FEATURED AGENT INTERVIEW: Jennifer DeChiara - Agent, Owner and Founder of JD Literary Agency

"The Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency is a New York City-based full-service literary agency, recently named one of the top 25 literary agencies in the country by Writers Digest.

The agency specializes in children's literature of all ages -- picture books, middle-grade, and young adult -- but also represents high-quality adult fiction and non-fiction in traditional and non-traditional arenas. The categories that we are most enthusiastic about agenting are: literary and commercial fiction; mysteries; thrillers; celebrity biographies; humor; psychology and self-help; parenting; health and fitness; women's issues; men's issues; pop culture; film and television; social issues and contemporary affairs.

We work with major publishers such as HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Carroll & Graf, etc., as well as audio, web, and electronic publishers where appropriate. The agency has affiliations with subagents throughout the world, including individual countries in Europe, Eastern Europe, the Far East, and South and Central America. We also have strong working relationships with several Hollywood agencies. " (Article from JD Lit Agency Website: www.jdlit.com/)

E. I. : Thank you for dropping by and giving me the opportunity to get to know you better. Ms. DeChiara, You specialize in literary fiction and commercial fiction, but does that also include general fiction? How do you define literary?

Jennifer DeChiara: The agency represents all kinds of fiction, but we are most passionate about literary fiction, which I define as beautiful writing that is a pleasure to read.

A literary novel usually appeals to a more intellectual crowd; it either has a unique style or exquisite writing, or both. It's the kind of book where I find myself reading a sentence or a paragraph over and over because the language feels wonderful on my tongue; I will remember sentences that the writer has written many years later. I always say that you can flesh out a character in a book or rewrite a plot - you can restructure an entire novel, if you have to - but you can't give a writer that kind of talent, the kind of writing that will resonate forever in a reader's heart.

E. I. So great for you to do the interview. Thank you so much.

Jennifer DeChiara: I thank you very much.