Agent Interview: Sharon Belcastro

All genres of young adult

Nova Ren Suma, Mindy McGinnis, Laini Taylor, Jason Reynolds, Frances Hardinge, A.S. King, Adam Silvera, Jeff Zentner, Victoria Schwab to name a few.

I am passionate about debut authors and finding homes for stories that might not quite fit the mold.

Put the time and effort into your novel before querying and take time to craft a compelling query letter that let's us know who your protagonist is, what they want most in the world, why it's important to them and what is at stake if they fail. In 350 words or less.

They submit stories outside my wishlist. They tell me everything except what their story is about. They don't list genre, market and word count.

I want to know anything related to their writing or publishing careers. Are they previously published? Did they win any awards? Are they active in their writing community? Have they attended any writing programs, workshops, etc?

If the query grabs me, I will read the first 10 pages or so. If the concept is particularly unique, I will possibly read first three chapters.

I will set up a call to discuss my vision for the book and submission process. If the author and I are on the same page and have the right chemistry to work together, I will offer representation. If they accept, we will work on revisions necessary, prep the manuscript for submission, craft the pitch and then go on submission. While on submission, I will encourage the author to start or finish their next story.

It varies but usually includes a mixture of: reviewing author manuscript revisions, crafting pitches, submitting manuscripts, reviewing and negotiating contracts, following up on submissions or author payments or contracts, reading submissions, talking to authors and editors, etc.