Q: Describe what you're looking for in 25 characters or less.
A: Weird, witty voice.
Q: What sets you apart from other agents who look at the same type of material?
A: If a character catches my heart, I'm willing to work on pacing/plotting issues (so long as an author is willing to put in the work). Similarly, if I think a manuscript is offering really interesting information or a viewpoint we don't often see. I think of my job as building up a writer—not just building up their writing. With each book, writers get better. And if I can facilitate that learning process and get an important, inspiring book in the process, I consider that a major win.
Q: What is the best advice you can give someone who is considering submitting work to you?
A: Follow the guidelines. I get so many queries that start with "I know you don't normally represent this, but . . . " If I don't represent your genre, I'm not going to represent your book. Part of an agent's job is getting to know all the editors who work within their genres, so when you ask an agent to pick up a genre they don't represent, you're not only asking them to step outside of their area of expertise (not great for either of you), you're asking them to do the work of researching and reaching out to a whole new strata of editors. It's a lot of extra work that, frankly, we don't have the time for.
When I receive a query, I'm looking for three things right away: if I rep the genre, if the author understands their own genre (if the age range and word count are correct, for example), and if it seems they're willing to put in work. If a query is only a couple sentences or is addressed "To Whom it May Concern," I'm going to have immediate red flags about whether the author would be willing to go through multiple rounds of edits with me and then an editor. Querying can be tiresome, I know, but it's important to make the effort to a) find the right agent and b) represent your work as best you can.
Q: Describe the ideal query letter.
A: The most common quest mistake I see is an expository summarization posed as a pitch. Very rarely does a "this happened then this happened" explanation catch an agent's attention. You want us to be engaged right away, so start with the most engaging bits. You don't have to go chronological, so long as it isn't confusing. It's also important to catch the tone of the book correctly. Is it funny? Your query should reflect that. Serious? Make sure you're not speaking too lightly. And the purpose of a query is to promote the book, not yourself or why you wrote the book. Keep the biological information brief and at the end. Here's a quick format:
Dear [Agent],
[One sentence that explains why you chose this agent in particular and includes your book title, genre, and word count]
[One-to-two paragraphs of the book's pitch, including the main character, main points of tension, general plot outline, and setting if it's pertinent]
[Author bio]
[Professional sign off]
Q: Describe the ideal manuscript.
A: Whenever I read a book, I want to a) fall in love with the main character and b) learn something (in both fiction and nonfiction). I'm particularly drawn to witty, sarcastic, weird characters who have unusual hobbies/jobs/interests/obsessions. One of my all-time favorite books is THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH by Ali Benjamin. Having a know-it-all who taught me jellyfish facts was delightful. I'm also always thinking about what a book brings to the world. I'm not particularly interested in representing books that sound just like books we all know and love. I want to hear from new voices, see new perspectives, witness new events. I want a book that champions something that hasn't been championed before. And I want it done in a way that proves the author is passionate, hard working, and determined to make their next book even better.
Q: What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?
A: I don't take queries via email. If you send it to my email, you're going to get an email back telling you to submit it through QueryManager. Some people seem to think it makes them stand out, but it really just annoys me. And it makes me think the author is someone who wants to take short cuts, which is not the right attitude to have in publishing. This is a long, long process, even after you get an agent. Patience and willingness to do things the right way are key.
Q: How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?
A: I don't care so much about the author bio as I do about their social media. I'll always read the author bio, and it's always good to know if an author has been published or represented before, but it doesn't need to have much more information than that. I definitely want to know if a book is an #OWN work (though I respect authors' privacy and don't need to know the specifics). If I'm interested in representing you, I will try to find you online, most likely on Twitter. It doesn't particularly matter to me how active someone is or how many followers they have. I just want to make sure they're not problematic on the internet and be able to put a face to a name. I'm a visual person, so that helps a lot in feeling connected. Writing Twitter is also a good place to foster a community and keep up with what's happening in publishing. Even if you're just there to lurk on the news, I'd recommend giving it a shot.
Q: How much of a manuscript do you read before making the decision to reject it?
A: I have three tiers of queries:
1) Definite no: The ones that aren't in my genre, have a wildly off-base word count, or focus on the topics I don't like to get into (sexual assault, incest, problematic relationships [looking at you, prof who hooks up with a student], or anything racist/sexist/ablest/xenophobic). I can tell within a few paragraphs, if not the first sentence.
2) Maybe: I read through the query and am interested, though I'm not compelled to read the example pages. I put these aside and go through the example pages a chunk at a time when I'm able to. I don't often end up requesting the full manuscript, but sometimes one surprises me.
3) Yes: I'm interested enough to get into reading the sample pages and, if I make it to the end of those twenty pages and want to read more, I star it to request the full when I'm caught up on the previous fulls I've requested.
One thing to note is that for most agents, this is all a timing game. Our first priority will always be our current clients. So we read queries between talking to editors and editing manuscripts and sending them out. Then, depending on how many materials we have that we haven't gotten through yet, we may set something aside even though we really love it. It's simply not sustainable to have twenty requested fulls at once. That's why the process takes so long.
Q: Once you decide to represent someone's work, what is the process?
A: Once I read a manuscript and love it, I get back in touch with the author to set up a phone call. This call usually ends in an offer of representation, but not always. The intent of the call is to suss out someone's personality and work style to see if we'd be a good fit. I go over edits I'd want them to make, communication style, and the logistics of signing with and being a part of the agency and then give them the opportunity to ask whatever questions they have. If there are big red flags—the author refuses to make edits, the next books they want to write are outside what I represent, they're rude/demanding/problematic, or any other issue to working together—it's most likely not going to end in an offer. It's important to remember that, depending on how old you are, your working relationship with your agent could be the longest you ever have. If you're thirty and plan to write until you're seventy, that's forty years of working with someone. You want to like each other.
If I do end up offering rep, the author sends out a notification to any other agent who has their full manuscript at the time to let them know they have two weeks to read it. Then it's on the author to see who else offers and to decide who they want to work with. This can be really stressful for everyone involved, but overall, it's a really exciting time. My favorite part of the job is offering representation and hearing people silently (or not silently) freak out with excitement. It's quite fun.
Q: What is a day in the life of an agent like for you?
A: Some days I'm editing manuscripts for eight hours, some days I'm hopping between editors calls, reading queries, and catching up on emails. It depends on where my authors are with their work. They're my priority. Everything else gets slotted in when I have time.