Agent Interview: Shannon Hassan

Adult, YA, and MG fiction

We like to say that our agency’s mission is to help writers achieve their publishing dreams. We view our authors as long-term partners and we work with them from the idea stage, through a collaborative editorial process, through finding the right publishing partner and beyond to find long-term success on the market. We are proud to represent a diverse client list and to champion a wide range of genres and perspectives.

The best queries are short and punchy and get right to the stakes. They should read like jacket copy. And include comparable titles.

If I read and connect with a manuscript and am talking to an author about potential representation, the three questions I always ask are:
(1) Are you receptive to feedback on your work?
(2) Are you willing to be an active participant in the marketing of your work?
(3) What else do you plan to write? (because I see this as a long-term partnership and want to make sure that your intended genre / career track is one that I am suited to help you with).

If the query letter and sample pages spark my interest and are in my wheelhouse, I request the full manuscript. It usually takes me about two months to get to it in the reading queue. If I fall in love with the story and feel that it will be competitive in the current market, then I set a call with the author to discuss further!

The day can range from big picture / creative thinking, like helping an author brainstorm their next project or giving feedback on a manuscript, to pitching a new work, negotiating a deal, or pushing for more marketing efforts, to more detail-oriented tasks, like checking royalty statements for errors or reading the fine print of a contract.