Interview with Christine Witthohn

I’d like to welcome our guest agent today, Christine Witthohn. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

Can you please give us a little information about your publishing background?

Since I was a little girl, the only thing I wanted to be when I grew up was: a doctor. I studied hard, triple majored (biology, chemistry and nursing), graduated with honors, and was headed to med school, when life threw me a curve ball. My father (and my rock) was diagnosed, treated, and lost his battle with cancer all within a three month period. From that moment on, my life plan changed (and, really, fell apart). I quickly came to the conclusion, maybe medicine wasn’t for me.

A big leap of faith later… I decided on doing something I loved – reading books. I researched the industry for four and a half years. During those 4+ years, I spent one week a month in NY for editor appointments (which I still do to this day), attended conferences, took classes/entertainment law seminars/contract law seminars (my hubby has his own firm and is a trial lawyer – this came in handy! And still does :).

Had I known then what I know now, would I have made the same decision? The answer: a resounding hell, yes!

How many clients do you have?

28 – I am always asked what my cap is. My answer: I don’t really have a cap per se. I am of the belief, if I can’t give 110% of my efforts or be there for my clients/teammates when they need me, I have too many clients.

How many agents?

One agent and three interns ☺

What other genres do you represent?

FICTION:

Romance – Contemporary, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Rom Coms, Mystery/Suspense
Children’s – Young Adult, Upper Middle Grade
Women’s Lit (must have a strong hook)
Mainstream Mystery/Suspense
Medical or Legal Fiction (something that hasn’t been done before)
Literary Fiction

NON-FICTION:

We are looking for specific NF – please see website for details.

What fees (if any) does your agency charge? What is your agency’s commission rate?

No fees. I use the standard rate of: 15% domestic, 20% foreign, 20% subsidiary.

What’s your response time for queries, partials and full manuscripts?

Ahhh. This is a trick question. It all depends on my clients and my travel schedule. Bottom line – clients come first. I only accept e-submissions, so my turn-around on queries: can be anywhere from one hour to four weeks (if I’m interested); and for partials and fulls: anywhere from two days to six weeks.

What new authors have you recently signed?

A music industry pro from LA (for a cozy mystery w/ romantic elements); a trial attorney from Philly (for a thriller); and a corporate attorney from New England (for a contemporary romance).

What new project made you grab for that hidden piece of chocolate in your pencil drawer?

Hmmm. It’s a toss up, but I’d probably have to say: the cozy mystery w/ romantic elements. The story grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go! And the sexual tension made me sweat/swear. I had to fight other agencies to get it, so I had to dip into my choco-stash a second time. ☺

What can an author do to grab your attention?

Dazzle and entertain me with a great story and crisp writing.

What houses have you recently sold to?

My last three sales have been to: Sourcebooks, Penguin, and Harlequin (single title).

What do you love/hate most about being an agent?

Negotiating a contract - I love scrapping about contract language. ☺ I dislike (I don’t like the word “hate”) the wait time on submissions. I’ve never been a particularly patient person… but this job has truly humbled me. Editors are overworked and often so overwhelmed with submissions, deadlines, edits, meetings, life, etc., sometime it takes them a while to get back to me. This can be difficult to explain to an eager or “green” author who thinks once you get an agent, a book contract will come the next week.

What trends do you see for the future of publishing?

We are already seeing most of these: publishers will become much more selective and buy fewer books; there will be a significant movement toward digital formats/e-books/self publishing; advances will keep dropping (esp. for debut or midlist authors); and authors will really have to hustle and market themselves more to keep their sales up and be competitive.

Any other chocolate nuggets you can give authors looking for representation?

The best advice I can give anyone is: Do Your Homework. Know the market (read books in the genre you write) and know your competition.

Thanks, Christine!

Check out the agent’s website at: www.bookcentsliteraryagency.com.

Interview with Jenny Bent of The Bent Agency

I’d like to welcome our guest agent today, Jenny Bent from The Bent Agency. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

What’s your publishing background? Will you please give us a little information about your new agency? How many clients did you bring over with you? What other genres do you represent?

I started out in 1992 as the assistant to a very smart and talented agent named Raphael Sagalyn. He's represented many, many New York Times bestsellers. After that I worked for Michael Cader--Michael is a fantastic guy and also pretty much a genius and he started Publishers Marketplace after I worked for him. Then I worked at Graybill and English, Harvey Klinger, and most recently Trident. I have similarly good things to say about all of these places--basically I am very grateful to everyone who helped and taught me along the way. I started THE BENT AGENCY a little over a month ago. It's always been my dream to have my own agency and my name on the door. I brought over almost everyone although not everyone will have a project to sell right away. I represent commercial fiction, literary fiction, memoir, humor, and fun women's lifestyle.

What fees (if any) does your agency charge? What is your agency’s commission rate?

No fees. I am 15% and 20% for foreign.

What’s your response time for queries, partials and full manuscripts?

Right now I don't have the best response time. I've had to ask people to stop querying for the time being because I have over 1,000 queries. I'm going through them now with the help of a few assistants. Ask me again in about a month!

What new author have you recently signed?

I recently signed Kieran Kramer, a first time writer. We just made a deal for her -- four books to Jen Enderlin at St. Martins. We are both thrilled. I recently blogged about selling books by first time writers--it's absolutely one of the best things about the job.

What new project made you grab for that hidden piece of chocolate in your pencil drawer?

Wait--does that mean a good project? Because I grab for chocolate in times of stress. And it would be a box, not a piece. Or better yet, one of those enormous chocolate bars. If you follow me on twitter you know all about my unhealthy, sugary, stress eating.

What can an author do to grab your attention?

Great writing, great ideas.

What houses have you recently sold to?

Since I've been here I've sold two projects to St. Martins and one book to Counterpoint, which is a very prestigious literary publisher. I am working on deals for four other authors and four other houses so check back with me in a few weeks.

What do you love/hate most about being an agent?

Right now, starting my own business, I am rediscovering everything I ever loved about being an agent. Truly, it is all wonderful and exciting right now, from negotiating a deal, reading through queries, editing proposals, talking on the phone to editors and authors--I feel so lucky and blessed to do what I do.

What trends do you see for the future of publishing?

I think that the rise of electronic publishing is being hastened by the fall of our economy. As bookstore chains falter, the e-book format benefits.

Any other chocolate nuggets you can give authors looking for representation?

This advice isn't new, but it may bear repeating. The best way I think to find an agent is to pick five books that are close to yours. Find the agent in the acknowledgements and query them, mentioning that they represent x author and you think your work has some similarities.

Also, I know it's cliche, but an agent's reaction truly is subjective. Just because I don't see a way to sell something doesn't mean it's a bad book. I pass on great projects every day -- and I know they are very strong -- for the simple reason that I'm not completely in love. If I'm not in love, I'm not the best advocate and I'd be doing a writer a disservice to pretend otherwise.

Jenny

Thanks Jenny! Great insight.

Check out the agent’s website at www.thebentagency.com

Interview with Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

I’d like to welcome our guest agent today, Kevan Lyon with The Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

Can you please give us a little information about your publishing background and about your new agency? How many clients did you bring over with you? What other genres do you represent? Jill Marsal?

With over 20 years in the publishing business, including 5 years as a Literary Agent with the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency and 17+ years on the wholesale, retail and distribution side of the business, I believe I bring an informed and unique perspective to my work with clients. My background on the buying and retail side of publishing is helpful when considering what types of books will sell and how to market them.

At this point most of our authors have come with both Jill and I to Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, which we are thrilled about.

I work with women’s fiction – commercial fiction and romance, as well as YA. For non-fiction projects, I am looking for authors in the areas of current events, narrative, memoir, environment, parenting and pets/animals.

Jill Marsal has been in the publishing industry for over 10 years, working as a Literary Agent with the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency for eight years and at Dorchester Publications and Tudor Publishing, editing women’s fiction and suspense/thrillers. Jill has a very strong non-fiction list, representing authors in the areas of health, self-help, relationships, psychology, business, parenting, history, current events, and narrative non-fiction. She also works with a number of fiction authors, and is seeking clients in the area of mystery, romantic suspense, and thrillers.

What fees (if any) does your agency charge? What is your agency’s commission rate?

We don’t charge any fees and charge the standard agency commission of 15% for North American sales.

What’s your response time for queries, partials and full manuscripts?

For electronic queries our response time is up to one week, and for partial and full manuscripts our goal is no longer than 6 weeks.

What new author have you recently signed?

I just signed a new historical romance author, Rose Lerner and completed her first sale to Leah Hultenschmidt at Dorchester Publishing.

What new project made you grab for that hidden piece of chocolate in your pencil drawer?

A wonderful new historical fiction set in the pre-Civil War period, that I am now on submission with. It tells the story of a young southern woman, a strong and courageous heroine whose eyes and heart are opened to the brutality endured by the slaves who previously moved unnoticed through her world.

What can an author do to grab your attention?

Tempt me with a unique plot and great characters – something completely fresh and unique!

What houses have you recently sold to?

Within the past few months I have completed deals with Grand Central Publishing, Knopf, Dorchester and Pocket Books.

What do you love/hate most about being an agent?

I love helping an author realize their dream of getting their work published and I love finding a wonderful new story and author!

What trends do you see for the future of publishing?

Readers will continue to have many more options in terms of how they want to read books, whether it is on their electronic reader, their phone, or with a paperback or hardcover book. As long as we continue to offer great stories, I believe there will always be demand for them.

Any other chocolate nuggets you can give authors looking for representation?

Persist with your dream of getting your work published! Continue to try to improve your writing, seek feedback from other writers and don’t be afraid to put that first manuscript on the shelf and move on to the next book. If you persist, you will find that with each story your writing will improve. Finally, write what you know and love, not what you believe is the latest “fad” or trend in publishing. Write the story of your heart!

Thanks, Kevan!

Check out the agent’s website at http://www.marsallyonliteraryagency.com/

Kim Watters

Interview with Bob Mecoy

I'd like to welcome our guest agent today, Bob Mecoy. It's a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

Can you please give us a little information about your publishing background? How many clients do you have? How many agents? And how many of those agents represent romance? What other genres do you represent?

I'm an independent agent who started on the other side of the desk. I was an editor for mumble-mumble years. In fact, I was an editor at Crown, Simon & Schuster, Avon/Morrow, NAL/Dutton, and Dell/Delacorte which should give you an idea how many mumbles there are there. The agency is just me and my associate and we represent everything from romance to knitting, literature to literary nonfiction, history, science, mystery and even graphic novels.

What fees (if any) does your agency charge? What is your agency's commission rate?

We don't charge any fees, but we do expect a 15% commission on everything we sell.

What's your response time for queries, partials and full manuscripts?

Our response time varies from immediate to six weeks. Email queries we generally get back to immediately and requested manuscripts we try to get done in two to three weeks.

What new author have you recently signed?

A brilliant young graphic novelist named Dash Shaw whose most recent novel, BOTTOMLESS BELLY BUTTON is being generally touted as the best of the year—and maybe the best in several years. We just sold his new novel, BODYWORLD, to Pantheon on a pre-empt.

What new project made you grab for that hidden piece of chocolate in your pencil drawer?

See the above—Dash did it.

What can an author do to grab your attention?

Show me something new.

What houses have you recently sold to?

Pantheon, Abrams/Amulet, DC Comics, Hill & Wang, William Morrow

What do you love/hate most about being an agent?

Hate: Free-floating anxiety—there's always something that should have been done yesterday.
Love: The fact that there's always something new and different to see or do.

What trends do you see for the future of publishing?

Content is king (or queen). What we're selling is what people want—the new question is how are they going to get it.

Any other chocolate nuggets you can give authors looking for representation?

Be smart. Know something about anyone you write to/talk to/consider important. What do they like? What have they done? Know something about every part of the process that you're seeking to become a part of—you don't need to know a lot, just enough to keep from making the obvious mistakes that keep you from getting your story across. Remember that everyone wants to say no—it makes their lives easier. The longer you keep the "no" at bay the better your chance of getting your message, your story, across.

Thanks, Bob!

Interview with Jessica Faust

I’d like to welcome our guest agent today, Jessica Faust. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

Thank you and thank you for inviting me. I’ll take this dark chocolate raspberry truffle if no one minds.

Take the whole box, please. (KW)

Can you please give us a little information about your publishing background? How many clients do you have? How many agents? And how many of those agents represent romance? What other genres do you represent?

I began my book publishing career in 1994 at Berkley Publishing. I was hired to work as an editorial assistant to two editors, primarily acquiring romance and mystery. While at Berkley I was given many great opportunities to acquire my own list and if you look at what I was doing back then and compare it to what I’m representing now I think you’ll see a number of similarities—romances, mysteries and nonfiction. In 1998 I made an interesting move to become editor at Alpha Books, publishers of The Complete Idiot’s Guide series. One of the best things about that job was the ability to create. While there I was responsible for coming up with the ideas for many of the books we published and finding the authors to write them, these skills translated easily into opening the doors at BookEnds.

As some of you may know already, BookEnds started out as a book packaging company, we produced the books we sold to publishers, but after just a short year, Jacky and I felt we weren’t as satisfied as we wanted to be and fully changed our business model to a literary agency. We haven’t looked back since.
BookEnds has three agents, me of course, Jacky Sach my partner, and Kim Lionetti our associate. Kim and I are the two romance agents on staff. In addition to romance I also represent mysteries, thrillers, and nonfiction.

What fees (if any) does your agency charge? What is your agency’s commission rate?

BookEnds charges no upfront fees, but we do have a contractual reimbursement for some expenses. Traditionally, with more and more submissions being made via email, these expenses relate more to subsidiary rights sales.

Our commission is 15% on US publisher sales and 20% on any foreign or British sales.

What’s your response time for queries, partials and full manuscripts?

Since we’ve gone greener and are asking for equerries I’m very happy to say that I’ve gotten faster. I usually respond to queries (email or snail mail) in 2-4 weeks and partials or full manuscripts in 10-12 weeks. If that time has passed and you haven’t heard anything please either requery or follow-up. BookEnds agents respond to everything. If you haven’t heard it’s likely we’re behind, we never received your material or you never received our reply.

What new author have you recently signed?

My newest client is Shelley Coriell, a Golden Heart Finalist for the past two years. Shelley had actually submitted to me last year and I passed on her work just before RWA National, begging her to keep me in mind for her next work. She wisely made an appointment with me at the conference, just to interview me and get to know me better, and she brought me a yummy recipe. Well, a year passed, her newest manuscript came across my desk and I dropped everything that weekend to read it. I could barely contain myself Sunday night when I was finished. She had hit the nail on the head. Perfection.

I’m really excited to have Shelley on board. She’s a fabulous addition to our list.

What new project made you grab for that hidden piece of chocolate in your pencil drawer?

Honestly, I keep chocolate at my desk for all sorts of occasions. Chocolate is for celebrating every new deal, drowning each rejection, getting through stressful revisions, and dealing with long phone calls. It’s also just an after lunch snack. So….everything.

What can an author do to grab your attention?

Since we ask authors to submit on query letter first I’m always going to ask that the query letter be strong, well written and interesting. I don’t think the format has to change a great deal, but things that do jump out at me as positives include previous publishing experience with a major house, RWA membership, and ultimately, a really interesting idea. I have to say though, that if the voice comes through in the pitch that can make all the difference. Ultimately the voice is what first speaks to agents and editors and can keep us reading even if the idea isn’t the most original or unique.

I have to admit I’m also a sucker for flattery. Complimenting me, my blog, a workshop you heard me at…all of those things can easily win me over and force me to more carefully consider your query. (and some dark chocolate raspberry truffles probably wouldn't hurt either. KW)

What houses have you recently sold to?

Berkley, Bantam, NAL, Portfolio, Kensington…those are some of my most recent deals.

What do you love/hate most about being an agent?

I’m going to start with what I hate since most of my job I love and that’s just boring.
I hate rejection. I hate rejecting authors, I hate getting the nasty emails back from people angered by my form rejections or even by my personal rejections and the feeling not that they’re mad at me, but that they are getting discouraged enough to lash out. And I really hate when I’m wrong. When I’m convinced I have a winner on my hands and I can’t find an editor to agree with me. Ultimately I hate the disappointments that come along with this job. Oh, and I hate paperwork.

That being said, I really do love almost everything. My favorite things though—negotiating. I get such a rush from negotiations. I love finding a winning manuscript and offering representation, and mostly, I love making that call to tell an author we’ve sold another or a book. But I think every agent and editor will tell you there is nothing quite like making that first call. I love an author’s honest reaction, when I can hear that she’s hardly breathing with excitement. There truly is nothing better than that.

What trends do you see for the future of publishing?

Well I think everyone is watching e-publishing to see where that will take us. I think it will be quite a lot of years before publishing gives up paper entirely, but I think we’ll see the changes in nonfiction first, books that require regular updating are naturals for epublishing.

In romance though I see a rise in contemporary romance and a continued rise in historicals. I think there will be more evening out with the sensuality of books, we’ll see sweeter, less sexy titles making a comeback, but not a loss of sexiness either. I think they’ll be able to coexist better. I also see a continuing merge of genres, which I think is really fun.

Any other chocolate nuggets you can give authors looking for representation?

Stick with it and remember, a rejection does not mean the end of anything. A number of my authors were previously rejected by me on other works. Persistence is 90% of success, the willingness to learn and grow is the other 10%

Thanks, Jessica! I hope you enjoyed your chocolate.

Check out the agency’s website at http://www.bookends-inc.com/

Interview with Lucienne Diver

I’d like to welcome our guest agent today, Lucienne Diver, the newest agent over at The Knight Agency. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

Can you please give us a little information about your publishing background?

It all started in fourth grade when I won a speech competition…. What's that? Fast forward? I can do that.

When I graduated college (after working on the university anthropology magazine and earlier than that my high school literary magazine), I applied to jobs in publishing and to graduate school for forensic anthropology. Publishing got back to me first and I never looked back. I've always been a voracious reader and to be part of the publication process…priceless.

What made you decide to switch agencies?

There comes a point when it's time to leave home. Spectrum is a fantastic agency and Eleanor Wood gave me my start fifteen years ago when I was fresh out of school. However, The Knight Agency is a great fit for me now. They're a really wonderful, dynamic group of people with a lot of ideas and the energy to make them a reality. I'm very excited about joining them.

How many clients do you currently have?

About 40.

Did you bring over any authors with you? How many more are you actively looking to sign?

I brought all but one of my authors, who decided to stay with Spectrum, with me. I'm pretty busy with my forty plus clients, but I'm always looking to take on something that blows me away. I represent all kinds of commercial fiction, from adult to young adult.

What other genres besides romance do you represent?

Fantasy, science fiction, mystery, suspense, mainstream and women's fiction.

What fees (if any) does your agency charge? What is your agency’s commission rate?

No fees. 15% on domestic rights, 20% on foreign.

What’s your response time for queries, partials and full manuscripts?

Generally within a month, though occasionally when I'm swamped it can stretch to two or three months.

What new author have you recently signed?

I've recently signed a fantastic urban fantasy/paranormal romance author named Chloe Neill whose first, SOME GIRLS BITE, is coming out from Ace in 2009. I've also just recently sold an amazing debut novelist, N.K. Jemisin, to Orbit at auction. I'm really looking forward to both these releases, as well as new books by Marjorie M. Liu, Susan Krinard, Lynn Flewelling and others!

What new project made you grab for that hidden piece of chocolate in your pencil drawer?

Because it was just so good? One of my authors, Rosemary Clement-Moore recently turned in her new novel, SOUTHERN GOTHIC. I'm convinced she and I read all the same wonderful books growing up and that she managed to distill the best from each into one book.

What can an author do to grab your attention?

Write a kick-butt story with a phenomenal voice where the pace doesn't flag and the ideas are fresh.

What do you love/hate most about being an agent?

I adore working with brilliant, creative people and having some part in their success. What I hate? Waiting for responses. Patience is not one of my virtues. ( I can relate to that. KW)

What trends do you see for the future of publishing?

I think that with new readers, e-books are going to be playing a larger part in publishing, but we've all been talking about that for years and I don't think it will ever (or at least not in our lifetime) take over completely from print publishing. As always, it's a sure thing that the industry is cyclical, so different genres or subgenres will rise and fall in popularity. It's a good thing to be diverse, which is not to say unfocussed, in your work so that you can move with the times.

Any other chocolate nuggets you can give authors looking for representation?

Focus first on writing an awesome book. While you should be aware of the realities of the market, you shouldn't let them or "conventional wisdom" dictate to you. What you want is to be the person to whom others are compared, not the one compared to someone else. A fresh voice is priceless. Once you've produced an awesome book, hone it. Don't get turned down by being a draft away from a "yes." Unfortunately, agents and editors are often too busy to nurture a diamond in the rough.

Thanks, Lucienne!

Check out the agent’s website at www.knightagency.net

Interview with Paige Wheeler

I’d like to welcome our guest agent today, Paige Wheeler. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

Can you please give us a little information about your publishing background? How many clients do you have? How many agents? And how many of those agents represent romance? What other genres do you represent?

I started working in publishing in London for a financial publishing company called Euromoney. I then moved on to NYC to work in the editorial department for Harlequin/Silhouette. After a number of years there I decided that I really wanted to represent the authors rather than the publisher, so I joined an agency called Artists Agency. In 1997 I decided to hang out my own shingle and I started Creative Media Agency. After 10 years of running CMA, I was approached by two people and asked to start a new company. We started FOLIO in 2006 and have been doing tremendously well ever since. We have 7 agents (including a foreign rights agent) as well as a marketing director and a speakers bureau agent. Only two of us represent a sizeable chunk of romance but almost all of us have worked on a women’s fiction or romance project at one time. Although I represent a lot of romance and women’s fiction, I also represent mysteries and thrillers as well as literary fiction and all types of nonfiction.

What fees (if any) does your agency charge? What is your agency’s commission rate?

We charge the standard 15% commission for domestic and 20% for foreign and film.

What’s your response time for queries, partials and full manuscripts?

Well, I’m just coming back from maternity leave, so I’m a little behind. (congratulations! KW) Normally, I’ll respond to queries within two weeks, 4 weeks for partials and 6 weeks for manuscripts.

What new author have you recently signed?

I recently signed this fabulous writer who has written a beautiful work of narrative nonfiction. I’m super excited about his writing.

What new project made you grab for that hidden piece of chocolate in your pencil drawer?

How do you know about that piece of chocolate! (I'll never tell. KW)

Oh well. Aside from the nonfiction project I just mentioned, I haven’t really been wowed lately—but then again, I’ve been on maternity leave. I’m looking to get wowed now!

What can an author do to grab your attention?

First and foremost, write well. Ideally, this should be coupled with a fresh, terrific idea. I can always help with the idea, but the voice and writing style is really up to the author.

What houses have you recently sold to?

I have sold to most of the major houses. Some recent sales have been to HarperCollins, St. Martin’s, Penguin, and Simon and Schuster.

What do you love/hate most about being an agent?

I love working with authors to build their career and I love selling books. The paperwork can be overwhelming at times.

What trends do you see for the future of publishing?

I’m a bit worried about mass market books at the moment, but I’m hoping that will change. Historical romances are supposedly making a comeback, which is good. E-readers are getting better. Independent bookstores will continue to decline, unfortunately. Those are just some random trends that I see.

Any other chocolate nuggets you can give authors looking for representation?

Keep working at your craft. Do your research and look for an agent whose interests and skill set will help you. Realize that most writers take years to become established and that the ones that are hugely successful are few and far between. Be prepared for rejection but be resilient enough to bounce back. Network at conferences and with fellow writers. Those are my nuggets!

Thanks, Paige!

Check out the agent’s website at http://www.foliolit.com

Agent Interview with Lois Winston

I’d like to welcome our guest agent today, Lois Winston of the Ashley Grayson Literary Agency. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

Can you please give us a little information about your publishing background? Who many clients do you have? How many agents? And how many of those agents represent romance? What other genres do you represent?

I began my association with the Ashley Grayson Literary Agency as a client. Carolyn Grayson is my agent. Two years ago Ashley and Carolyn invited me to join the agency as an associate. I began as a reader and am now an agent and still a client.

The agency has been around since 1976. There are four agents. Carolyn Grayson and I represent all the sub-genres of romance, women’s fiction, and mystery. Carolyn also handles women’s oriented fantasy, horror, and children’s books. Ashley Grayson handles literary and commercial fiction, historical fiction, dark fantasy, mysteries, thrillers, young adult, and humorous or edgy children’s fiction. Denise Dumars handles horror and dark fantasy fiction, offbeat literary and women’s fiction, and multi-cultural fiction. The agency also handle some non-fiction.

The agency represents approximately 100 authors.

What fees (if any) does your agency charge? What is your agency’s commission rate?

The agency does not charge any fees. Agency commission is the standard 15% for domestic sales and 20% for sales to international publishers.

What’s your response time for queries, partials and full manuscripts?

I try to read queries the day they come in. Most are read within a week. Partials, up to 6 weeks; complete manuscripts, 3 - 6 months.

What new author have you recently signed?

In romance the agency has recently signed and sold Jill Myles (Pocket), Michelle Willingham (Harlequin), and Nicole North (Red Sage).

What new project made you grab for that hidden piece of chocolate in your pencil drawer?

I fell in love with the voice of an author who pitched to me at RWA. She’s not quite “there” yet when it comes to plot and character development, but I see a lot of promise in her writing. Although she’s not a client at this point, I’m hoping she’ll be able to take her work to that next level where we can eventually offer her representation. To that end, I’ve been working with her and encouraging her.

What can an author do to grab your attention?

Write a compelling, unique story in a captivating voice. And if you can also make me laugh, that’s a definite plus.

What houses have you recently sold to?

The agency has recently sold romance, women’s fiction, urban fantasy, and mysteries to Pocket, Harlequin, Grand Central, St. Martin’s Press, Red Sage, and Dorchester, and children’s books to Little Brown and Feiwel & Friends.

What do you love/hate most about being an agent?

I love discovering new talent; I hate that there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish all that I’d like to accomplish, and I really wish I could read faster.

What trends do you see for the future of publishing?

Trends are cyclical. Not too long ago authors had a hard time selling paranormal manuscripts. Right now paranormal, erotica, and erotic paranormal are the hot sub-genres. Eventually, there will be a glut of these books on the market. I’m already hearing editors say they’re not interested in seeing any more vampire books, but they’re still looking for non-vampire paranormals. Urban fantasy is hot. There also seems to be a lot of interest in romantic fantasy; dark, sexy thrillers; historical fiction (as opposed to historical romance); and emotional women’s fiction.

Any other chocolate nuggets you can give authors looking for representation?

Don’t try to write to the market. Unless you can write so fast, something that is so perfect for the market, by the time the book is written, the trend may be waning, and your manuscript will be a hard sell. Don’t forget: the books you see on the shelves today may have been bought by editors two years ago. If you write a book that really pushes the envelope to break out, you might just find yourself at the forefront of a new trend.

Thanks, Lois!

The Agency website is under construction; in the meantime, check our page at Publishers Marketplace: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/CGrayson.
Authors can query me via email at: lois.graysonagent@earthlink.net