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Stephen Fraser joined The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency as an agent in January 2005. He worked most recently at HarperCollins Children’s Books, where he edited such creative talents as Mary Engelbreit, Gregory Maguire, Michael Hague, Ann Rinaldi, Kathryn Lasky, Brent Hartinger, Stephen Mitchell, and Dan Gutman. He began his career at Highlights for Children and later worked at Scholastic and Simon & Schuster. A graduate of Middlebury College in Vermont, he has a Master’s degree in Children’s Literature from Simmons College in Boston. He represents both children’s and adult books in a wide range of genres.

Lin calls him a leading light in our field, and tells us he is very helpful, very concrete, and very specific. He also wears some very dapper bowties.

Stephen says an agent is supposed to be impartial about the books he represents, but he does admit he loves middle-grade fiction the best, growing up he read everything, and his inner eleven-year-old is still an active connoisseur of MG manuscript submissions.

"Some of the strongest books in the whole canon of children's literature rest in middle grade."

What are some of the writing rules that 12 classic or beloved middle grade books teach us?

Here are six of the books and their lessons:

Every time an editor asks you to revise, see this as an opportunity to make a perfect book with carefully crafted writing like in Charlotte's Web.


Some of the best novels can be brief, like Stone Fox. It's a satisfying narrative with true drama. Books for middle grade readers can have real drama in them and be story-packed. 


The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, celebrity can get a book published, but it can't keep it in print for forty years. This book stays, Stephen says, the lesson here is to let imagination ride high in your story. 


Louis Sachar, you may already know, takes about a year to write a book, but Holes took him two years. What he does so well here, Stephen says, is maintain the hilarious voice of hapless Stanley. Humor if done well can fuel an entire novel. As a side note, Stephen says, consider taking two years to refine your novel and you may just win the National Book Award and the Newbery. And an Emmy.


In Missing May, the setting is as much a character as the human main characters. Do yourself a favor and invoke a rich setting to help bring your story to life and set it concretely in the reader's mind.


Sarah, Plain and Tall, is Stephen's favorite book in the universe. This short novel, clocking in at a mere 58 pages, rewrote the tradition of middle grade fiction. Every word resonates so that you almost feel like the book is illustrated, but there are no pictures! It's the writing that is that good. Originally this book was planned as a picture book, but the author felt there was more story to tell. Every book, says Stephen, should have this level of imagery.

Stephen leaves us with a Henry James quote: "Remember that your first duty is to be as complete as possible. Remember that your first duty is to be as complete as possible—to make as perfect a work. Be generous and delicate and pursue the prize."

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I asked the kidlit agents participating in PiBoIdMo as your “grand prizes” to tell us why they love picture books. Their answers are sure to inspire!

Heather Alexander, Pippin Properties
Picture books are easy to love because they are tiny little windows that offer beautiful glimpses out into the whole, wide, wonderful world, and into hearts like and unlike our own.

 

 

 

 

Stephen Fraser, Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency
I do love picture books! There is nothing more satisfying that to find a picture book manuscript which has been carefully crafted to share a story with the youngest readers.  The Impressionist painter Pierre Auguste Renoir said that painting is “making love visible” and I can’t help thinking that is why some picture books are so endearing and everlasting. They make the love we feel for our children, our grandchildren, and the children within us very visible. It is a true craft which needs to be learned and practiced. And I honor those who learn this craft and honor children.

 

Kirsten Hall, Catbird Agency
Picture books pretty much have me wrapped around their finger. I’m obsessed by the story-telling opportunities offered by this highly-visual genre! Picture books (as a format) seem simple at first blush, but they are often in fact quite layered and even poetic, displaying an elegant interplay between text and art. Best of all, picture books are accessible to everyone. You don’t have to be able to read in order to love them. They can be savored for what they offer visually, and when read aloud, until a reader has command over the written word. Simply, what format is better than the first one that takes children by the hand and turns them into book-lovers?

 

Susan Hawk, The Bent Agency
The best part of picture books, for me, is way words and illustration marry together to create a sum greater than its parts.  I love the way art builds meaning in the story, and how the simplest of texts can be full of emotion and heart.  I remember so well the picture books that I poured over as a child — mystified and delighted to be invited into the world of reading and books.  For me, it’s an honor to represent picture books!

 

 

Tricia Lawrence, Erin Murphy Literary Agency

I love picture books because they celebrate a time in our life we all look back on so fondly. I love being a part of helping to create them because we’re creating books for kids who will look back on them for the rest of their lives.

 

 

 

Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency
I became a reader because of picture books, and I became an agent because of picture books. They are one of the richest and most influential forms of literature. So much feeling, so many laughs, in so few pages, meant to be read over and over again!

 

 

 

 

Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency
I love picture books because they speak to the quintessential child in each of us. They reach across the gaps of age and culture and language and bring us under their spell. A perfectly-crafted picture book is a full-senses experience that can last a lifetime.

 

 

 

Rachel Orr, Prospect Agency
I love the breadth of story and emotion—from clever and comical, to poetic and pondering—that can be found within the framework of a 32-page picture book.  I love the right prose, the visual subplots, the rhythm and rhyme and repetition (and repetition, and repetition).  But, most of all, I love them because they’re short.

 

 

 

Kathleen Rushall, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

I love working with picture books because they remind me that the earliest literature we read in life can be some of the most memorable (and the most fun!).

 

 

 

 

Joanna Volpe, New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc.
I love picture books because they’re fun to read aloud, and they’re meant to be read with someone else.They can’t not be shared! Even now, I don’t have kids, but when I read a good picturebook, my husband gets to be the audience. He’s very understanding. :-)

 

 

 

 

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Naturally the UCW has been all agog over WIFYR. And sadly, I was not able to attend this year (sigh). But it got me thinking about all of the inspiration I've received from writing groups and conferences over the years. One speech given last year at WIFYR by Stephen Fraser, a literary agent from Jennifer De Chiara Lit Agency, has really stuck with me.

What he essentially talked about was the importance of following your inner compass.

At many conferences and at many writing classes, the fear for most not-yet-published writers is to look like an unpublished writer. To look like an amateur. So a zillion classes are given about what the "rules" of publishing are: exactly how long each genre should be, exactly how it should be written, exactly what most publishers are looking for ....

I don't know about you, but I always bristle at these boxes and labels and rules. My hand is the one that shoots up every time with the every annoying "But why?" (Yep, I'm still that kid in class.) Why do books with beautiful illustrations have to be for three-year-olds? Why do characters in middle grade books have to use pop-culture vernacular? Why can't a picture book have 1500 words? Why ...? Why ...? Why ...?

There are many reasons to follow many of the rules. But the answer usually given to me is always the least satisfying: Because publishers know that X sells because that is what has sold.

But Fraser pointed out the importance of being the first. You never know if your version of breaking the rules could be the one that starts a new trend.

Who knew sparkly vampires would be irresistible until it was done? Who thought that mixing fairy tale archetypes into a hodgepodge world based on Greek mythology and Joseph Campbell-like folklore would capture the fascination of young readers in today's pop culture ... until it was done? Who knew that rewriting classics using monsters would be a "thing"? Who said Death could be a popular narrator?

And this viewpoint came from a well-known literary agent who had previously worked at such publishing houses as HarperCollins, Scholastic, and Simon & Schuster. In other words, a guy who is looking to publish rule-breakers. There are those in the publishing industry that can think outside of the highly organized, very rigid box of publishing.

And they are looking for writers like you and me.

This fact has probably given me more strength and determination to keep writing than any I've received.

So break it. The rule. The narrative arc. The law. The genre. The stylebook. The mold. The norm.

Take that idea of yours that just doesn't fit and run with it.

Write it from your soul. Be the one to do what hasn't yet been done.

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You may have noticed that I had mentioned doing a Weekend Writer’s Retreat this past weekend. We had eight authors and Agent Stephen Fraser from the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency mentored us for the weekend. Getting your full novel critiqued is such a wonderful thing and we each had a full hour to discuss our manuscript with him.  We worked very hard as a group on our manuscripts, which was very valuable to everyone.  On Sunday we spent the morning picking Stephen’s brain and then he got us working on our pitches for the story.  Since we all had read each other’s manuscripts we could all throw in our two cents on what worked and what needed more work.

But the big exciting news from the weekend is Stephen signed up Doug Anders and his sci-fi manuscript. It is excellent and Stephen is good at spotting talent. When I asked Stephen about his clients, he said you could actually tell which conferences and workshops he had attended around the country, when you looked at his list of clients and their locations.  I point this out to you, to drive home how important it is to get yourself out there to meet editors and agents.

Even if you aren’t planning to attend a conference, you should work on your pitch. In the past, my pitches have been too long. Stephen told us to get it down to one or two sentences and commit it to memory. We never know when we’ll bump into someone who wants to know about our book.

I know writers who were published, because when they walked into a elevator and met an editor, they had an “elevator pitch” ready to use. I know writers who met a publisher on an airplane. I know writer’s who have met editors in some very strange places and it was that prepared pitch that initiated the spark for their books success.

Thought I would share some of our pitches from the weekend to give you an idea on what you should strive to achieve.

Doug Anders: As soon as 12-year-old Peter enters the Star Trials, a riot ensues. The reason? Peter is human.

It’s Men in Black meets The Hunger Games in this middle grade, sci-fi, adventure-mystery called The Star Trials.

Dee Falvo: The Bookmark, a Young Adult fantasy, portrays a time traveling Joan-of-Arc-esque heroine, who discovers the power of the four elements while in military school.

Think Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander meets Menahem Golan’s Delta Force.

Jody Staton: My Father’s Moccasin is the story of a middle-grades boy playing spy to avoid thinking about a family tragedy.

Think Harriet the Spy meets Confessions of a Part-Time Indian.

Patricia Alcaro: Stuff Touching Cousins is a picture book about annoying but lovable cousins. Through tenderness and patience a young boy learns to cope with the onslaught of 5 younger cousins.

Think of Cynthia Rylant’s Caldecott Honor book The Relatives Came meets Ezra Jack Keats Peter’s Chair.

Kathy Temean: Shaken by the death of her mother, tormented teen turns father’s US Senate campaign upside down when she is caught on camera pole dancing – causing a media frenzy in this YA novel titled POLL GIRL.

Think Coyote Ugly meets Clueless meets Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

Keep an eye on Doug. He is a very nice guy who is a really good writer – a great combination. CONGRATULATIONS! Doug.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Filed under: Agent, authors and illustrators, Events, Kudos, success, Tips Tagged: Agent Pitch, Doug Anders, Stephen Fraser, The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency

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ONE SPOT available for Weekend Writers Retreat with Stephen Frazer, agent from Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency.

March 22nd – 24th at DOOLAN’S SHORE CLUB ON HIGHWAY 71 IN SPRING LAKE, NJ. http://www.doolansshoreclub.com/

Friday: Arrive afternoon – Leave Sunday at lunch.

One Hour Full Manuscript Critique for each writer with Stephen Frazer (Yes, you heard right. This is a fabulous opportunity to get your whole manuscript read, get to ask the nagging questions in the back of your mind and receive a lot of feedback).

One Hour Group Critiques

Time to talk with Stephen about the state of the publishing industry, your career, and the best road to take.

Pitch critiques on Sunday morning.

Includes single room both nights, dinner with Stephen on Friday and Saturday night, Saturday lunch with Stephen and continental breakfast Saturday and Sunday.
Cost $495 

Contact me ASAP! Spot could go fast. I will send you the address on where to send you money. Kathy.temean(at)gmail.com

 Author Illustrator Timothy Young is having a book Launch Party for his new book I HATE PICTURE BOOKS at Books of Wonder on March 2nd in NYC.  He invites you to stop by.

Monday, February 11th - 6:30pm – 8:30pm

They always say acting helps you with writing your actors, so I thought you might be interested in joining New Jersey SCBWI Member Kelly Calabrese’s ‘Acting Bootcamp’. It is for the beginning actor that needs a little guidance from an instructor who has been around the scene for a while.  This one night class will cover the basics of getting started the RIGHT way in order to help you gain more success in booking real acting work. The class is focused on the Business aspects of show business. Click Date at top for more info.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Filed under: authors and illustrators, Events, Middle Grade Novels, need to know, opportunity, revisions, Young Adult Novel Tagged: Stephen Fraser, Weekend Writer's Retreat, Whole Novel Critique

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For the last few years the NJ SCBWI has invited Agent Stephen Fraser at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency to our June conference. Not only is he a very talented, successful agent with many years experience, but he is also a very nice man. I am sure that combo is the reason for his success. I know so many of you would love to have Stephen represent you, but let’s be logically, Stephen can not take on an unlimited amount of new writers. So today when I received an e-mail from Marie Lamba at Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency, I realized I should point out the Associate Agents at the agency. They are building their list and they have the backing of a good agency, making this a great opportunity you may not have thought about after getting stars in your eyes with Stephen. Below you will find the three Associate Agents at the Jenniffer De Chiara Agency and what they like:

Maria Lamba Associate Agent is currently looking for:

Young adult and middle-grade fiction, along with general and women’s fiction and some memoir. Books that are moving and/or hilarious are especially welcome. I am NOT interested in picture books, science fiction, or high fantasy (though I am open to paranormal elements), category romance (though romantic elements are welcome), non-fiction, or in books that feature graphic violence.

To Submit
Please email a query to [email protected] and put “Query” in the subject line of your email.

For queries regarding children’s and adult fiction, please send the first twenty pages in the body of your email, along with a one-paragraph bio and a one-paragraph synopsis.

For queries regarding a non-fiction book, please attach the entire proposal as a Word document (the proposal should include a sample chapter), along with a one-paragraph bio and a one-paragraph synopsis of your book in the body of your email.

Linda Epstein, associate agent is looking for accessible literary fiction, quality upscale commercial fiction, vibrant narrative nonfiction, and compelling memoirs – A MG, YA or Adult manuscript she can’t put down with a distinctive voice.  She says, “I love to learn something about another time, place, or culture while engrossed in a gripping story. Books with Jewish or other spiritual/religious themes or undercurrents are of particular interest. I am partial to underdogs and outsiders. Occasionally I like to read something funny, and sometimes a little magical realism is entertaining. I don’t like bodice-rippers and won’t read anything with dead, maimed, or kidnapped children. I don’t read horror. I’m not really interested in traditional SciFi, but I do like fantasy and I’m intrigued by Steampunk. I’m the wrong person for romance, thrillers, or anything but a very offbeat cozy mystery.  For middle-grade, it should be particularly character driven and quirky, with excellent pacing and rhythm. For YA, I’m a sucker for strong girls, deep friendships, and overcoming adversity.”

For Non-fiction 
She likes alternative health and parenting books, cookbooks (especially, but not limited to, Gluten Free cooking), select memoirs, and the right spiritual/self-actualization book (think Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, Don Miguel Ruiz).

She is particularly committed to representing books that include, are about, or are geared toward people in the LBGTQ community, for both adult and children’s literature.

To Submit
Please email a query to 1 Comments on Looking for an Literary Agent?, last added: 7/8/2012