yes, I know. That was bad.). She’s a gifted novelist, and a generous writing friend—and I've bought several of her books since that conference.

The thing is, you may meet a couple editors or agents at a conference, and that’s swell. Maybe you’ll meet up in social media, and maybe some day, somehow, that connection will pay off. Meanwhile, the struggling writers you meet, the folks who live in your area and who are on that same publishing journey as you, might become your new best friends. Friends who’ll support you along the way, just like you’ll support them.

It all starts with that moment when you decide to take a risk—and say hello.


~Cathy C. Hall

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