William Boggess of Barer Literary is looking for fiction with strong voices and a fresh perspective. He loves Southern fiction and story collections.
In nonfiction, he’s interested in literary memoir, popular science, narrative history, and smart sportswriting.
Sarah Younger of Nancy Yost is interested in romance / women’s fiction: contemporary, historical, Western, sports, regency, inspirational, urban fantasy, paranormal, young adult and any combination. Actively seeking a contemporary military romance, a great/quirky historical, or a fantastic inspirational romance. She also enjoys stories with a strong supporting cast of animal characters: horses, dogs, cats.
Agent Amy Rennert was quoted in Poets & Writers as saying:
“I predict that people will continue to write [books]. I do feel that there is a persistent and insatiable desire for long-form prose–that there is something about the experience of disappearing into a long piece of writing that has enormous appeal to enough people in the world to maintain the publishing industry through the foreseeable future.”
Roz Foster of Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency likes literary and commercial fiction, women’s fiction, literary sci-fi, and literary YA. She looks for a resonant, lively voice; rich, irresistible language; complex characters with compelling development arcs; and a mastery of dramatic structure. Roz is also interested in nonfiction: current affairs, design, business, cultural anthropology/social science, politics, psychology and memoir.
This agent caught my eye because I’ve worked with several preteen and teenage authors who have gone on to reach wide audiences.
Steven Hutson of WordWise Media wants fresh ideas, particularly from young authors. He also represents fiction and nonfiction books for adults and children, especially those with spiritual themes.
Eric Simonoff of William Morris Endeavor, says of publishing:
“What I see is an industry in which we want nothing more than to discover an amazing voice. Who wouldn’t? If you actually have a great book, it matters who sends it out, because you want someone who understand the business, who has the best possible relationships, and who can negotiate the right deal for you as a client. But your book will get discovered regardless. It might just be a question of when.”
Agent Jamie Bodnar Drowley of Inklings Literary seeks adult, new adult and young adult fantasy, mystery, romance, paranormal, historical, contemporary, horror, light sci-fi and thrillers.
Agent J.L. Stermer of N.S. Bienstock seeks YA and women’s fiction (no paranormal romance, sci-fi, or fantasy). She is intrigued by dark, edgy stories, as well as those with a wry sense of humor. Particularly interested in a coming-of-age story from a male point-of-view.
Agent Danielle Smith of Foreward Literary seeks picture books, early readers and chapter books.
Agent Kimiko Nakamura of Dee Mura seeks contemporary fiction, narrative nonfiction, women’s lit, young adult, fantasy, paranormal romance, mystery, satire, memoir, spirituality, and health.
Agent Rachael Dugas of Talcott Notch seeks young adult and middle grade, women’s fiction, romance, paranormal, and mysteries. She also considers nonfiction.
Agent Kathleen Zakhar of Harold Ober Associates loves all things YA. She’s also actively seeking adult science fiction, fantasy of all kinds, historical fiction, and horror. She enjoys quirky middle grade tales and also accepts picture books. Kathleen especially loves sweeping love stories, magical realism, inventive world-building, repurposed folklore, dark comedy, and genre-bending novels.
Check out this free download from Writer’s Digest here on how to capture the interest of a literary agent.
Is self-publishing the new revolution? It sure feels like it. Publisher’s Weekly covered discussions of self-publishing and how authors are breaking into publishing houses through their own efforts in this article. Some of the key points are:
–Do not give you work away for free. Despite what you’ve heard, content does not want to be free. Authors who cannot make a living do not have time to write…and therefore they can’t continue writing. Charge something. It doesn’t have to be much but it does have to be fair.
–It doesn’t take all that much to catch the attention of traditional publishers. Sell 10,000 copies…or even a few thousand less if the timeframe is short…and start sending your book proposal out to agents and publishers.
–Quality still is king. Be sure to edit, proof, and develop your story just as if you were going after the big six publishers.
I work on query letters for a variety of fiction and nonfiction book authors. Every query has to have the following:
1. A great tagline. This is a single sentence that sums up the conflict and the protagonist’s journey. It’s one of the toughest things to get right…but it’s the grabber that keeps agents and publishers reading your query.
2. A short description of the book. This is 2 or 3 paragraphs long. Although it contains some plot highlights, it’s really about the character’s journey. The conflict and any antagonist come into play enough to enhance the protagonist’s journey…and you have to give an idea of how it ends.
3. A paragraph about you. This of course includes your credentials like other publication credits (even if unpaid) and editorial work at a newspaper or magazine. It should also include any awards your work has won. Also tell them why you wrote the book. The human connection is important!
4. Information on the current market trends that support your book, the manuscript’s length, it’s category and/or genre, and the fact that it’s finished. If you have a sequel or are already working on the next unrelated novel, they need to know that, too. They want to sign career authors, not flashes in the pan!
Let me know if I can help with your query letter.
Writer's Resource/Sunspot Lit 