Interview with TBA Agent, Beth Phelan

It's time for our monthly interview with a member of Team Bent! Up this month, the marvelous Beth Phelan...

How did you decide that you wanted to become an agent? 

I knew I wanted to work, in some way, bringing books to readers. Especially with YA lit. I originally started with an agency, as a foot in the door more than anything else, on my way to becoming an editor at a big house. But the more time I spent in agencies, the more I liked. When the time came to move on, I looked for positions at an agency. I figured out that it was where I really wanted to be.

What’s your favorite part of being an agent? 

The control. I can be a control freak and I’m really independent and self-motivated. I like to be in charge in a lot of ways. So the editor dream never would have panned out for me. I want to be able to take on the projects I love and decide to spend my time on stories and authors that I believe in. That freedom is really important to me because I love being the first on scene to really fall in love with a book and champion it to shelves.

What are you very hungry to find in your query pile? 

More of everything! I want literary YA and also big YA fantasy. I like things that are ambitious and maybe a little weird. Some kind of speculative contemporary would be great, and laugh-out-loud YA too. For adult, I’d love to add another adult thriller writer to my roster, as well as a writer of diverse contemporary romance.

Tell us about some of your projects – what’s going to hit bookstores shelves this fall or next year? 

I’m really excited to see Kathryn Ormsbee’s LUCKY FEW (Simon & Schuster Children’s) hit shelves in summer 2016. There’s homeschooling, fake near-death experiences, REAL near-death experiences… very black humor, very Harold & Maude. I love it. But this fall, I’m also really eager to see THE DEVIL’S DREAMCATCHER (Holiday House) make its way to readers who loved the first book, THE DEVIL’S INTERN by Donna Hosie, which—ahem—was a Kirkus Best Teen Book and also an ALA YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults book.

Children's books are not easy to write, but they have that reputation. Why do you think people think of them as "easy," and what is it about them that actually makes them very difficult? 

I think people underestimate kids and teens. They understand, appreciate, and remember things as well as adults do, but I think people forget that or just think the bar is lower because they aren’t as “matured” or experienced. But what’s actually difficult about writing for them, I think, aside from there just being so much more competition these days, is that they are so well-informed and they are better, more engaged learners than adults. But it’s hard to capture that authentic teen voice and be able to speak and relate to a generation that’s really just a blip in your life. It’s one of the most important blips, but it happens so fast and is so big that it’s hard to catch.

If you could see any one genre of children's books gain exponentially in strength, what would it be? 

I’d really love to see alternate history really take off!

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

I think the first time I was truly OBSESSED with a book was when I started Cate Tiernan’s Sweep series in high school. I couldn't read them fast enough and I felt so completely swept away from my life and my world that for a while I could have been convinced that my world wasn't real and that Morgan and Hunter and Cal were the real ones!

The natural talent you would most like to have? 

Photographic memory. That’s the dream, isn’t it?

What is the worst job you’ve ever had? 

I spent one summer in my teen years working at a toy store in my hometown. It was a small local chain, located in this semi-deserted outlet mall and we never needed more than one person there at a time, as not many people came in. Most of my shift would be spent trying to make our limited supply of toys and games look like they actually filled up the shelves, or else “demonstrating” the toys on the sidewalk in front (I played with a lot of bubble guns). I would occasionally get to chase kids out of the store, but they always got away with fistfuls of Yu-Gi-Oh playing cards stuffed in their pants.

What did you want to be when you grow up? 

I always wanted to be a veterinarian, until I found out that they had to euthanize pets. Sad face.

Where would you go in a time machine? 

I wouldn’t. For all the time travel I represent, the idea freaks me out!

What are some of your favorite movies? 

Ahh, favorite movies. Well, I really loved The Fall. And I love the Mighty Ducks and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Also the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost trilogy. Love me some Simon Pegg!

What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done? 

I might sound like a dork here but I think the scariest thing I’ve ever done – or at least the most scared I’ve ever been to do something that I did anyway – was agreeing to go to my first conference. I’m terrible in social situations and the idea of a conference with speed-dating pitch appointments and speaking on panels alongside well-seasoned agents had me freaked out. I also have a very real fear of public speaking. So agreeing to go wasn't easy and once I said yes, my stomach was in knots until it was over. I’ve been to many conferences since then, and it’s still a little scary every time, but definitely less so the more I do!

Pie or cake? 

Oh, cake, for sure. 

You can find more Beth here: Twitter, Tumblr, and what she's looking for.

TBA Monthly Wishlist - May 2015

It's time again for the Monthly Wishlist!  Here's the ONE project that the TBA agents would love to see in their submission inbox. If you have something that fits with the below, please check out our submission guidelines and send it over. We can't wait to read!

Molly Ker Hawn: I want sophisticated, beautifully-written YA contemporary novels that explore complex relationships.

Louise Fury: I would love to read a YA version of THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN.

Susan Hawk: I’m hungry for YA stories about surviving some kind of massive natural disaster: man-made, environmental or planetary.  Needs to have a very strong concept and excellent characters -- tell me what happens after our world is devastated.

Jenny Bent: A funny, quirky, literary family novel (for adults) like THE FAMILY FANG or WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY BESIDE OURSELVES or THE VACATIONERS.

Heather Flaherty: YA contemporary, high-stakes romance.

Victoria Lowes: A lyrical historical fiction set in early 20th century NYC.  

Beth Phelan: I’d love to see YA family stories dealing with first-generation siblings, the conflicts with their parents, and issues balancing home life with their social one. Looking for emotionally resonant, but funny and heartfelt.

Gemma Cooper: I'm closing to queries as of 1st June 2015. Please query me when I reopen in August 2015.

TBA Monthly Wishlist - March 2015

It's time again for the Monthly Wishlist!  Here's the ONE project that the TBA agents would love to see in their submission inbox. If you have something that fits with the below, please check out our submission guidelines on the website and send it over. We can't wait to read! 

Jenny Bent: A twisty turny suspense novel (for adults) with a female protagonist like GIRL ON THE TRAIN. 

Beth Phelan: I’m always looking for (but particularly hungry for it right now) diverse YA and MG authors writing stories with diverse, lively characters in epic leading roles, in any genre.

Molly Ker Hawn: I'd really like to see an emotionally resonant YA novel whose narrative structure is as inventive as Todd Hazak-Lowy's in ME BEING ME IS EXACTLY AS INSANE AS YOU BEING YOU.

Heather Flaherty:  MG or YA about the social issues girls face in school - especially the complicated relationship one has with their "best friend" and what happens when one doesn't want to be friends anymore. Or when a girl is kicked out of a friend-group. Girl social dynamics please!  

Gemma Cooper: Animals and anthropomorphic characters—I love stories with either animals as the main character, or with a close bond with a child. Examples: CHARLOTTE’S WEB, A DOG CALLED HOMELESS, THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN. Or what about historical fiction seen through the eyes of an animal—major events in history with a dog or cat or pig or...etc. narrator?

Victoria Lowes: A contemporary romance with a hint of magical realism like The Time Traveler’s Wife.

Susan Hawk: A MG mystery or detective novel, especially with a historical element. Think FROM THE MIXED UP FILES or CHASING VERMEER.  Fast-paced, with complex characters.

A Conversation with Heather Flaherty

As we transition out of last month's topic, Conferences, we're bringing you another new feature that you can expect to see on the blog regularly – an interview with one of the TBA agents.  We're starting with Heather Flaherty, who joined the agency earlier this year.  We had a couple questions we were dying to ask about Heather's previous work as a scout, her favorite movies, her dog, and... well, you'll see.  If you read on, you'll understand how happy we all are that Heather's now part of the TBA team.  She's the bee's knees!  More on what she's looking for here and here.  And now for the questions...

In your bio, you mention that you started working in NYC as a playwright!  I’m fascinated!  What can you tell us about that?  Did you perform as well?  Were some of your plays produced? 

Yes! I did. It’s actually what lead me to writing novels, which led me to publishing! I will always appreciate my playwright beginnings for the solid handle on dialogue they gave me. And yes, I did have a couple produced – one was even off-Broadway (literally, not technically… lol!) And—this is something I have kept to myself for a very long time, but—yes, I did perform. I even had an agent here in NYC. 

You also mention some country-hopping, which sounds very fun.  Where did you go?  I guess you lived the longest in London; anywhere else you stayed for a while?  Any place you can imagine another life in, Sliding Doors style? 

I have so many sliding door fantasies! I’d visited a lot of places when I was in my teens, thanks to my folks. But my first independent move was when I was 21: I moved to the west coast of Ireland and worked as a pony trekking guide in Connemara (I know, right?). I spent some time with the Irish boy I was dating when I was there, then moved back to New England and married him. We then moved to London, because at the time I was like, “What the hell! We need to do that because we CAN!” Then we moved to California, again for the same reason. I feel like in our younger years we were constantly searching for the place to make our lives better, or perfect, instead of looking within ourselves. We moved back to England again, to Bath and the West Country for a bunch of years… it was beautiful. Then after a year or so in North Carolina, which was super fun, we put roots down in NYC so I could ramp up my career.

Some folks might not know what a scout does.  Can you explain?  Can you tell us about some exciting books you read/were involved in as a scout?

Oooo… the mysteries of scouting revealed! Dun dundun! Okay, so scouts are hired by Hollywood and foreign publishers as sort-of consultants to advise them what upcoming books they should be buying for filming and publishing. They ALWAYS want to know scouts’ predictions for the biggest books (which they compete with other similar companies with scouts for), but also they have specific tastes themselves for smaller books that we have to keep an eye out for. Basically, scouts act as a filter, cutting down the mass numbers of books out there, to a smaller amount they should consider for their own particular lists. And… we also try to have inside knowledge of the bigger books, books being positioned as lead titles, books set to go viral, and especially books recently sold and being produced for film – we try to keep our clients ahead of their competition. To do this, we of course read like crazy, read super fast, get everything we possibly can as early as humanly possible, and of course keep an ear in Hollywood to know what’s recently been bought for film adaptation. 

The most exciting books for me were those I was able to directly help my clients acquire, like All The Bright Places, An Ember In The Ashes, Will Grayson, Will Grayson, A Study In Charlotte, Riders, and The Walls Around Us.

People are always curious about trends.  Scouting likely gave you a great sense of that.  What can you tell us about trends in YA and MG? Elsewhere in books? 

Trends are funny and complicated, some are decade-long waves that go in and out of popularity forever… I kid you not, come 2030, we’ll be craving our vampires again! Others come and go quicker than we expected due to UTTER saturation (hello dystopian!). And there are those trends that are forever, they just gain and lose in popularity through the years like Christmas-cookie weight – i.e., YA contemporary.  Right now, the trending I find most interesting isn’t in genre, it’s in audience age-range. Kids are reading above their proposed ranges, and expecting far more mature themes and topics. Middle-graders are expecting more grit in their reading, and even some darkness, something they can relate to, because they’re growing up way quicker each year. That’s not to say that a cute, fun adventure story is no longer valid; it’s to say that those books need a little more oomph in general.

Before becoming an agent, I marketed children’s books, so that’s a lens that I look through as I consider new projects and building a client’s career.  How does being a scout inform your approach to agenting?

Scouting takes into consideration every part of the business: the house and imprint who bought the initial book, how they bought it (auction, pre-empt, etc.), sale price, list-position, marketing backing, foreign territory sales and position, film interest, where it lies inside or outside the current trend, how the acquiring house will treat their next books and that author, what the future trends will be, cultural mirror/impact, and generally how books fair against one another… and so much more I'm leaving out. I feel all these aspects of being a scout mirror being an agent. The difference is, a scout banks on a book for a moment in time, whereas an agent banks on an author for the indeterminable future. (Generally speaking, of course).

What's your dream project to find?  What are you really hungry for, as an agent?

I’m looking for a lot right now. My wishlist basically changes daily with my mood. But right now, the thing I find I’m most yearning for, is excellent YA contemporary with a very specific character voice, dealing with teen issues – these issues don’t have to be extreme, they can be normal high-school BS, because frankly, those are extreme as it is. Especially when you’re there.

You're building your client list, and have taken on your first writers.  What can you tell us about their projects? 

They’re so awesome… and varied. MG and YA contemporary, magical realism, fantasy, gothic horror, period, and uber pop-cult, to name just a few. I am insanely excited and grateful for such talented people to have saddled up with me.  ☺

Finally, can you tell us about some of your favorite books, authors and movies?  Is there a book that made you want to work in publishing? 

Ahhh… Best. Question. Ever.  So… I’d been knee-deep in classics for FOREVER, especially when I was on the grad-school track. I remember looking in a tiny bookstore’s window one day while passing through a crookedy old town and seeing this amazing cover… all black with what looked like Snow-White’s hands offering a red apple. And it hit me: I don’t read enough popular fiction. Hell, I don’t read ANY popular fiction. So I bought it, and fell in love with YA right then and there. Yup, Twilight was in fact the book that introduced me to YA… and for that I will always appreciate it. Other nostalgic faves: 13 Reasons Why, Before I Fall, The Hunger Games, Mortal Instruments, Maximum Ride, The Maze Runner, Divergent, all of Roald Dahl, The Book Thief, The Mists Of Avalon, Jane Eyre, and Watership Down (I have always loved those damn bunnies).

But I have to say… there’s some remarkable stuff coming out next year that have already trumped my faves… sadly, I can’t talk about those!  

Movies!  Oh God, movies shaped me, and I still struggle with the fact that life is not like them. Goonies has to be my #1 all-time favorite. Otherwise, The Secret of NIMH, The Last Unicorn, all animated movies ever, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Legend, Star Wars (the oldies), Back to the Future, Indiana Jones, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow... I also was a big gamer (and still am) – I love how far the industry has come, these games have become interactive movies basically, on an epic scale!

What’s on the bedside reading table?

Letters to a Young Poet, by Rainer Maria Rilke.

If you weren’t an agent, or involved in books at all, what would you be?  I think there’s a secret opera singer in me somewhere….

Looks like we got a karaoke night in front of us, Susan. I’d be a large animal vet.

Ok, true confessions time…please tell us five silly or unusual things about yourself!

• I wish my love of bluegrass music came from something deeper than seeing the movie O Brother Where Art Thou.
• I secretly dream of being a sheepherder, in like 1430. Then I think of toilets and gender equality.
• I’m a gamer, favoring RPGs because I truly live vicariously through my little person running around on the screen. Escapism much?
• Sometimes I listen to Gregorian chant in the morning, and pretend I’m in a medieval church.
• This is my dog on his birthday…  yes. I did that to him. I’m THAT person.

 

And finally, if you could have lunch with any writer, living or dead, who would it be? Why?

Allie Brosh. Love her. Love her sense of humor, her experiential way of writing/blogging, and her inward struggles.