The 7 “Be”-Attitudes of Finding Your Agent & New Deal Announcements!

I’m so excited to announce two deals today, both for the wonderful Marcie Colleen, picture book writer extraordinaire. But not only that! I asked Marcie to write on the process of finding an agent for the blog, and she’s created a list of the key qualities that will carry you through your search—it’s as inspiring as it is useful. Be sure to scroll down for her smart advice, which follows these announcements.

Here’s our first deal, for THE ADVENTURE OF THE PENGUINAUT, the story of intrepid little Orville, a penguin who imagines visiting the moon. I love this story, especially for Orville’s dreamy determination:

Children's: Picture book

Marcie Colleen's debut THE ADVENTURE OF THE PENGUINAUT, about a penguin who lives at the zoo and dreams of building a spaceship to fly to the moon, to Emellia Zamani at Scholastic, by Susan Hawk at The Bent Agency (World).

And here’s our next deal for LOVE, TRIANGLE and a second unnamed book. The first time I met Marcie she told me she had this title, but wasn’t sure of the story yet. Watching it come together has been a total delight:

Children's: Picture book

Marcie Colleen's LOVE, TRIANGLE, about best friends Circle and Square, and the dynamic Triangle that comes between them, and to Alessandra Balzer at Balzer & Bray, in a very nice deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, by Susan Hawk at The Bent Agency (World).

Please join me in congratulating Marcie at www.thisismarciecolleen.com or on Twitter: @MarcieColleen1.

And now, here’s Marcie herself, with  

THE 7 "BE"-ATTITUDES OF FINDING YOUR AGENT

I am often told how lucky I am to have such an awesome agent. And yes, Susan Hawk is amazing. After all, we make quite a team and sold three books this year—two of which were sold in a five-house auction!

But am I really lucky?

Of course, I tried wishing on a star, writing to Santa Claus, and crossing my fingers that one day an agent would just randomly email me and ask to represent my work. But when it came down to it, those things did not get me Susan.

What did land me such a fabulous partner-in-crime was hard work. It was planning. It was researching.

It was attitude.

You see, the responsibility lies with the writer to do everything within their power to find an agent. So for those of you still looking, still hoping, and still wishing on a star, here are my 7 “Be”-Attitudes to help you along the journey:

1. Be“craft”y. First and foremost, focus on craft. If you want to be agented (and published), spend time making your writing the best that it can possibly be. Take classes, attend workshops, join critique groups, and read books. I feverishly worked on my craft for years before I felt ready to start the query process. And having worked on craft for so long, I was confident that what I was submitting was not half-baked, but something I could be proud of. It’s easy to be eager, but don’t rush this step.

2. Be social. I know social media can be a time suck. But if used well, it can be a writer’s lifeline. By seeking out communities of writers on Facebook and Twitter, I was able to learn more and more about the industry. I was able to keep current with new titles, be introduced to names of agents and editors, and ask burning questions—all without even getting out of my pajamas!

3. Be present. All right, so I eventually got out of my pajamas and ventured into the “real world.” I attended conferences, classes and workshops where I was able to get to know fellow writers, as well as editors and agents. I even had many face to face critique sessions with industry professionals, one of which actually introduced me to Jenny Bent and ultimately led to querying Susan. Sure, these kinds of events cost money—but it’s worth it. Consider it an investment in your dream.

4. Be Nancy Drew. Once you have a few names of agents that you want to query, don’t wait for Santa Claus to deliver them under your tree on Christmas morning. Instead, find them through Twitter, Google and Facebook. Read interviews they have given and blog posts they have written. Get to know what they are interested in and who they represent. Get to know their personality. Find out which conferences or industry events they will be speaking at. If possible, attend those same events. Are they participating in an online forum or a webinar? Again, participate if you can. Sure, this can be a lot of work. In fact, it might even seem like a second job. But isn’t your dream worth it?

5. Be mindful. Check in with yourself. What do YOU want in an agent? Make a list.  Do you want someone who represents a few different genres that you write? Do you want someone who has a background in editorial or is also a writer? How about someone who you can relate to personally? This list is perhaps the most important of all. I knew Susan was my dream agent because she met the criteria on my wish list. But that doesn’t mean she will be perfect for everyone. Don’t ignore your own wishes in your search.

6. Be patient. This all takes time. Lots and lots of time. I first queried Susan in the winter of 2013. We emailed back and forth a number of times going into the spring, eventually met, and she offered representation shortly after, in June. Agents are busy people. If you don’t hear right away, do not fret. Take a deep breath. Continue to work on your craft. Query someone else. Keep moving forward. And never, ever lose faith. Which brings me to the last “be”-attitude.

7. Be dreamy. Never lose sight of your dream. Your dream is what is going to keep you going through the silence and through the frustration. Remember, a rejection from an agent is not a rejection of you. It simply means that you haven’t found your Susan yet. And believe me, finding the one agent who is super giddy about your writing, believes in you more than you might believe in yourself, and wants to take you to the highest heights is well-worth the wait.

Many thanks Marcie, and good luck to everyone on their agent search!

My, How Things Have Changed: Jenny weighs in on industry changes good and bad

I have been in this business for what might be considered an embarrassingly long amount of time: since 1992, to be exact, when I started as an assistant to a brilliant agent named Raphael Sagalyn down in DC.

So I realize when looking back that a lot has changed, of course, since then and I was thinking about what has changed for the worse and what has changed for the better. I thought I'd make a laundry list--these are just a few off the top of my head, I'm sure there are many more that I'm not thinking of. And then I did another list of a few nice things about the industry that haven't changed at all.

For the Better:

1. More transparency. It's hard to remember now, when publishers like Simon and Schuster make all sales information available to their authors online, that publishers actually used to be reluctant to give their authors sales information. Now, I call an editor and get first week sales breakdowns by account, including e-books. Before the book ships I get an accounting of orders, again broken down by account. But in the old days, there would be hemming and hawing, and even outright refusal to give numbers outside of the royalty statement that was provided twice a year.

2. Self-publishing via e-books. Hooray self-publishing! I've always been a fan, since way before e-book days, but now self-publishing is a possibility for so many more folks. A great way, as I've said so many times, to prove that there is indeed an audience for your book.

3. Less territorialism. Is that a word? In my experience, anyway, publishers seem to be more accepting of the fact that an author will write for several different houses. As advances go down, and payments get more and more spread-out (see below), it becomes a financial necessity for some authors, and I think publishers get that now.

4. Authors are so much better informed. I used to have to basically reinvent the wheel with each new author, breaking the bad news to them one thing at a time. Yes, it will take a year for your book to be published. Yes, you will only get a royalty statement twice a year and it will be for the period ending three months prior. Now, authors know so much more about the process. Via social media they're able to connect with published author friends and really learn the ropes before getting tossed in. It's one of my favorite things about the way technology has changed the business.

5. A corollary to #4: Authors who query now have access to so much more information. The only resources about agents really used to be Jeff Herman's guide and the LMP (who remembers the LMP?). Now, there are almost infinite sources of information about agents. Beyond just access to sales (which I think is so important) authors can get a real sense of the agent's personality via twitter, blogs and facebook. It's a wonderful way of figuring out who might be a great agent match.

For the Worse:

1. Payouts. Don't get me started. An author's advance payment almost always used to be half and half--half on signing, half on delivery and acceptance. Now it's thirds or even fourths--1/4 on signing, 1/4 on d &a, 1/4 on hardcover pub and 1/4 on paperback pub. Sigh. Authors have to write a lot faster these days to make money on the same kind of schedule that they used to.

2.Hard/soft deals. You used to be able to sell hardcover rights to one house and then turn around and sell paperback rights to another. Two separate income streams. Now publishers buy all rights to a book. One income stream.

3. Audio. Again, don't get me started. You used to always be able to retain audio rights and sell those separately. Another income stream for the author. No more. Publishers are increasingly (I can think of two right off the bat) insisting that audio be part of their overall grant of rights.

Things that are the same:

1. Editors do edit. I know everyone says they don't, but they do. Trust me.

2. Innovation. I see it everywhere, in publishers and authors, and I'm always so impressed by the creativity around me.

3. Nice people. Publishing is full of smart, nice, funny people, united by their passion for reading and books. That hasn't changed. I'm always surprised when I mingle with people out in the "real" world by how less cool they are than publishing people.

4. I still think I have the best job in the world. That hasn't changed a bit.

That's all for me, folks. Would love to hear from other industry long-timers about their better/worse impressions as well.

Tips on Landing a Publishing Internship- a post by Victoria

As the newest agent currently at TBA, memories of my very first internship search are still quite vivid. It was time-consuming, exhausting and I got a lot of no’s. But luckily one agent was willing to take a chance on someone who didn’t have any experience, then another agency was impressed that I came back a season later with some newly added experience to my resume, then I had a boss who thought enough of me to recommend me for a full-time position at TBA.  So, if you are considering maybe trying your hand in the publishing industry, here are some tips to help get you started:

1. Start your search.

There are a bunch of websites that you can routinely check to keep an eye out for any potential internship or entry-level positions. These in particular were extremely helpful when I was starting my own job search:

http://www.bookjobs.com/

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/jobzone/index.html

http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/

http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/jobs/

Also, it’s a really great idea to keep an eye on agency/publisher blogs or websites because sometimes, like we do on this very blog, agencies or publishers will post openings for internships there.

2. Use Twitter.

The entire publishing world is constantly communicating via the Twitterverse. So follow agents, editors, literary agencies or publishing houses that you might want to work for. You never know when an opening will pop up! Also, don’t be afraid to connect directly with agents or editors you admire.

3.  Know your stuff.

It’s always a good idea to keep yourself informed about what’s happening in the publishing world.  There are a number of really great industry blogs and newsletters you can subscribe to including Shelf Awareness, GalleyCat, Digital Book World and Publisher’s Lunch.

Also, and this may seem obvious, you need to read…a lot. Figure out what kinds of books you want to be working with and read as many books in those genres as possible. Keep an eye on the bestseller lists and read those titles as well.

4. Are you willing to relocate?

While lots of agencies, including TBA, offer remote internship opportunities for those of you living out of NYC, there are definitely a lot more opportunities available, especially at the early years of your career, to those able to commute into the office. So consider if you’re willing to make the move. However, if you’re not, don’t worry! There are still plenty of literary agencies and smaller publishers located in major cities around the country.

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If you don’t get the first few internships you apply for, keep trying.  Once you get your foot in the door, subsequent opportunities will be much more within your reach. Good luck everyone!

But is it Love? A conversation with Mike Wells.

A few weeks ago, Talking Writing published a version of a post I had written about reader taste versus publishing taste. After it appeared, I got a very nice email from a writer named Mike Wells, an American bestselling thriller and suspense author who teaches in the Creative Writing program at the University of Oxford. His note began a back and forth discussion about whether or not agents really needed to "fall in love" with a novel before offering representation. Mike said no. I said yes--sort of.

We both thought that readers would be interested in this discussion, so we decided to post it on our respective blogs (Mike's is www.thegreenwater.com) Your comments are welcome!
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Hi Jenny,

I just read your article about the difference between publisher/agent vs. reader tastes. Boy am I glad someone had the guts from inside the industry to write about this! I've been screaming about it for years but nobody listens because they assume it's a sour grapes thing on my part. But what you said is so true. I'm one of those rejected writers who has gone out and successfully sold his books (I have 15,000 Twitter followers, developing a very good fan base)...and that's after having four great agencies unable to sell them (Andrea Brown, Jean Naggar, Marly Rusoff, etc.) Funny, a few months ago I ran into one of your colleagues in NYC and we nearly got into a fist fight over this issue, with him claiming that he has some special gift or "nose for a classic" or some such nonsense!

I didn't know you were on Twitter and just followed you.

Anyway, a big thank you for that article, I really enjoyed it (especially the bit about the glasses!)

Mike

P.S. By the way you might like this post:

What Literary Agents Could Learn from the Girl Scouts

I think this is what set your colleague off! (hope it doesn't make you mad)
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Hi Mike,

No, it doesn't make me mad—I think it's pretty funny. More people need to have a sense of humor about this industry.

I think the thing about having to love a book before you can sell it makes a little more sense than you say it does, however. I'm not selling a refrigerator, after all. If I'm selling refrigerators, I don't have to love them: they're pretty impersonal—I can judge them on objective criteria. And pretty much everyone needs to buy a refrigerator at some point. Everyone likes them. And with girl scout cookies, you don't have to like them to know there's a huge market. But the only way I can even guess if other people will like a novel is if I like it too. It's completely subjective. Unless, of course, there has been market research in the shape of self-publishing. Which is one of the reasons I like self-publishing so much and have repped so many self-published authors—it takes the guesswork out of it.

Anyway, good post—and thanks for sending it.

Mike's response:

I see your point, but the first person to sell a new product faces exactly the same problem you face, whether that product is a refrigerator or cookies or or an iPad--the market for it must be created. And the people who create markets for totally new products can do it whether they "love" those products or not, believe me.

Jenny's response:

Still disagree. :) Maybe "love" is the wrong word, however. Maybe it's "get" or "understand." If you "get" why an ipad would be appealing, you can sell it. But if you don't like a book, where again it is a matter of TASTE, not potential demand, how do you know whether or not it will work in the marketplace? Your argument would work better if I just had to figure out whether or not books in general would have a place in the market. Well, yes, people like reading, therefore books will work. But an individual novel? How in the world can I predict an audience for that unless I myself am responding to it in some way?

Mike's response:

I'm so glad we're having this discussion, Jenny, now we're getting somewhere. You stated it perfectly in your last message: "...unless I respond to it in some way." Of course you're right. A good sales and marketing person must be able to understand the needs that any product satisfies in the customer who buys it. But that's a far cry from "falling in love." Example: I'm not a huge fan of Harlequin Romance novels, not because of any highbrow snobbery about them, but simply because I'm a man, and after a couple of hours all that gushy romantic stuff makes me feel a little ill. :-) Yet, I can empathize with women who love that genre, completely understand the appeal of it, and can certainly recognize a Harlequin Romance that is well-structured and well-written. Could I sell such a book? You bet I could! And so could you, if you wanted to (whether you "love" them or not)

Jenny's response:

Well, except that I challenge you to go out and sell a romance novel to a publisher. ;) You might make a great agent, don't get me wrong, and you might understand that romance as a genre works, that women will love it, but without an affinity for this type of book, how will you be able to distinguish between a good or a bad one? Answer: you can't. And that's not even necessarily because you don't read the genre—it's because there's no such thing as a "good" or a "bad" romance novel, it's completely subjective. And so in the face of that subjectivity, what are you left with as an agent? Your own taste. That's all you have to go on. That's what agents mean by "I have to love it."

Once again we come back to the idea that we all know in general that people like books, and then you can categorize it even further by saying that in general people like romance, or thrillers, or literary fiction. But on a book by book basis there is no way to predict what a reader will like. Even if people like the Beatles a lot, for example, that doesn't necessarily predict that they will like a book about the Beatles. As an agent, you only have taste to go on.

Everything changes of course, if a book is self-published first, and you know a lot of people have already responded. Self-publishing is the new market research.

Mike's response:

I totally agree re self-publishing. If I were an agent I think that's the main way I would find new authors if I needed them, by trolling the self-publishing domain and looking for successes there. At the end of the day, the only way to know if a product has a market is if people will actually fork over their hard-earned money for it. This is even more than "market research"—it's downright proof that the product is viable. The only question is how large the market will be if a big publisher takes over. I think in the vast majority of cases the market will be 10x larger because we self-pubbed authors can barely scratch the surface with our limited resources. If I can sell 10,000 of one of my books a year, I'm quite sure a big publisher could sell 100,000 of that same book given that they don't screw up the product or marketing approach.

Any comments, readers?

internship

Happy back to work day!

Even with three interns working very hard, we are still way behind reading queries. Does anyone want to help out? We have a lot of fun and do conference calls together to catch up and talk about the industry.

If so, send me a resume and a letter telling me what you like to read. Publishing background a plus, but certainly not required and I welcome hearing from everyone--particularly people who
want to transition into the industry. Oh, and send me a list of your most recent and favorite reads.

Update, in response to a recent comment: stay-at-home mothers are more than welcome to apply!

email to info@thebentagency.com

All About Book Fairs, from Heather

Hello everyone!  As you might know, this week we wrapped up the Bologna Book Fair!  So, we thought it would be handy to give a little insight as to what happens at these international book fairs, in advance of Gemma’s more detailed report next week. These fairs (the biggies being Bologna, London, and Frankfurt – with others cropping up and growing around the world as well) are used for all aspects of publishing (sales, publicity, exposure, finding representation, etc.), but mainly are a way for the international publishing industry to do some heavy lifting when it comes to foreign sales –sales for translation into other languages.

Big houses, medium houses, and small houses in every country will attend the event, along with loads of agencies (especially from the US and the UK), to meet with contacts they can’t see on a regular basis, due to the rather large bodies of water or land masses in-between. Foreign-rights deals go down throughout the year, but these fairs still remain the pinnacle of selling books overseas.  The buzz and excitement of showing-off your authors bumps sales up during the fair.  Due to the hoopla, there are always a few books that wind up being heatedly fought over for the right to translate – and thus, the hot books of the fair are born!

So, who is attending these meetings when it comes to foreign-rights?  Mainly editors from all over the globe will meet with foreign-rights people(representing both publishing houses and agencies) from different countries, to see what books they’re selling and hopefully buy translation rights, to what they think will do well in their territory, or even be the next big hit internationally.  Schedules are thusly packed to an intense degree, starting at breakfast, and continuing with half-hour meetings throughout the days of the fair, and then pushing on into drink meetings in the early evening, dinner plans later on, and finally desert or disco. (Yes, disco happens. And no, it’s not pretty).  Sleep doesn’t happen for about a week, but who needs sleep when there’s proper espresso around every corner?

Throughout the fair, when you’re not in a meeting, you’ll find cocktail parties, dinner parties, quick coffees, hotel drinks, gelato runs, cheap convention food, and even a shared bottle of water, to bring people together to talk about books.  Each fair has a tone of its own, a feeling – Bologna is one of my faves.  It’s fun, lively, set in an ancient walkable town, and fully packed with beautiful books and gorgeous illustrations that absolutely crush you.

In an age where books are bought and sold globally throughout the year thanks to email, phone, and Skype, I think it’s a solid salute to the book industry that these traditional yearly meet-ups still exist.

Stay tuned for more details about this year’s meeting in Bologna!

And now a word from...Molly Ker Hawn

Well, some very exciting news, folks: industry pro Molly Ker Hawn has joined the Bent Agency to open a London office and I am thrilled to bits. She'll be repping exclusively children's books. Her bio and submission guidelines can be found at http://www.thebentagency.com/submissions.html:

"My time in the children's publishing industry has included editorial roles at Chronicle Books and Dial Books for Young Readers, early social media development for a major teen magazine, and serving as National Programs Director at the Children's Book Council, the trade association of American children's book publishers. I've also been a bookseller, and I'm a past board member of the United States Board on Books for Young People.


I live in London and I work with authors and publishers both in the U.K. and the U.S. I've bounced back and forth from America to England since I was a teenager: I grew up in Northern California, lived for a time in the West Country, read English at Cambridge University, spent many years in New York City, and now live a stone's throw from the River Thames."

You can query Molly at hawnqueries@thebentagency.com. I asked her to say a few words, and so, now, OVER TO MOLLY:

Hi everyone --


The agency website's been updated and PW's been alerted, so now it's officially official and I can tell the world: I've joined the Bent Agency! And I'm so excited I almost can't stand it. I'm thrilled to be joining such a terrific team and I can't wait to see what the slush pile brings. I've already found a manuscript that's absolutely gorgeous, and  if it's any sign of what's to come, then 2012 is going to be a corker of a year. On my wish list:


    • Contemporary romance
    • Historical fiction
    • Thrillers (a fabulous historical thriller would really make my day)
    • Something fun about time travel
    • Science fiction, particularly for the middlegrade audience -- I love a good spaceship
    • Anything at all with a great sibling relationship
    • Nothing with zombies, werewolves, vampires, fairies, or monsters made of spare parts


In the meantime, I'm in the middle of Jason Wallace's extraordinary OUT OF SHADOWS, trying not to watch the HUNGER GAMES trailer more than three times a day, and waiting to hear my local council's announcement about cuts to our public library services. The nights are getting colder here in London, perfect for holing up with a book -- what will you be reading?

Molly

Holiday Wishes and Wish Lists from the TBA Agents!

We’ve had a fantastic 2016 here at TBA, and are all very much looking forward to 2017. January is always an exciting time to dive into our submissions inbox and look for that gem that we'll be talking about all year. So, with this in mind, we’ve compiled a wishlist for all the TBA agents, so if you have anything that matches this check out our submission guidelines and send over. We can't wait to read!


Jenny Bent:

• Twisty, creepy, bone-chilling suspense with a female protagonist for an adult or YA audience 
• Quirky, unusual, interesting YA—crazy twists like those in SUICIDE NOTES FROM BEAUTIFUL GIRLS and KILLER INSTINCT, wildly visual worlds like the ones in CARAVAL and SPLINTERED, or outrageously funny like KILL THE BOY BAND
• Emotional book club fiction with a strong hook and/or evocative setting like THE LIFE LIST or GHOST BRIDE or the forthcoming LIGHTKEEPER’S DAUGHTERS by Jean Pendziwol
• Magical MG with a instant classic feel

Gemma Cooper: (Gemma will be opening to submissions on 3rd January)

• Looking for diverse voices, illustrators and stories across my list, but particularly for chapter books and MG. #ownvoices 
• YA or MG with a unique way of telling your story - nonlinear narrative, novels in verse, multi POV’s, letters, illustrated novels, or something else really creative! Be different. Surprise me
• I'm really looking for YA right now and am open to anything but dystopian and angels. Send me your swoony romance, your teen X-Files, your epic fantasy, your re-invented Buffy, your ghosts and anything you can comp to a movie starring Christian Slater. I would go nuts over a voice driven YA with an end of the world feeling romance
• I’d love a new MG epic fantasy, or a MG with a splash of magical realism. If your MG has a strong voice in any genre, I want to read it
• And to be a little specific, can someone send me a MG or YA set during the 1893 Chicago World's Fair? Ideally a mystery

Beth Phelan: (Beth will be opening to submissions on 3rd January)

• Queer POC in MG and YA contemporary, something bright and funny and happy and hopeful. Especially if told in a groundbreaking new way, experimental — I want different storytelling structures and #ownvoices
• Lyrical fantasy in MG and YA that feels cinematic, visual, lush
• Stirring suspense, hair-raising thrillers, with plenty of family secrets and dark histories, #ownvoices

Susan Hawk:

• I’m looking for diverse voices and authors, in just about any category or genre: picture book, chapter book, middle-grade, young adult; contemporary, mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, etc.  I’m drawn to heartfelt books rich with emotion and humor, and unique points of view
• I love MG and YA fantasy!  I want to fall in love with your main character, be completely immersed in a world that's surprising and original, and on the edge of my seat, wondering what-will-happen next -- give me high stakes and sneaky twists
• Epistolary novels; a novel-within-a-novel; a journal format; secret letters; found documents – I’d love to see a story for MG or YA readers that centers around these kind of elements
• Calling author-illustrators!  I'm a big fan of Molly Idle, Carson Ellis, Barbara McClintock, Marla Frazee, Christian Robinson, and Sergio Ruzzier.  If your work is as fresh, original and thoughtful as these, please be in touch

Molly Ker Hawn:

• Elegant, emotional literary fiction for young adults like THE SMELL OF OTHER PEOPLE’S HOUSES
• #ownvoices projects for middle-grade and YA readers that invite the reader to get to know a culture or community with which they might not be familiar
• Fast-paced, highly imaginative YA fantasy like REBEL OF THE SANDS 
• YA or MG contemporary fiction that explores sexism in a realistic and relatable way
• Super-smart, super-romantic, feel-good YA fiction like SEVEN DAYS OF YOU 

Louise Fury:

• Heavily illustrated MG or YA graphic novels
• A YA that involves a labyrinth, especially one that includes a mystery or pushes the boundaries of realistic contemporary
• Anything funny, short and uplifting
• A cookbook with a big hook/idea
• Interesting, fun and of-the-moment pop culture and non-fiction projects! 

Heather Flaherty:

• Always always want epic-yet-relatable YA fantasy, with beautiful and sometimes dark worlds, unlikely heroines, and civil unrest. 
• Would love a sibling/family story in contemporary YA, a la I’ll GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson, or a mother-daughter Gilmore Girls-esque story, maybe with a STEM angle!
• Commercial women’s fiction, with strong females in interesting and thought-provoking situations. Females in male roles, females choosing themselves, females making change. Both period and contemporary
• I’d love to find the next GIRL ON THE TRAIN, that isn’t GIRL ON THE TRAIN or anything close to it plot-wise. I want the feeling that book evokes: something creepy, and page-turning, and twisty, and sexy, and disturbing, and… 
• Quirky, funny, heartbreaking, wonderful non-fiction for people who don’t read lots of non-fiction. Pop-culture, humor, Lifestyle, industry-books-for-people-who-don’t-read-industry-books (like Alison Green’s ASK A MANAGER website), heartbreaking books that make you feel less alone (like Emily Trunko’s DEAR MY BLANK and LAST MESSAGE RECEIVED)

Victoria Cappello:

• I’m really looking for of-the-moment literary fiction that engages with important contemporary geopolitical events like the Syrian civil war, for instance, or Cuba in the aftermath of the embargo lift
• I love suspense and mystery novels of all stripes—psychological, super creepy, procedural, etc.
• I’m also always in the market for lyrical and atmospheric historical fiction that’s set in the 20th century

Happy Holidays! 

Internship openings!

We are looking for two new interns. One is a generalist position, the other is a romance/commercial women's fiction position. These are unpaid, remote internships (i.e. you don't have to live in NYC). No publishing experience is necessary, we are looking for people who love to read and have a very strong knowledge of contemporary fiction. For the generalist job, you should enjoy books by authors like:

Tana French
Eleanor Brown
Jacqueline Sheehan
Jodi Picoult
Gillian Flynn
Lori Roy
Laurie Notaro
Celia Rivenbark
Elin Hilderbrand
Kristin Hannah
Jeannette Walls
Kate Atkinson

This is an eclectic list, so obviously you don't need to like everyone on it! But basically, you should like at least two of the following genres: humor, memoir, women's fiction (what we call "book club" fiction in the industry) and literary suspense.

For the romance position, we are looking for a real expert, someone who reads all different kinds of romance, from historical to romantic suspense.

If you'd like to apply, please e-mail us at intern@thebentagency.com. Please put "generalist intern" or "romance intern" in the subject line. Tell us why you want the internship, attach a resume if you have one although it's not essential, and list the last ten books you read and your ten favorite books.

Please do not apply if you are primarily a young adult/middle grade reader. It's fine if you do some of that, but we already have our young adult/middle grade specialists in place.

If you have applied in the past you are more than welcome to apply again.

We ask for at least a 10 hour a week time commitment. Watch this space and twitter for more announcements.

Lend Me an Intern....

I'm on the hunt for one, maybe two new remote interns to read queries and also manuscripts. If you've applied before, please feel free to apply again. I'm looking for a 10-hr a week commitment.

The guidelines: please send me a resume and a letter with two lists:

1. Your favorite books of all time.

2. The last five-ten books you read.

Publishing background is a plus, but certainly not required and I welcome hearing from everyone--particularly people who want to transition into the industry. As a reminder, stay-at-home mothers or fathers or grandmothers or whathaveyous are more than welcome to apply! This is a remote internship, so anyone of any age or background who has the ten hours a week to spare is eligible.

If last time is any indication, the applicants will come in quickly, so I'll post again when the application period has closed.

email to info@thebentagency.com

Romance Internship Available!

TBA is looking for an intern who loves to read Romance--all genres, from paranormal to contemporary to historical to romantic suspense-and also New Adult. 

The internship is unpaid, remote, and requires about 20 hours of week a month.   No prior publishing experience required, we are just looking for obsessive readers who really keep up with what's going on in the industry. 

Please send an email to intern@thebentagency.com and tell us why you want the internship.  Please include two very important things:  a list of the last ten books you read and a list of your ten favorite books.  If you have a resume, you can include it, but it's not necessary. 

Thanks for applying! 

Interview with TBA Agent, Louise Fury

It's time for our monthly interview with a member of Team Bent!  Up this month, the fabulous Louise Fury...

How did you get into agenting?

In 2004 I married a journalist who wanted to write a book. We spent ages figuring out how to write a query (back when you had to buy a giant book for all the contact info) and then researched editors, trying to learn what we had to do to put together a nonfiction proposal. We sent out about ten queries and received an offer before the week was up. I have a marketing background and since that first sale—and I count that among my sales!—I have been involved in the publishing industry in many capacities. I did everything and anything: Reviewer, marketing consultant for authors, both in e-pub (before it was considered legitimate) and print, as well as for a literary agency and some consulting for a digital press. Because of those experiences I started taking note of market trends and I loved the idea of helping someone make their dreams a reality. Then, Lori Perkins and I started working together and here I am five years later, now at the Bent Agency!

Your background is in marketing; how does that impact your work as an agent? 

Good writing is always in style and always in demand, but I believe if you couple that with good, effective and targeted marketing, you could have a real winner. I am always watching the market and try to keep an eye on trends, author habits, readers’ interest, sales numbers, distribution patterns and what people are interested in. I follow as much pop culture and social media trends that I can and I pay special attention to consumer buying habits. I like to know what readers want to buy, how they spend their money, where they spend their money, what format they prefer (right now) and how they like to receive their content.  I try to help my authors focus on writing good books and then to work toward maximum market penetration.

What’s your favorite part of being an agent?

Reading good stories and manuscripts before they are books. And making dreams come true.

  

Tell us about a book you’ve read recently and loved—something that you didn’t represent.

Just finished reading:

As If! The Oral History of Clueless by Jen Chaney.

In Real Life by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang.

All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood by Jennifer Senior.

Obsession: An Erotic Tale by Gloria Vanderbilt.

The Girl From the Well by Rin Chupeco.
I am currently reading Nimona by Noelle Stevenson and also The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.

Do you recall the first book you read and loved? (Or perhaps a major favorite as a child).

As a child, Enid Blyton’s The Faraway Tree collection. I wish I could find them now!  As a teenager, anything by V.C. Andrews and Sidney Sheldon. I still think about Master of the Game once a week! Plus, all of the Sweet Dreams books.

The natural talent you would most like to have.

I wish I could sing.

What is the worst job you’ve ever had?

The funny thing is I really haven’t had a terrible one. I don’t accept jobs that I’m not going to like, and I’ve been working since I was 15! I always babysat and my first real job was working for a drug awareness campaign and we handed out bumper stickers on the beach. We spent hours walking in the hot sun and I had a fabulous time. I was a cashier in high school and loved it; even when I was a census worker in college while studying in South Africa, I found it very interesting. I REALLY LOVE to work and the jobs didn't define me, so they never really got me down. I liked to work in any way that I could. Still do. I suppose one bad one, though, was a regular babysitting job with a mother who made my skin crawl every day. It lasted a year and I rented my first NYC apartment with the money I saved. So it was worth it!

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I read a lot so I was interested in every job the characters had in the books. I wanted to be someone new every week, depending on what I’d just read! Lawyer, artist, actress, teacher, librarian. Demon slayer!

Where would you go in a time machine?

High school! I loved it then, so I can only imagine if I could do it again, but with my life experience.

What are some of your favorite movies?

I prefer TV to movies as I like to binge watch. I tend to watch dark TV shows, light movies, and read sexy books! I couldn’t watch a scary movie, but I can watch an entire series about serial killers. But if I had to pick a few movies, I’d say Clueless, Bringing Down the House, Dirty Dancing, and The Devil Wears Prada.

What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done?

Move to America, by myself, at 21 years old. And then moving to New York City, by myself, at 22. It was the scariest thing but also the most thrilling!

Pie or cake?

Neither! I like my ice cream topped with more ice cream.