INTERVIEW: Scott Miller - Agent & Vice President of Trident Media Group

Scott Miller began his publishing career with William Morris Agency, as an agent-in-training. During his stay at the William Morris Agency, he worked with a wide range of authors. The list included celebrated writers such as Bill Cosby, Dean Koontz, Jane Evanovich and Tom Clancy.

From the William Morris Agency he moved to the Trident Media Group literary agency. Initially he worked as assistant to the Chairman of the Board, Robert Gottlieb. He later transitioned within the company to literary agent, and within a few months developed an impressive portfolio of major clients to include New York Times Best Selling Authors, and award-winning authors.

His literary interests encompass a variety of genres. They include commercial fiction (thrillers, crime and mysteries, young adult and children’s books), commercial nonfiction (narrative nonfiction, memoir, current events, military), literary fiction, graphic novels, and books dealing with pop culture (music, film, etc.)

Scott Miller’s responsibilities are not limited to literary agent. He also serves as Vice President of the Trident Media Group. He is a member in good standing of the New York State Bar. He graduated from University of Pennsylvania, and Temple University School of Law.

Trident Media Group Agency has also represented some of the biggest and most prestigious book deals for celebrities, including Jerry Seinfeld, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Mel Brooks, Aretha Franklin, Drew Barrymore, Paul Reiser, Brian Wilson, Tony Curtis, Carl Reiner, Mariel Hemingway, and Tony Bennett.

E.I. How do you define a well-crafted commercial fiction? Do you consider commercial fiction as the dessert of all fiction because it sticks to our soul? What is your opinion?

SM: I have always been a fan of genre fiction and categories of fiction that are commercially successful. My feeling is that the skills and talents of the author writing a terrific crime novel, thriller, women’s fiction, or science fiction novel, are as prodigious and worthwhile as the gifts used in the writing of literary fiction. I have found that great commercial novels can be as resonant for me and as affecting as the literary fiction I have read and loved. Not to mention gripping, exciting, and evocative. “Commercial fiction” covers a huge amount of territory: some of it is most concerned with intricate plotting, some with emotional connection to the reader, some with fast-paced forward momentum. But it is always accessible and aimed at moving the reader in some way—whether it be pulling at our heartstrings, scaring us to death, or keeping us up turning the pages late into the night.

E.I. Your taste in books is obviously eclectic based on the genre categories you are willing to represent, including literary, commercial fiction, thrillers, young adult, narrative nonfiction, current events, literary fiction, graphic novels and books dealing with pop culture. That's a lot to juggle. What particular qualities do you look for in work by a first time writer.

SM: First and foremost I am looking for a gripping narrative that transports me into another world and keeps me engaged. It helps if the author has a unique idea and setting that publishers feel would be of interest to a wide audience. It also doesn’t hurt if the author has a personal backstory that is relevant to their book, or particular expertise in the subject matter they are writing about. Finally, it is nice when an author has a platform from which to help the publisher promote and publicize the book.

To learn more about Scott Miller please visit their website.

INTERVIEW: Natalie M. Fischer - Literary Agent, Dijkstra Literary Agency

Natalie M. Fischer is not only a Literary Agent, submissions manager, but she’s also a general office support at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency that handles foreign tax and permission requests.

She specializes in quality commercial books, and currently represents authors in the young adult, middle grade, memoir, women’s, romance (both historical and contemporary), multi-cultural and supernatural mystery genres, biography, popular science/culture and literary creative fiction, cross cultural and select paranormal.

Ms. Fischer, would like to work with someone who is hard-working, talented new authors with a fresh, unique voice and hook. A former writer herself, she works very closely with her authors, offering editorial advice and support every step of the way.

She graduated with honors from the University of California, in San Diego with a B.A. in Literature/Writing. Ms. Fischer, worked as an intern at the Dijkstra Agency in 2007. She started as a columnist at the San Diego Union-Tribune writing book reviews and author profiles. She recently returned at the beginning of 2009 joining the agency full-time in April and currently still contributes freelance for the Books department at the San Diego Union Tribune.

The Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency is considered by many to be the most powerful agency on the West coast. They have helped to launch the careers of many best-sellers, including Lisa See (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan), Amy Tan (The Joy Luck Club), Diane Mott Davidson (Fatally Flakey), Irvin Yalom (The Schopenhaur Cure), and Stephen Prothero (Religious Literacy). One of their recent titles, The Poison King, by Adriane Mayor, was nominated for a National Book Award. They are one of the few agencies still accepting unsolicited work with open arms, The Dijkstra Agency has had multiple successes from the "slush," including Glenn Cooper's Library of the Dead, which has sold in over 26 countries and is a bestseller in three..

E.I. If you could choose the perfect manuscript you would want to see pop in through the mail slot tomorrow morning, what elements would it contain?

NF Our agency represents a wide range of fiction (literary, commercial, mysteries, and thrillers) and non-fiction (history, current events, self-help, memoir, and more), and, currently, we’re particularly interested in finding a fabulous new novel! Our backlist of quality fiction (including Amy Tan, Lisa See, Anchee Min, Chitra Divakaruni, Diane Mott Davidson, Kate White, and Glenn Cooper, among others) should give a good example of the types of fiction that most interest us, but we are always open to different types of projects, and hope to be captivated by story and character.

The ideal manuscript is well-written, spell-checked, grammatically and stylistically correct (a good look at the format quotations, paragraphs, and italics take in published books is the easiest way to double check yourself), and follows our current submission guidelines which can be found on our website. We’re looking for fresh ideas, original and engaging plot concepts, AND packaged with an ideal author…a patient, hard-working, professional individual who has an open mind to suggested edits, and who has an understanding of the market.

I’m acquiring in several areas, so my perfect manuscript would have (in addition to the qualities above) historical, paranormal, romantic, or young adult/middle grade elements (maybe even all four!).

E.I. What qualities must a query letter contain in order to capture your interest?

NF Simply put, my interest will be captured if the work submitted is what I’m looking for. Hopefully, the author has done his or her homework and researched exactly why I am the best agent for him or her! It makes a huge different to me, or any agent, to see that the author has put in that bit of extra time to personalize the project, and to show he or she has thought seriously about the submission. In turn, I take that submission all the more seriously.

A template of a good query letter and advice on how to approach an agent can be found on our website which contains the basic elements of how to look professional and stand out at the same time.

On the adverse side, queries that are overly bitter in subject, food-stained, smell of cigarettes, misspell my name or our agency’s name, have a word count above 100,000, or are not letter-opener friendly tend to immediately DE-captivate me…
Dijkstra Literary Agency has also represented some of the biggest and most prestigious book deals, including Amy Tan, Lisa See, Anchee Min, Chitra Divakaruni, Diane Mott Davidson, Kate White, and Glenn Cooper, among others.

To learn more about Natalie M Fischer, please visit their website

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As 2009 rushes to meet 2010... it's pop-the-champagne time, cheer-like-mad time... And just be party-harty time!

Wishing you all a healthy Happy New Year that's a blast all the way!!!!!!

INTERVIEW: Anna Webman - Literary Agent Curtis Brown

Anna Webman began at Curtis Brown working with Elizabeth Harding. She represents a range of young adult, middle-grade, picture-book authors, illustrators, published and new, working to help them build successful publishing careers.

She always is on the lookout for first-time authors and illustrators. Anna's ideal picture book would be a character-driven, energetic story that kids (and their parents) won't tire of reading. She particularly is interested in voice-driven realistic fiction, with both historical and contemporary settings, and would love to find a young middle-grade series. Anna graduated from The George Washington University and lives in Manhattan with her rescue dog Vinny.

Please feel free to query Anna with a synopsis and the first ten pages of your book or the full manuscript text for a picture book pasted (no attachments, please) in the body of your email.

E.I. If an author is a terrific writer and has a voice or perspective or style that's not been seen before, is there a far greater chance the author will have a place in the literary market even though it’s true that first time authors is hard to get a first book published? Will you be able to present the author as a fresh profile to the media provided that you're presenting a compelling read?

AJW: Personally, I am always on the lookout for fresh voices, unforgettable storytelling or what might be the next hot topic. In fact, the majority of my clients are first time or relatively new authors whose work attracted my attention because they offered something different or new. It is exciting to discover new authors and illustrators, and I’ve found that editors and publishers are equally excited to find and develop new talent. Otherwise, I think the industry would become stale and predictable. I’m not sure that you could characterize such an author as having a “far greater chance” at having a first book published, but being able to launch a new author does provide additional opportunities for the publisher and in the media. It certainly is a selling point to be able to say “first-time” or “debut” or something similar. And of course, it all depends on the quality of the writing.

E.I. Is it true that quite a few good prose writers, they are able to create artful shorts--and not have to worry about such issues as uneven pacing or overuse of adverbs--they fumble with the novel hook, setting, conflict, and such as that. Given this circumstance, what MUST they do to get you to read to page fifty and beyond?

AJW: If you want me to ask for page fifty-one, you have to impress me with either appealing characters or a plot that leaves me wondering what comes next. But again, either way, the first thing I look for when reading a partial or complete manuscript is solid writing. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter that you can masterfully write vignettes if the arc of the story is nonexistent, or if there’s gorgeous imagery in your writing, but there are no compelling characters and the story doesn’t progress.

Obviously, I am used to seeing unfinished manuscripts, so if there are flaws in a manuscript, but I love the writing, then I often will send editorial notes to the author with my suggestions and offer to read a revised version. Often, such correspondence leads to more editorial exchanges and it is a very good way for me to see how an author and potential client approaches their work.

Photo of Anna Webman by Wendy Robinson

To learn more about Anna Webman, please visit their website.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

I hope that you are all celebrating with your friends and family this holiday season.

I'd like to thank each and everyone for your support and generosity. It has been a joy to work with all of you in person and online.

All your wonderful messages and efforts in getting involved with my blog meant the world to me. I'm deeply grateful to all of you.

Best wishes, peace and joy of the holiday season be with you all throughout the coming year.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE !!!!!!!!

INTERVIEW: Linda T. Franklin, Editor

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1955, Linda graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in English (cum laude) in 1976. She began working as a proofreader/copyeditor for Peterson’s Guides in Princeton immediately upon graduation, and then worked as a production editor for Boston University Publications from 1978 to 1981. Returning to the Philadelphia area in 1981, she became Medical Dictionary Editor, and then Developmental Editor for Medical Acquisitions, for F.A. Davis Co., medical publishers.

She moved to the Portland, Oregon, area along with her then-husband Jon and their four-year-old daughter, Wendy, in 1989. In Oregon, she worked as a freelance editor, mostly on medical/nursing/allied health books and on engineering reports. In addition to working at a local bookstore, she volunteered extensively in several local school districts for 15 years, delivered for Meals on Wheels (along with her daughter) for five years, and participated in two book clubs, the latter of which she was a founder and still serves as unofficial secretary, now in its 13th year.

She began working as Editor for First Books and Inkwater Press in 2004, where she edits fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s books. She also continues to work as a freelance editor, where she uses her experience in helping authors at all stages of development and editing. Her goal is to polish authors' work--so that it is in the best shape possible for submission to agents, publishers, contests, or for self-publication.

A crucial side-benefit of Linda’s work for Inkwater Press was her meeting and falling in love with Howard G. Franklin, an Inkwater author, as they worked together on his book An Irish Experience, published in 2008. They married in June of 2008, and continue to collaborate in life, love, and literature, editing, revising, and polishing Howard’s books of poetry and fiction.

E.I. Please tell our readers how long have you been editing adult fiction and nonfiction, children’s books and education materials? What was your process in editing as freelance editor?

LTF: Having always been one of those (perhaps annoying) people who pick out and complain about misspellings and grammatical errors (it’s not our fault, the errors jump up and point themselves out!), I early on thought that I would enjoy being an editor. And so, upon my graduation from Yale in 1976 (to be honest, it was a week before my graduation, but I was allowed to take a day off to go back to New Haven for the ceremony), I began working as a proofreader/copyeditor. And have never wanted to do anything else.

As far as my editing, whether freelance or for a publisher, my process is essentially the same. I try to determine what the author wants/needs--there’s a huge difference between the different types of editing. Usually, I am copyediting a manuscript, although sometimes there is developmental work needed beforehand. Mainly, I am very respectful of my authors, and I will generally edit relatively lightly unless they’re open to a heavier hand. I try to make their manuscripts the best they can possibly be. I value consistency, which is often an issue. Because an author may have spent years writing his or her manuscript, over the course of time details (and his or her memory) can become blurred, and so names change, dates are inconsistent, etc. Because I am able to take a fresh look at the manuscript, over a short period, I can see those name discrepancies, chronological inconsistencies, and other leaps of illogic, and correct them.

E.I. Do you think it’s a mistake for a fiction writer to start his / her opening chapter without introducing the protagonist until the third chapter? Should there be set of rules or strategy?

LTF: I’m not a great believer in rules for writing (now grammar, of course, is a different story, although even with grammar rules, there are times and places when it’s important to break the rules). These days, especially, so many different and innovative kinds of writing are finding audiences and widespread acceptance. Generally, I would prefer for the protagonist to be introduced in the first chapter or two, and I believe most readers would agree. But if the first two chapters are compelling, and there is good reason to delay the introduction, I don’t think it’s necessarily a mistake.

E.I. The voice or personality of a writer is critical because voice can’t be helped or changed. Some take years to get it, others never do – so do you agree that an author either have one you like or you don’t have it can still be a good writer? Do you advise them on what to do to make their book a bestseller?

LTF: I do believe that voice is critical. Again, however, different readers may respond to different voices, so it’s not necessary for ME to like your voice; there are still readers who might love it. What is more important is for the voice to be clear and strong, but I agree that it’s hard to “teach” that.
I absolutely don’t advise authors on what they can do to make their book a bestseller. Publishing is a very tough business, and so much depends on luck (and MARKETING). Plus, having a name like Stephen King or Dan Brown doesn’t hurt either. All I can do is advise on how to make the book as good as it possibly can be, which may include what would make it more commercially acceptable, but how to achieve bestsellerhood…I wish I knew.

E.I. When you start editing a manuscript, what are you looking for in an author? Press worthy, Promote-ability or the voice and personality of their writing.

LTF: That’s a very good question. First, I would have to say, I’m looking for writing that I like. Which can mean different things--sometimes it’s just beautiful writing, masterful use of words and phrases. Sometimes it’s a great plot, sometimes it’s incredible character development. Just as readers have different tastes, so do editors. So while I tend to prefer more plot-driven books that are well-written, I enjoy editing all sorts of writing. It’s certainly helpful if the book is easily promotable because of its distinctive voice, outstanding writing, gripping plot, etc. But so much of “promotion” depends on the willingness of the author to go the extra mile, to promote him- or herself through author appearances, networking, blogging, getting out there in the world!

E.I. What is your single-best, most-important, can’t-live-without writing tip you would offer to aspiring writers?

LTF: To borrow a phrase from Nike, Just do it! Don’t talk about how you’d like to do it, when you finally have the time and space and just the right set-up. Just do it. And then do it again. And let it sit, revisit it, revise it, polish it. And be open to criticism. I believe that many aspiring writers can learn a great deal from joining a writers’ group or workshop, where they critique each others’ ongoing work. These days, the groups can even be virtual, over the internet, so there’s no age or geographical impediment to joining and benefiting from a writers’ group.

Photo of Linda T. Franklin by Donna Kleinman

To learn more about Linda T. Franklin, please visit her website

INTERVIEW: Kate Epstein - Founder and President of "The Epstein Literary Agency

As the founder and President of a boutique agency, “The Epstein Literary Agency”, Kate Epstein represents authors of commercial nonfiction written for adults. As an agent, she works closely with authors that have been uplifting story to sell.

After several years at Adams Media which is a publishing company, she opened her own literary agency in October of 2005. She is a member of the Association of Authors' Representatives. She also participates in writer's conferences from time to time, and values the opportunity to meet writers and share her opinions about the business of publishing.

Her particular areas of interest include pets, memoir, business, health, and lifestyles. Ms. Epstein holds a B.A. with Highest Honors in English from the University of Michigan.

Her notable clients list includes:

Jeff Alexander
Peter Allison,
Mary Beth Temple,
Dusty Rainbolt,
Judy Davids,
Kathryn Lynard Soper

E.I. If you were to make a list of things a writer should not do when querying an agent, what would be on that list?

K.E. Don’t tell me why you wrote your book—tell me why someone would want to read it.

Don’t tell me that people you know all loved the book and thought it would sell. I wish that I could put faith in those people as I realize they are the cheapest advice you can get, but I’m afraid that you get what you pay for. Most people are
(1) just being nice and telling you what they know you want to hear, or (2) interested in the book only if they know the writer, or (3) not really thinking through whether they would seek out a book in the bookstore or actually pay money for it. The remainder may well be wrong. This kind of polling is utterly useless.

Don’t go on too long. A few paragraphs will do. Usually about three.

Don’t keep me in suspense. Tell me about your platform and tell me what your book argues. Sometimes people tell me the problem they see but not the solution they propose. If people don’t tell me about their platforms I assume they don’t have them. A platform is how you’re going to generate attention and sales for your book.

Don’t let it bother you that your query fails to give me the full scope of the book. If you are pursuing publication, you might as well get used to that, as everything that sells a book is by definition shorter than the book—the title, the back cover copy, the catalog copy (even a movie, which is perhaps a two-hour commercial for a book, is generally a condensation). You’re just going to have to figure out how to photograph your project’s best side so I want to see it from every angle.

Don’t specify that you are open to editorial direction. I assume that you are open to it—if you find that you and I share a vision for your book. Being too open signifies not having a vision for your book, and I think your audience will pick up on that. You can change your vision, but have one.

Don’t query before you’re ready. It’s very annoying to request a proposal and then be told it’s not ready. If you’re writing fiction, finish your manuscript first.
Don’t put moving parts in your query. They never show up right and they’re just irritating and your manuscript will not have moving parts, so your ability to create them is irrelevant. Worst of all, they look like spam. Don’t use fancy fonts. Font selection for your book is not your job.

Don’t ignore the directions on an agent’s website.

Don’t assume that agents know everything. We do our best, for our own sakes if no other. If you can’t get an agent right now, the problem could be with us instead of you. Keep writing if you love it.

Finally, don’t forget to be professional. Personally I’m fine with being addressed by my first name, and I don’t need the kinds of headers you use on a business letter. However proofreading and taking a professional tone are vital—being funny is great but being rude or whiny is not. Let your query show me that you’ll be pleasant to work with. About proofreading, I’m pretty friendly to people writing a follow-up email saying “gosh I’m embarrassed I misspelled foreword, please overlook it” though I can’t say whether I speak for all agents. To my mind, if writers were perfect proofreaders we wouldn’t need copyeditors or proofreaders.

E.I. What is your single-best, most-important, can’t-live-without writing tip you would offer to aspiring writers?

K.E. My number one tip is read. Read as much as you can. Read the books in the genre you want to write especially, and especially new releases, and pay attention to what works. Writing for publication is all about the audience, and the way to understand your audience is to join the club. Reading is part of your job as a writer—but only do it if it’s fun, and for God’s sake put down a book if it isn’t fun. If reading the genre you want to write isn’t fun you’re probably writing the wrong genre. Find another.

Photo of Kate Epstein by Ethan Handelman

To learn more about Kate Epstein, please visit her WEBSITE

INTERVIEW: Jon Sternfeld - Agent - Irene Goodman Agency

Jon Sternfeld is a native of New Jersey and joined the Irene Goodman Agency after working both in the creative and development sides of the film industry.

He was the fastest to get promoted from assistant to agent in such a short time in the history of the company.

He’s actively seeking new clients and he’s interests includes narrative non-fiction that focuses on cultural, historical and social issues, occasional memoir, as well as pop culture and current affairs book.

Here are three of his clients books which is coming out spring of 2010:
David Chura's I DON'T WISH NOBODY TO HAVE A LIFE LIKE MINE (Beacon Press), a narrative non-fiction account of a teacher working with juveniles in an adult prison. (Cover photo attached)

Paul Grossman's THE SLEEPWALKERS (St. Martin's Press), a Nazi-era thriller that takes place in the final days of the Weimar Republic. (Cover is not ready yet).

Bill Smoot's CONVERSATIONS WITH GREAT TEACHERS, an interview collection in the tradition of Studs Terkel that looks at teachers from all walks of life.

He is also interested in intelligent literary fiction that has a large, ambitious canvas exploring a time, place or culture, high-end modern fiction.

E.I. Will you explain to our readers how you make contact with an editor at a major house once you have a manuscript you are excited about? Can you tell us so that we can understand the role of an agent? Do you send an editor a formal proposal of some type? Or do you just pick up the phone? Does it vary from house to house, press to press?

J. S. Over time, you develop enough of a relationship with like-minded editors (usually through lunches or through pitching them projects) that you just know who is right for which project. When I first started, I had to 'cold call' a lot of editors (usually on referral from other agents or editors), but now they know me and I can email them a short pitch letter and ask if they want to see the full manuscript. 98% of the time they do; sometimes, for reasons out of my control, they don't. Having 'go-to' editors for certain projects helps the pitch process go more smoothly. I keep a meticulous notebook of which editors have bought which projects (or what they are looking for) and I consult it regularly.

E.I. How do you view the market for first novels in the literary mainstream genre and literary fiction? Does the culture at your agency differ from other agencies with respect to giving a serious look at first-time authors?

J.S. It's always going to be tougher to sell literary fiction clients, especially debut authors. I am a big champion of young, literary writers and a lot of editors are as well, it's just so difficult to launch new authors that their book has to be jaw-droppingly good - both in story and in voice.

At our agency, Irene lets all the agents go with their gut and seek out the most talented writers we can find. I have no problem looking at first-time novelists, but if someone is past a certain age and they've never written anything (or tried to get stories/articles published) that usually tells me something about their commitment.

Photo of Jon Sternfeld by Lydia Sternfeld

To learn more about Jon Sternfeld, please visit their WEBSITE

INTERVIEW: Alex Glass - Agent - Trident Media Group

Alex Glass began his publishing career at the Putnam Berkley Publishing Group. He served three years in the National Endowment for the Arts, Marketing & literature department where he helped award over seventy federal grants to American writers.

He came to Trident Media as an assistant of Chairman Robert Gottlieb's in 2001. He was promoted to literary agent shortly thereafter.

Mr. Glass has a BA in political science from Johns Hopkins and an MFA in creative writing from American University.

He is looking for: debut literary fiction, crime fiction and literary thrillers, middle grade and young adult fiction, and pop culture, humor, and narrative nonfiction.

NOT looking for: Romance, science fiction, unsolicited picture books for children

His clients list includes national best selling authors and award-winning authors. His client’s books have been sold to the movies, television, and to foreign publishers around the world.

SOME OF HIS NOTABLE CLIENTS:

Matt Bondurant - International best selling author

Katherine Marsh - Edgar Award-winning author

Da Chen - New York Times best selling novelist and memoirist

Mark Bavaro - NFL legend (ROUGH AND TUMBLE),

Ellen Raskin - Newbery Award-winner

Brian M. Wiprud - Award-winning mystery writer

Trident Media Group Agency has also represented some of the biggest and most prestigious book deals for celebrities, including Jerry Seinfeld, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Mel Brooks, Aretha Franklin, Drew Barrymore, Paul Reiser, Brian Wilson, Tony Curtis, Carl Reiner, Mariel Hemingway, and Tony Bennett.

E.I. In your opinion, is it a mistake to believe that the opening chapter can be successful in a third-person omniscient narrative, without introducing the protagonist and without a single line of dialogue until the very end of the chapter?

A.G. No, it is not a mistake to believe that. I would never set up rules for fiction like that; authors have played with conventions in many unusual ways to good result. This particular strategy sounds difficult to pull off, and it’s not something I’d advise everyone to try, but I wouldn’t want to say that it couldn’t be successful.

E.I. If an agent is interested in a manuscript, he'll sometimes ask for an exclusive read. What does an exclusive read mean for both the agent and the writer? Under what circumstances might an agent request an exclusive read?

A.G. I ask for exclusive reads sometimes, when a manuscript sounds like an especially good fit for my list and I want to read it quickly. Usually when I do so, I will ask for a two-week exclusive read. An author should only grant an exclusive read to an agent if the author is confident that that agent is right for them. The author benefits from the exclusivity because they know that the right agent for them is going to pay closer attention and read the material more quickly, and within a specified period of time. But I am also aware of an author’s need to make an informed decision, so I am not inflexible if an author wants to submit simultaneously. Although in that scenario the author would not be likely to get a guarantee on the timing of the response. Different agents have different rules and strategies around this.

Photo of Alex Glass by Olga Gottlieb

To learn more about Alex Glass, please visit their website.

INTERVIEW: JENNY BENT - Literary Agent - The Bent Agency

Jenny Bent grew up literally surrounded by books. Her family home contained an extensive library. When she graduated from college, she went to work for the Sagalyn Agency, a literary agency in Washington, DC, where she eventually became foreign rights manager. She later worked as an editor for a book packager, then as a bookseller, and later represented her own titles as a literary agent with the Harvey Klinger Agency in New York City. From there she moved to the Trident Media Group in New York City.

Prior to becoming an agent, Ms. Bent worked in magazines with Rolling Stone, and Ladies Home Journal. She was also an editor at Cader Books, where she was responsible for pop culture books and media, such as PeopleMagazine, and Entertainment Almanac.

She has more than 15 years of experience working in the publishing industry. Her years in the industry have honed her talent to find bestsellers. She possesses the ability spot new talent, as well as the vision to cultivate and redirect the careers of published authors.

In March of this year, she founded The Bent Agency in Brooklyn, New York. Her notable client list includes writers in primarily four categories: commercial fiction and nonfiction, literary fiction and memoir.

Her commercial fiction authors are mostly distinguished New York Times bestselling novelists. Ms. Bent’s strategy is to focus her professional resources and attention on her strengths. To that end, she has elected to exclude a number of book categories from consideration. That list includes science fiction, poetry, picture books, textbooks/academic books, serious history or biography political science/policy, business, reference, and sports.

Jenny Bent earned her B.A. and M.A. in English literature from Cambridge University in England.

Some of Jenny Bent’s Notable Clients includes:

John Kasich a New York Times bestselling author. He has an upcoming book in 2010Every Other Monday, about his twenty years in a bible study group.

Father Pat Connor, eighty-years-old Catholic priest. He was featured in The New York Time’s column of Maureen O’Dowd regarding his book Whom Not to Marry.

Laurie Notaro - New York Times bestseller. She’s the author of Idiot Girls Action Adventure Club

Jill Conner Browne - New York Times bestseller. Author of Sweet Potato Queen.

Lori Roy - Her novel, Bent Road, slated publication in 2010 was bought at auction by Denise Roy at Dutton.

Michael Farquhar - New York Times bestseller - A Treasury of Great American Scandals

She also represents a list of commercial fiction authors and most of them are New York Times bestselling novelist. Some of them are: Lynsay Sands, Beth Patillos, Sandra Hill, Julia London and USA Today bestseller, Janelle Denison, USA Today bestseller Kathy Caskie, John McNally, Amanda Ashby, Celia Riverbanks, Elle Jasper and many more....

Jenny Bent earned her B.A. and M.A. in English literature from Cambridge University in England.

E.I. Ms.Bent, is it true that the first 3 chapters in a MS is crucial, but if the narrative is awkward or the prose poor, won't that be obvious right away? Why would an agent need to read past the first 3 chapters?

JB Yes, if narrative is awkward or prose is poor, or even if the material is just not to your taste (a very important consideration which I recently blogged about: http://jennybent.blogspot.com/2009_11_01_archive.html), then an agent does not need to read past the first 3 chapters. Sometimes however you will start reading a novel where the prose is beautiful and the concept is strong, but there are problems in the first three chapters, perhaps with pace (my most frequent problem with first novels) or characterization. In that scenario you would certainly want to keep reading to see if you think you would be able to work editorially with the author to make the book ready for submission.

E.I. For an unpublished author who has no sales track, provided that his book is exceptionally strong, are you free to work with the publisher to project how many copies the book might potentially sell for the author? Will you be able to present him or her as a fresh profile to the media provided that you’re presenting a compelling read?

JB First novels, as a general rule, are easier to publish than second novels. With second novels you may be dealing with poor sales for the first one, which makes it difficult to sell the novel in to the accounts. With a first novel, the sky’s the limit, really. But it’s very hard to predict which novels will work and which won’t. Generally, there are several factors which will result in a strong print run:

1. Tremendous excitement surrounding the acquisition of the book—perhaps it was bought at auction, or pre-empted because of in-house enthusiasm.

2. Once the book has been acquired, a positive response from sales and marketing.

3. Blurbs from famous writers can help generate some excitement in-house.

4. Strong orders from accounts, usually because of 1-3.

In terms of media for first novels, it’s almost impossible. If you think about which authors you see being interviewed on The Today Show, or featured in USA Today, it’s mostly authors who have already achieved a high level of success. Once in a great while there will be so much excitement surrounding a debut that it will get a lot of press, but that happens infrequently.

The good news however is that the internet has democratized the process. Bloggers and on-line reviewers will find books and fall in love with them even if the book isn’t receiving a lot of traditional media attention. Viral on-line buzz, in my opinion, is far more useful than a review in People Magazine.

Photo of Jenny Bent by Christopher Lea

To find out more of Jenny Bent please visit her WEBSITE

INTERVIEW: Joanna Stampfel-Volpe - Agent - Nancy Coffey Literary & Media Representation

Joanna Stampfel-Volpe publishing experience began with Barnes & Noble. She was also an editorial assistant at a small children's publisher, on Long Island, Blue Marlin Publications. She later became part of the FinePrint Literary Management after taking publishing courses with Peter Rubie. At FinePrint, she started as an intern and later as a literary Junior assistant.

Within just a few months, she was taking clients of her own includes Ben Hewitt “The Town That Food Saved.” It’s about how the organic food industry saved a small town in Vermont.

In January 2008, she moved over to work as a full-time agent with Nancy Coffey, at Nancy Coffey Literary & Media Representation. They are a full service agency and active member of SCBWI, RWA and AAR.

She’s is looking for genre fiction, YA non-fiction, contemporary, humor, historical and fantasy/sci-fi that stand out, unique, historical, paranormal, contemporary, fantasy women's, urban, steampunk, unique, up-market fiction dark, literary, horror, dark comedies, speculative fiction, narrative non-fiction pop culture.

NOTABLE CLIENTS:

Linda Benson, Janie DeVos, the late Andrew Britton, Eric Etkin, Gail Fraser, Children's Fiction winners of the 76th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition, Alison Hart, award-winning author of young adult books and novels, mysteries and historical fiction. Her novel “Shadow Horse,” the prequel to “Whirlwind,” was nominated for an Edgar Award, Kody Keplinger an 18 yr old writer whos book DUFF was option for film, Emma Vaile, Lynn Marshall, Lee Nichols, Kimberly Sullivan, Karen Schwabach, Michael Sussman and to name a few.

Ms. Stampfel- Volpe strategy is to focus her professional resources and attention on her strengths. To that end, she has elected to exclude a number of book categories from consideration. That list includes mysteries, screenplays, poetry, short stories, corporate legal thrillers, academic non-fiction, cookbooks, epic fantasy for adults and memoirs.

Ms. Stampfel-Volpe and Nancy Coffey, only works with high quality writers.

E.I. Why is fiction harder to sell than nonfiction? Is it because of the bad economy?

J.S.V Good or bad economy, nothing is easier or more difficult to sell if the writing isn't solid, and for non-fiction, if there's no platform. I can't sell non-fic without platform no matter how well written, and I can't sell fiction that doesn't have a captivating voice and plot. Period. But if the non-fiction has a great platform, then yes, it is easier to sell (at least for me) than a really well-written manuscript. And it has nothing to do with the economy. That's always been the case. If you want to know why, go to your local Barnes & Noble--70+ percent of the story is non-fiction books! The fiction sections are actually quite small in comparison. So if we're looking at this just statistic-wise, then there are more non-fiction books and non-fiction readers than fiction books and fiction readers out at any one given time. You do the math.

E.I. How long does the process generally take from the time a client first contact you until their book is published? Can you tell the readers various steps of this process?

J.S.V Well, when I take on a client there is no guarantee that their book will EVER get published. It's the name of the game. But I won't work with someone if I don't love it and feel a strong chance that it will sell. So that being said, it can take anywhere from a couple weeks to forever before a book is published. When I actually sell a book, from the date sold to the date it's published is typically 18-24 months. So the books I sell tomorrow are coming out in 2011, some even early 2012.

There are so many steps that are taken before, during and after submission. Depending on the client and the project, revisions before I go on submission with something can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to 6 to 8 months. This all depends on how much work is needed, how fast the client can revise and respond, and how much I have on my plate at that given moment. Once we both feel it's in good shape for submission, I create my list of editors and start pitching. I pick my editors very, very carefully. I'm not going to pitch to someone if I don't think it's the right project for them. That would be a waste of my time and theirs. I'm meeting and talking with editors almost every day, constantly updating my "database" (aka--mostly mental notes) on who is looking for what, who likes what, who hates what, etc. So I know what I'm doing.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when a writer sends me a note saying "I read in ______ newsletter that so-and-so is looking for middle grades now. You might want to try them." Mostly likely, I know so-and-so, and if I thought they were right for your project, I would have already pitched them. And just because they're looking for middle grades (which is very, very vague) it doesn't mean that YOUR middle grade is right for them. I don't mind if a client mentions that they met an editor at a conference who requested their work--that's different. They've made a personal connection with that editor. Or if they saw an editor on a panel say that they're looking for something specific--again, it's a personal connection because they heard it from the horses mouth. But just reading something in a newsletter--and most writers don't realize this--well, it's already old news to me. Even PW Children's Bookshelf announces news a couple weeks later than agents typically get it.

Back to submissions, once the editors are reading, I'll send an email to the client letting them know which houses have their projects, then we wait for a few weeks before I start following up (or hopefully they call me first!). If need be I'll go on a second round of submissions with a project as well.

E.I. What qualities must a first-time writers exhibit in their query letters that might convince you to take a chance on them?

J.S.V For me, it's all about the voice. If the voice of the character jumps out at me, I'll definitely read some of it.

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