Agent Interview: Jen Nadol

MG, YA, Adult; Fic & NF

Aside from my clients? :) I lean more toward favorite books than favorite authors, but Tana French, Stephen King and Alan Glynn have all written multiple books that I've loved and re-read (my highest compliment)

I'm a published author in addition to being an agent, so understand intimately what its like on that side of the desk, from query hell to weathering rejections to the endless waiting. All of that informs how I work with my clients. I'm also very editorial and work with my clients for as long as it takes to get their manuscripts ready to go out on submission. To me, this is a critical part of the process. An author works so long and hard on their manuscript, I want to be sure that in the final stretch, as we're putting it in front of editors, it absolutely shines. You only get one shot with each publishing imprint that handles your type of book - a fairly narrow field - so you want to be sure the shot you take is your very best.

Take your time to do things right. When your manuscript is finished, set it aside for a couple weeks and re-read. Get beta reads and critiques and do the necessary revisions. Write a query letter that conveys the critical information: (protagonist) needs to do (what) by (when) or else (what are the stakes if s/he succeeds/fails?). If you struggle to fill in these elements, think about whether the stakes and urgency in your story are strong enough. For non-fiction, unless the author has a significant platform or a really unique story/approach, its tough to place with publishers so know your market and "sell" me on why your book would appeal to editors. Don't send Picture Books - I don't represent them (except for existing clients)

Succinct, with the protagonist, his/her quest and the stakes clearly defined. Include any writing credits or relevant info (ie, that you grew up in your setting, that you knit if that's a key part of the plot, etc.) Feel free to include the opening pages (5-10). Don't sweat the small stuff like one typo or misspelling - not a big deal, we're all human. If your whole letter is grammatically incorrect, that's another story... Don't worry about explaining why you queried me - some agents find this helpful, I don't really.

Well-written with clean/tight prose, emotional resonance and authentic characters (ie, for MG, they sound/think like a middle-schooler, not like an adult thinks a middle-schooler thinks). A plot with urgency (there's a clear goal for the character/s with real stakes if she/he succeeds/fails). Something that feels unique, either because the writing is special or the plot is somehow different than other books on the market.

Sending queries for picture books, which I don't represent.

Only things relevant to their manuscript - publishing/writing credits, things that show they have authentic knowledge about their subject/plot, etc.

I read until I know it's not for me. Sometimes that's to the end of a full manuscript (in which case, hopefully, I'm offering rep); sometimes I know within the first paragraph of a query, if the story feels too familiar or doesn't sound like there's enough conflict/urgency.

I'll email to let them know I'd like to discuss representation. We schedule a call to discuss their manuscript & how I work, answer any questions. I'm always happy to offer client references and give the author up to 2 weeks to circle back to any other agents/think through their decision, etc. Once they accept, I send detailed manuscript notes and we begin work on revisions.

It varies, which is part of what I love about it! Today started with an editor zoom to chat about her tastes, what she's looking for, what client projects I have that might be a fit. After that, I sent a client manuscript out on submission (always exciting!), after going over my editor list one last time to be sure I felt like these were the best fits for the story. I answered a bunch of queries, read and responded to two partials, checked my email a bunch of times to see if I had the go-ahead to announce a recent sale (agents are constant email refreshers, too!). Tonight, I'm planning to dive into a client's new manuscript. Other days, I might be following up with editors on projects I've sent them, reviewing contracts, editing client manuscripts, updating our rights guide that we use to pitch projects to foreign and film markets, etc.