Category: Agent Interviews

Agent Interview: Emily Mitchell (Wernick & Pratt Agency)

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This month’s Industry Insider Interview is with Emily Mitchell, an agent at Wernick & Pratt Agency. Emily began her career at Sheldon Fogelman Agency where she says she “handled submissions, subsidiary rights, and coffee.”

Emily then spent eleven years at Charlesbridge Publishing as senior editor, contracts manager, and director of corporate strategy. Things get wonky from there (details on that below) before she eventually found her way to Wernick & Pratt Agency, where she’s been since 2013.

But that’s all just the stock bio material. Let’s gamify this getting-​to-​know Emily thing by playing 9 Biographical Truths and 1 Whopper! Ready?

Emily:

  1. is the shortest person in her family.
  2. considers herself a “terrible eater.”
  3. unironically believes Grease 2 to be a Top 3 movie.
  4. has a playlist that’s an even balance between show tunes and Kesha.
  5. thinks that in her heart of hearts, she’s a twelve-​year-​old kid.
  6. ran five overnight, 200-​mile relay races before she got old and lazy.
  7. can juggle any fruit smaller than grapefruit (she has tiny hands).
  8. regularly conflates loungewear with sleepwear, especially in the past year.
  9. has a fave gadget—a desktop coffee mug warmer.
  10. enjoys an ALL CAPS relationship with the Cubs and Red Sox.

Here are some URLs to get to know Emily and her agency even more, if you’re so inclined. But let’s delay no longer. It’s time for the interview!

RVC: Let’s deal with the career elephant in the room. Not only do you have an MBA, but you left publishing at one point to join corporate America. What the *!$#^ happened? 

EM: I had a little midlife crisis in my early/​mid thirties. I got my MBA and stuck with publishing for a while, but I was determined to branch out—if only to make some more money, and to prove to myself that the skills I’d developed in publishing really were transferable to other industries. I ended up doing marketing communications strategy for a large printing company.

I liked my coworkers, and the work was fine, with some new challenges I enjoyed. But the job and the industry didn’t inspire or motivate me the way publishing did. And then I got laid off. Wheeee!

RVC: It happens to the best of us. I’m glad you found your back to the book world.

EM: Me, too! Fortunately, my former coworkers from my first publishing job had since started their own agency, and were willing to take me on.

RVC: In some of your bios, you claim that you were supposed to be a teacher. What’s the story there?

EM: I grew up in a family and a community full of teachers. I really didn’t understand till I was like nine that there were, in fact, other jobs in the world.

I went to college expecting to become a high school English teacher, and after undergrad, went directly into a master’s program in secondary English ed. I graduated in the middle of a school year and moved to the NYC area to be with my fiancé (now husband). I figured I’d get a job for a few months, and then look for a teaching position for the following school year. Instead, I found a job at a literary agency specializing in children’s books, and that was that.

RVC: Let’s talk agenting. What does a typical day look like for you? 

EM: *snorty laughter* There is no typical day. Most days include a bunch of emailing: follow-​ups on submissions, follow-​ups on contracts, follow-​ups on permissions. Then there’s redlining contracts, working on sub lists and pitch letters, and drafting foreign rights agreements and permission letters. Sometimes I have client calls or editor calls, and I have regular Skypes with my colleagues a few times a week. If I’m lucky, there’s reading and commenting on client manuscripts, and/​or reviewing non-​client submissions.

Sometimes, there’s also handling tech issues (I am the IT department), making website updates (I am the webmaster), waiting on hold with the IRS (I am the foreign-​tax-​exemption filer), and posting client news online (I am the social media manager). Working at a small company means we all wear many hats.

RVC: Wow!

EM: Oh, and there’s also normal life stuff, like doing laundry and taking the dog out and getting a kid to the orthodontist and helping with musical rehearsals and going to the post office and watching the other kid’s softball game and putting out various fires in my volunteer life. I would be nowhere without my phone, which lets me be reachable and work-​able even when I’m not at my desk.

RVC: That’s it. I AM impressed. But I’m curious–what’s your agenting style like in terms of how you deal with current and prospective clients?

EM: I’m much more of a writer than a talker—I do most of my communications with my clients over email. That said, I’m always happy to hop on the phone with a client when they need it.

Apart from that, I try to adjust my style to whatever the client needs. I have some clients who don’t want any updates about their projects on submission: once it’s out of their hands and in mine, they don’t want to hear anything unless and until we have an offer. For other clients, I send regular submissions check-​ins, and we brainstorm ideas for other editors and imprints together. Some people have lots of questions about their contracts; some people just sign and return with little fanfare. I try to be flexible.

RVC: If you had to summarize the most important thing you’ve learned about agenting, what would it be?

EM: Don’t lie. I mean—I’m not a lying person anyway, or at least I try not to be. But I have found my strongest negotiating tool is just to be honest and clear about we want and why. I hope that’s my reputation with editors and contracts departments, and I think my clients appreciate knowing that I’m neither sugarcoating nor catastrophizing whatever news I have for them.

RVC: You recently scored a multi-​book deal for the Arithmechicks. What do you like most about that series?

EM: Honestly, the title sold itself. Chickens! Math! ARITHMECHICKS! Ann Marie Stephens uses her experience as a first-​grade teacher to make books that are so engaging, and so clearly trade (as opposed to textbooks or educational books). They’re just terrific.

RVC: How do you go about crafting a pitch for a series? What’s your strategy?

EM: Arithemechicks notwithstanding, I don’t actually do a ton of series or multi-​book deals, at least for picture books. I’ll often sell a book that has series potential, which I’ll mention in the pitch, but in my experience, publishers are hesitant to make a big bet on a full series off the bat. They’d rather buy one or two and see how those do before acquiring more.

I’ve also found recently that some publishers are open to multi-​book deals where the subsequent books are untitled or unspecified—an open contract, essentially. While this can demonstrate a commitment on the publisher’s part to support the author for a medium- to long-​term, in practice, it can end up being more of a burden than a boon. There’s not necessarily urgency on the publisher’s part to line up a manuscript for that second or third book, so the author ends up submitting story after story that the publisher can reject, which can stall momentum or cast a pall on the relationship. It’s one of those things where both parties go into it with the best of intentions, but the outcomes can be less than ideal.

RVC: A good number of OPB readers are writers who want to land an agent. What’s a question or two most don’t ask prospective agents…but they should?

EM: I think agents and authors need to have clear expectations going into a working relationship. How long could it take to sell a project? What are the likely terms for a picture book acquisition? How many books can a client reasonably work on in a year? What happens if an agent doesn’t sell a project quickly, or at all?

RVC: That’s a good list of questions, for sure. Readers? Take note!

EM: Publishing is a deeply weird industry, with lots of historical practices that don’t really make sense anymore. It’s also an extremely slow industry: books acquired today aren’t likely to be published before 2023. (My MBA classmates who work in high-​tech and finance were flummoxed when I explained that our time-​to-​market was measured in years, not weeks or months.)

RVC: I, too, am flummoxed by this. Clearly we have the technology and infrastructure to go from manuscript to finished book in a few months, or less. Why not make that the norm? Why insist on the wait?

EM: Well, part of the waiting for picture books is art: illustrators need time to create and perfect their vision for the text. Another part is production: most picture books are printed in Asia, so it takes time to get books physically to market on container ships. But it’s true: in publishing, we wait All The Time—for responses to submissions, for draft contracts to arrive, for revisions to be done, for monies to hit the bank account, etc.

People hear lots of buzz about high-​stakes auctions and rapid-​fire acquisitions and books being crashed to market, but that’s not the reality for most books or most creators. We don’t do ourselves any favors by setting our expectations based on the latest deal announcement or Twitter thread.

RVC: How important is it for picture book writers to have an agent these days?

EM: It’s more important than it used to be, as houses have consolidated even further, and more imprints are closed to submissions. It’s still not 100% necessary, but having an agent makes it easier to get your work seen by editors, and gives you protection and perspective when it comes to contracts.

RVC: Brag time. What’s a picture book project you’re really excited about? 

EM: This is the “who is your favorite kid” question, isn’t it?

RVC: Yes, indeedy!

EM: I can’t possibly pick just one. I’ll cheat and name a handful of upcoming 2022 titles:

RVC: Two last questions for this part of the interview. If I asked Marcia (Wernick) and Linda (Pratt) what they thought your agenting secret weapon was, they’d say…

EM: I think they appreciate my experience working at a publisher. I’ve got behind-​the-​scenes knowledge and an understanding of the “other side” of the negotiating table, which can be helpful in sorting through certain issues.

RVC: What’s your ACTUAL agenting secret weapon?

EM: A painful aversion to an inbox that’s more than one screen full (i.e., if I have to scroll to see all the messages, I AM BEHIND AND THAT IS BAD).

RVC: Okay, Emily. Here we go—it’s the LIGHTNING ROUND! The questions will zip. The answers will zap. Are you prepared?

EM: Zop.

RVC: Best place in Massachusetts to get a Fluffernutter?

EM: Fluffernutters are disgusting. Our go-​to apple-​picking place is Carlson Orchards in Harvard, MA. They have excellent cider donuts and hard cider.

RVC: A theme song that describes your agenting life right now?

EM: “BusyBusyBusy” by Sandra Boynton, from the brilliant Philadelphia Chickens.

RVC: You’ve got four extra Hoodsie Cups. Which four figures from the world of picture books gets invited over for an ice cream social?

EM: James Marshall, Frances the badger, Jan Thomas’s Fat Cat, and Ashley Bryan.

RVC: A recent picture book that really caught your attention?

EM: Since COVID kept our library closed to the public till just recently, I haven’t had the chance to do a lot of serendipitous browsing. That said, I’m intrigued by Home Is in Between by Mitali Perkins, illustrated by Lavanya Naidu.

RVC: Five words that sum up your picture book philosophy?

EM: “Can we tighten this up?”

RVC: A favorite line from a recent picture book you repped?

EM: “Except when the drag coefficient causes the end of fun.” From Frank Dormer’s forthcoming. We Have a Playdate (Abrams).

RVC: Thanks so much, Emily! Oh, and for those who wanted to know what the Whopper of a Lie was in the introductory bio, it’s the juggling (though she does have tiny hands). No joke!

Agent Interview: Adria Goetz (Martin Literary Management)

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This month’s Industry Insider Interview is with Adria Goetz, a Senior Literary Manager at Martin Literary Management. In addition to earning a BA in English (with a creative writing emphasis) from the University of Washington, she graduated from The Columbia Publishing Course’s intensive coursework in all aspects of book, magazine, and digital media publishing.

Before moving into her current role, Adria worked in the Pierce County Library System’s Communications department, in addition to spending three years as an intern and assistant at Martin Literary.

These days, she lives in an old Victorian farmhouse in the Seattle area—which she dearly hopes is haunted with friendly ghosts—with her husband and two cats.

Adria represents a wide range of writing, including:

  • picture books
  • middle grade
  • young adult
  • graphic novels
  • adult fiction (especially rom-​coms, female-​driven thrillers/​suspense, and general fiction)
  • quirky gift books
  • Christian devotionals

Let’s share some links and get right to the interview!

RVC: I’ve heard rumors that you’ve got a secret weapon in terms of your agenting—the 5 in 5 Rule. Care to dish?

AG: Sure! The 5 in 5 rule is: if I can’t think of 5 specific editors I’d send a project to within reading five chapters of a manuscript, I pass. This is because I want to make sure that if I offer representation to someone, it’s because I love their work but also because I think I’m the right advocate for them. If I don’t have a good sense for which editors would be a good fit for a project, then I’m probably not the right fit for that writer and am better off cheering them on from the sidelines, rather than guiding their career.

RVC: What’s the picture book equivalent of 5 in 5?

AG: I think it’s the same general idea with picture books, in that when I’m reviewing a picture book submission, I really need to make sure that I have a strong sense for which editors are looking for that type of project. Most of the time with picture books, I can make that call at based off their pitch/​description of the project in their query letter. If the concept excites me, then I’ll take a good look at the manuscript to review the writing.

RVC: What appeals to you most about picture books?

AG: I’m a very visual person and I’ve always loved art (my house is covered in art and wallpaper with lots of different patterns and textures), so I love that picture books are a very unique and specific form of visual storytelling.

RVC: What was the story of your first picture book sale?

AG: Aw! The first picture book I ever sold was Rice from Heaven, which was written by Tina Cho and illustrated by Keum Jin Song, and sold to Little Bee Books. I represented the author, Tina Cho, who crafted a really interesting manuscript based on a real story of people in South Korea who fill giant balloons full of rice and float them over the mountainous border into North Korea, with the hope that they’ll be able to help feed the starving, impoverished people who live there. It’s a beautiful story of empathy and kindness.

RVC: That sounds absolutely lovely.

AG: We submitted it to a small list of publishers, and we received good feedback, but it felt like something was missing. It was sort of a straightforward text at the time. I shared the manuscript with my colleague Clelia Gore [OPB interjection and horn-​tooting here–we interviewed her back in 2020!] to get her perspective, and she encouraged us to rework the language to make it feel more lyrical. Once I gave that simple note to Tina, it was like she knew exactly what to do. She reworked it to make it more lyrical and poetic, and the text came to life. We shopped that new version and sold it pretty quickly to Little Bee Books.

Tina Cho was one of the first clients I ever signed, and she really, really took a chance on a brand new, very green agent. Since then, we’ve done a slew of books together: Rice from Heaven (Little Bee Books, 2018), Korean Celebrations (Tuttle, 2018), My Breakfast with Jesus (Harvest House Kids, 2020), The Ocean Calls (Kokila, 2020) which received three starred reviews, and an upcoming graphic novel-​in-​verse called The Other Side of Tomorrow, which will publish with HarperAlley in 2023. There will be many more in the future, too!

RVC: I know The Ocean Calls quite well. It even made it onto the OPB 20 Favorites of 2020 list!

AG: It’s a very special book!

RVC: What about Rice from Heaven initially grabbed you in manuscript form?

AG: I loved that it showed an example of a tangible way to show kindness in a very conflict-​filled world.

RVC: Let’s get into the agenting day-​to-​day stuff. You recently announced on Twitter that while you’ve never closed to queries before, you’re temporarily doing that. How bloated did you inbox get?

AG: That’s right, this is the first time I’ve EVER closed since I started agenting! It’s bittersweet because I love getting to review submissions every day. I’ve never felt like, “Ugh, my slush pile.” I still think it’s somewhat magical to wake up every morning and have a bunch of new stories in my inbox, waiting for me to read them. I only closed because I am taking a temporary medical leave while I recover from an upcoming surgery. (Nothing scary, for what it’s worth.) I already can’t wait to open back up, though!

RVC: I’ll definitely be sending you some warm, healing thoughts!

AG: Thanks!

RVC: In the past, you’ve given a workshop entitled “The Art of the Query Letter.” What’s the extra pizzazz you recommend people use to capture the attention of an agent or editor?

AG: I love teaching that workshop! The most important part of query letters is to make sure to include all of the basics: title, genre, reader category (meaning PB, MG, YA, etc.), word count, concise pitch, comp titles, and an author bio.

My hyper-​specific “pro tip” is to use a specific subject line in your email. When I receive a query, the first place I usually see it is on my phone when I get an email notification. So if I see the subject line “Query” or “Submission” it doesn’t catch my eye and I’ll probably quickly shuffle it to my query folder to look at later. But if I were to see the subject line “Query for MG Fantasy – THE LIBRARY OF CURIOSITIES” I’m instantly intrigued, and probably going to stop everything I’m doing to take a look. And that did happen, by the way, when Jenny Lundquist queried me with The Library of Curiosities, which we are now shopping. 🙂

RVC: When you start reading queries again, what type of picture books would you be most interested in seeing? Mermaids? Raccoons? Ghosts? Karaōke? Something else?

AG: Yes to all of those! Also, my picture book trinity tends to be the three following categories: humor, Own Voices, and magical.

RVC: I find that writers often aren’t sure how to navigate a career that spans both the Christian and general marketplace. What advice do you have for them? 

AG: I would say: learn how to tailor your projects for both markets. Some projects might be inspired by scripture, but if they don’t directly reference the Bible or the Christian faith, they could potentially appeal to the general market. It works the other way around, too. Rice from Heaven by Tina Cho and Keum Jin Song, Taste Your Words by Bonnie Clark and Todd Bright, and The Other Side of Tomorrow by Tina Cho and Deb Lee are a few examples of projects that were pitched to both markets.

RVC: Do you have other clients who offer a good blueprint for this kind of wide-​ranging career?

AG: Caryn Rivadeneira and Dave Connis both write for the general market and the Christian market, and juggle things beautifully, I think.

RVC: Speaking of advice, what’s the best piece of agenting advice you ever received?

AG: My boss Sharlene Martin has always said, “You can’t get what you don’t ask for.” And my colleague Clelia Gore has oftentimes told me, “Plead your case.” I keep both of these in mind when I’m negotiating for my clients, or advocating on their behalf. It’s amazing what you can get if you just ask for what you want, and explain why you should get it. It’s very intuitive and it’s basically Negotiating 101, but it’s stuck with me because I remember when I was a kid watching Trump on “Celebrity Apprentice” and just thinking… there’s no way I could ever be a businesswoman that negotiates because I thought you had to be a bully in order to be good at negotiating. It seemed so scary to me. Now that I’m in the real world as an adult, working with all female mentors and in a heavily female industry, I know that when it comes to negotiating, just being smart and respectful in negotiations can usually get you what you want.

RVC: I ask this a lot, but writers want me to keep asking, so here goes. What are your thoughts on illustration notes?

AG: I think a handful of illustration notes in a picture book manuscript is just fine. I encourage my clients to only use them when it’s something that is crucial to the storytelling, and can only happen within the illustrations themselves. It’s also a project-​by-​project basis. For example, comedic picture books that utilize dissonance between what the character is saying and what is happening in the art, like The Big Bed by Bunmi Laditan, might require more notes to clearly communicate what’s going on in the story.

RVC: We’re on the same page here, it seems. We reviewed The Big Bed, as well!

Now, here’s a weird curveball question—in your “My Favorite Books” board on Pinterest, you have Lisel Mueller’s Alive Together: New and Selected Poems. She’s one of my top five poets of all time because of how she (among other things) manipulates language and animates the world with wonder and sorrow in equal measure. I could go on and on about the bittersweet, shadowy depths of her writing.

What do you like about her work?

AG: Oh my goodness, that collection of poetry is just pure magic, isn’t it? I pulled out my copy this morning and have been rereading all of the dog-​eared and marked-​up pages I have. I personally love reading poetry that feels very accessible, but still has depth to it, which is exactly how I would describe her work. You can see how much empathy and imagination and whimsy she had as a person, but as someone who was a young girl in Germany as the Nazis were rising to power, and then immigrated with her family to the United States, she experienced a lot of trauma and grief at a very formative time in her life, and you can see that in her work. So, her poetry has whimsy, but it also has grit, and I think that’s a really captivating combination.

P.S. It makes me so happy to think of people visiting that Pinterest board, so thank you!

RVC: Happy to help!

Now… last question for this part of the interview. What’s a current picture book project that you’re totally stoked about?

AG: Lou by Breanna Carzoo. It’s about a fire hydrant named Lou who has grown weary of being the neighborhood dog toilet. It’s hilarious, the art is incredible, and I’m so excited for it to publish with HarperCollins in 2022.

RVC: Hah–sounds great! But now it’s time for the SPEED ROUND. Blasty fasty question and zippy skippy answers please. Are…you…ready?

AG: Let’s do it.

RVC: Dinosaurs, dragons, or dolphins?

AG: Dragons.

RVC: Best place to get a Seattle cup of coffee?

AG: Jewel Box Café. Mostly because of the atmosphere—it has a very dark academia aesthetic, you feel like you’re having a cup of coffee in the Beauty and the Beast library.

RVC: If you had to be “trapped” in a picture book for a day, what book would you choose?

AG: Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall! I’d love to be a lighthouse keeper.

RVC: What’s a recent Christian picture book that really got your attention?

AG: I thought The Wonder That Is You by Glenys Nellist and Aurelie Blanz was beautiful.

RVC: What’s the One That Got Away?

AG: Oh, gosh! Just one? So many people have turned me down over the years! Well, there is one wonderful author/​illustrator in particular who comes to mind, but I won’t mention her by name. She signed with an incredible agent though, so I really don’t blame her!

RVC: Your picture book philosophy in five words or less.

AG: Every child deserves a mirror.

RVC: Thanks so much, Adria! This has been fun.

Agent Interview: Liza Fleissig @ Liza Royce Agency LLC

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Let me introduce you to literary agent Liza Fleissig, who opened the Liza Royce Agency (LRA) with partner Ginger Harris-​Dontzin in 2011. They describe their business as “a cross-​platform company providing development, representation, and strategic career management for clients in all media” that has a goal “to represent clients in all stages of their careers, from the most established to those developing their craft, as well as debuts.”

An unexpected bonus that Liza and Ginger bring to the agenting world is a combined 40 years of negotiating experience thanks to being partners in NYC litigation firms prior to launching LRA. From the start, LRA books have won awards and made waves.

Let’s find out why!

RVC: Clearly you had other plans than being a literary agent (witness those many years in the legal world). What got you back into a more bookish life?

LF: I had been searching for something creative to do for a long time after my children were born. I loved practicing law, but it started to feel more like a chore than a career, and I knew it was time to take a break. I’m a voracious reader and always had a strong sphere of influence from friends in the publishing and film industries, and the light bulb just went off. I guess when you come from an entrepreneurial family, it’s in your blood to take risks and try new things.

RVC: Most people who interview agents ask this same question: “What does a typical day in your life look like?” I’ll bet my next picture-​book manuscript that I already know your answer, which has six parts, given in no particular order beyond how they came to me.

  1. being a great mom to kids (school, homework, sports/​events)
  2. making terrific meals (more on this later)
  3. pounding through work emails, dealing with contracts, and reading/​editing client work
  4. multitasking (probably with lunch meetings, exercise, and hobbies)
  5. being an attentive spouse/​family member
  6. reading, reading, reading until the stars lull you to sleep

Well, did I nail it? Am I close?

LF: Wow, if only… You make it sound so seamless.

My life is more of a comedic sitcom. Especially these days–between the pandemic, remote learning, clients around the country, working with our LA people, and finalizing a project with a company in India–I barely know what day it is. I always try to start the day with a plan, but inevitably by mid-​morning madness ensues; though somehow, almost magically, everything falls into place by the time my husband gets home.

Seriously, one time on a work conference call, my new puppy spilled her water bowl so I slipped and fell, as my daughter called out that her toilet was clogged, and a bottle of ketchup crashed everywhere as I knocked it over trying to get to the paper towels. My apartment looked like a crime scene.

But by the end of the day, it was like it never happened…

RVC: I know the feeling!

Since your life is full of curve balls, let me toss you one more by way of asking something that people rarely ask industry folks. What do you see as the role of the picture book writer in the world?

LF: Such a great question! Picture books are such a special way to introduce kids to the world around them. So, writers who can break down important subjects, offer developmentally appropriate information, or discuss exceptional inspiring people in relatable terms, play such an important role in our future generations’ ways of thinking.

That said, picture book writers should also bring joy and the silly. Like adults, kids need downtime too–and sometimes just want to have fun!

RVC: One of your first big picture book hits was Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine, by Laurie Wallmark (who we just interviewed at OPB a few months back). What was it about that book that landed so well with readers and critics (witness three starred reviews—Kirkus, PW, and Booklist)?

LF: Ahh, Laurie Wallmark is an über talented nonfiction writer. You might be surprised to know that her books often take months, if not years, to research. She literally checks out every single book she can find in the library about her subject, often even from other lending libraries. And unlike many picture book bio authors, she writes the dialogue with the subject’s actual words. Through diaries, letters, and other artifacts, she weaves stories with so much dimension.

RVC: Another of your books that’s now garnering a lot of awards and attention is a book we featured here at OPB—Sophia Gholz’s The Boy Who Grew a Forest. That book came out a year ago, though, and my writer friends who publish adult titles with big NYC houses tell me their books get a few months before being deemed a winner (or not). 

How true does that limited success window seem to be for picture books?

LF: There is no magic formula, and whether a big house deems something a winner or not, we see things differently. There are many backlisted books that still get a ton of our attention, and rightly so. Sure, it’s great if your book comes out of the gate swinging, but others can attain just as much success with a slow burn. Circumstances can’t be controlled (pandemic, weather, etc.) but a good book is a good book anytime it finds its way into the right reader’s hands!

RVC: What about for MG or YA?

LF: The same holds true for MG and YA.

RVC: Let’s talk about the challenge of building a brand. In your mind, what IS a successful writer brand? At what point in a writing career should someone have one? What might a writer expect an agent do to create/​maintain/​expand their brand? 

LF: This is not a quick answer or even a one-​size-​fits-​all kind. Some writers are prolific, writing across different genres and even age groups. Others definitely benefit from having a brand–but what is “successful” isn’t the “brand,” it’s the author. Either the author is finding his or her audience, or not. And, what to expect from an agent is opening a Pandora’s box.

I don’t want to speak for others, but LRA is a cross-​platform agency, so we really work with our clients on all levels, from development of the IP to exploiting it on different mediums, and doing so can often include marketing support, from helping with social media building to organizing launch events.

RVC: Your client, Amy Moore, says she knew you were The One when you gave a list of spot-​on revision requests. How extensive do those get? And how much back-​and-​forth generally happens between a client first sending you a manuscript and you firing it off to editors?

LF: As many times as it takes. Full stop.

RVC: Great answer!

LF: We have a very intensive process, both with employing former acquiring editors to weigh in for us, along with our own comments. And between the two of us, Ginger is really the “Picture Book Queen” and goes way into the weeds on PB revisions and it often takes numerous rewrites before we even consider sending it off. Yes, it can take a while, but LRA is known for very strong and polished submissions, even if they miss the mark, and that will never change.

RVC: Your clients are lucky, lucky, lucky,

Now, when you started LRA, it seemed like you participated in a lot of conferences, events, and contests. How much is that a part of what you do now?

LF: No dust grows here. We are happy to attend all of the conferences we did before, such as SCBWI and Thrillerfest any time they will have us–even virtually–and are always open to new ones. We believe that engaging with the community and meeting talent at all stages in their career remains important.

RVC: In all your experience with agenting, what has surprised you the most?

LF: How even when an editor loves a book, and an entire editorial team loves a book, it can still be turned down at acquisitions. There are so many aspects to this business that transcend the joy of storytelling, which can be super frustrating.

RVC: I’ll squeeze in one more question before getting to the last part of the interview. Some people might not realize this, but you’re a longtime, hardcore vegan who makes meat dishes for your family. If you were ever going to eat meat again, which of your own dishes would you nosh on?

LF: Honestly, it’s a non-​starter. I have been vegan for decades, before it was even a “thing,” and meat doesn’t appeal to me on any level. But if you’re hinting at which meals am I most known for? Lambchops are my kids’ favorite, with my Mexican taco night being a close second, and then meat lasagna and Cajun shrimp with sausage are tied at third.

That said, I started making “Freezer Family meals” with a crock pot during the pandemic, and I feel like a major chef now 😊

RVC: I’m trying to stop thinking about tacos because it’s time for the SPEED ROUND! Quicky questions and zippy answers, please. Ready?

LF: Sure.

RVC: What secret talent do you have that no one would suspect?

LF: I have a keen intuition–my family calls it my Spidey Sense and friends call me a witch!

RVC: What’s your literary mascot?

LF: Ha! My puppy. She is a Maltipoo and her name is Lambchop. Lamby follows me everywhere!

RVC: Your favorite place to get pizza in NYC?

LF: This is tricky since as you noted, I’m vegan. But my kids love Don Filippo. They have tons of different types of pizza you can get by the slice plus their garlic knots are fantastic.

RVC: The last WOW-​good picture book not by a client?

LF: The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld–it’s stunning and brilliant. And I am happy to give a shout-​out to Cori’s agent, Rachel Orr, who is amazing at spotting talent.

RVC: What would Ginger say is your agenting superpower? 

LF: That I am relentless and never give up when I am passionate about a project.

RVC: The next picture book trend you hope to see?

LF: Hmmm…that’s a good question. Not sure about a “trend” but I think any PB that empowers kids or deals with a historical subject that engages a child to read and learn are my soft spots. Those and silly ones! There’s always room for humor!

RVC: Thanks for stopping by OPB, Liza. We loved having you here!

LF: Thanks for having me! It’s always humbling to be asked.

Agent Interview: Stephen Barr (Writers House)

On By Only Picture BooksIn Agent Interviews

This month, we welcome Stephen Barr to the OPB friends and family club. He’s an agent at Writers House, which is one of the largest literary agencies in the industry.

Fun fact: it’s an actual house—see for yourself!

Back to Stephen…he graduated from UCLA with a degree in English, then flew to NYC with the goal of riding the carousel in Central Park…and maybe becoming an editor. If you bribe him with a Frappuccino, he’ll confess he didn’t even know literary agents existed, but after coming up short in his hunt for one of a slew of editorial assistant jobs, he chased internships, and those were all at literary agencies. So, he landed an agent’s assistant gig at Writers house, and the rest is literary history.

But that’s not enough Stephenness. We need more! So, here are seven fun Stephen-​centric bio-facts.

  1. He had a New York Times article written about him in 2011 where he confessed to being “freakishly, dangerously ambitious.”
  2. His clients include David Macaulay (Caldecott Medalist and MacArthur Fellow), Emily Hughes, and Christopher Silas Neal
  3. He loves silly and/​or sweet and/​or heartbreaking picture books
  4. His Twitter bio awesomely claims “customer at Pancake House”
  5. He’s 110% pro-lightsaber
  6. He wrote and recorded a song to score a book trailer for the very first book he found in the slush pile
  7. He met his future wife in the spiral staircase at Writers House, five years before their first date

For those of you who want to check out Stephen social-​media-​wise, here are some URLs. Everyone else? Let’s get to that interview!

RVC: You joined Writers House in 2008. What’s the story of how you got there? Where did you develop the itch for agenting?

SB: Had I known that literary agents existed, I suspect I would’ve been pretty laser focused on becoming one! But editors are more visible cultural figures, I’d argue, in a way that literary agents are not, so the former was all I knew while growing up as a bookworm.

After graduating from college in Southern California, moving to New York with crossed fingers and whiffing a handful of interviews for editorial assistant positions, I started interning at Writers House and saw how much room for variety and self-​starting there is in agenting.

Cue the itch!

RVC: Please share your literary-​world résumé gimmick. 

SB: Alas, there were quite a few, some more embarrassing than others, but I landed an interview at Bantam Books by rubber-​banding my resume around a Batman action figure, which I’d spent a few hours adapting from “Submarine Adventure Batman” into “Editorial Assistant Bantam,” who looked stupendously nerdy (and for some reason had a trident).

RVC: Sounds totally reasonable to me, but then again I still try hard to convince people that chocolate milk comes from brown cows.

Now, since we’re being honest, one of the reasons you’ve been on my radar is your uncommonly high SPF—Smarty-Pants Factor. My evidence? There’s a lot to choose from, such as your one and only post on MS Wishlist which says “send me your epistolary novel and our correspondence can be a plot point in your larger epistolary novel. #manuscriptofmydreams.” How vital is it that clients—current or future—share your same level of hah-hahness?

SB: As long as they can successfully ignore the majority of my dad jokes, we should be fine : )

RVC: What’s your secret vice when it comes to a picture book manuscript?

SB: Double-​meanings!

RVC: What are the top three reasons you reject a picture book submission? 

SB: 1) no surprises 2) no heart, 3), no double-meanings!

RVC: Since you’ve brought it up twice…please offer up an example of double meanings in a picture book so I’m sure we’re on the same page.

SB: Well, I feel like there are a whole bunch of different ways to peel that banana, but Sydney Smith’s Small in the City does an inhumanly amazing job of getting twice the impact out of single lines.

RVC: Fantastic–thanks! Now, how do you describe your agenting style?

SB: Joyful, creative, collaborative, never settling, always dreaming.

RVC: At one point, you admitted in an interview that you love being an agent “cartoonishly much.” Why?

SB: Let me count the ways, etc. But certainly because it’s given me a golden opportunity to help good people make their dreams come true (and when those dreams come true, the world has more art in it!)

RVC: What’s a favorite author success story?

SB: It’s impossible to pick just one, so here are ninety! Or okay, I’ll at least start with Bethany Barton, who’s practically a walking picture book herself (in terms of her energy, her expressiveness, her casual profundity, etc.) but needed a nudge to carve out time from the rest of her busy artistic life to devote to picture books. Her first two books (This Monster Needs a Haircut and This Monster Cannot Wait!) were supremely delightful but never quite took off…so we were talking about who knows what one afternoon when she mentioned these terrifying spiders that had taken up residence in her studio and how, even though she desperately wanted to squash them, she was “trying to love spiders.”

Bethany’s heart is Guinness-​world-​record-​sized, so it was an utterly Bethany thing to say, but we also immediately realized it was the title of her next book…so what felt like seventeen seconds later, she resurfaced with a perfect dummy for I’m Trying to Love Spiders, which launched a series of briskly-​selling books about facing your fears with curiosity that’s now moving on to its fifth installment, I’m Trying to Love Garbage.

RVC: One last question for this part of the interview. (Spoiler—it’s a toughie.) What type of long-​term effect do you see COVID-​19 having on the kidlit industry?

SB: I was speaking about this to a fellow at the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. (a front for Dave Eggers’ 826 NYC literacy non-​profit) and the combination of 1) school districts hustling to provide their students with sufficient technology to support remote learning and 2) authors and publishers adapting so many of their events to online spaces means that more schools serving low-​income students will be able to bring those students in front of more authors, without budget issues or technology issues standing in the way!

RVC: Alright, Stephen…you are now entering…THE LAND OF THE SIX-​QUESTION SPEED ROUND! ARE YOU READY?

SB: Absolutely not, but let us proceed.

RVC: Your six questions start…NOW! Best place in NYC for an astonishingly good cupcake? 

SB: If my son eats more than one cupcake from Ladybird Bakery in Park Slope, he’s capable of generating an apocalypse.

RVC: West Wing, Mad Men, or Twin Peaks?

SB: Twin Peaks, unless it’s past midnight, in which case it would be too scary, in which case I’ll just color in my Twin Peaks coloring book.

RVC: You’re hosting a picture-​book pizza party picnic and can bring four picture book friends. Who gets the invites?

SB: Wait, is this real humans in the picture book world, or picture book characters? Either way, Elephant & Piggie and George & Martha.

RVC: What’s the One That Got Away?

SB: Cindy Derby, bless her beautifully odd heart.

RVC: Last non-​Writers House picture book that you just loved.

SB: The humongous deluxe edition of Big Picture Press’s MAPS by Aleksandra and Daniel Mizielińscy, which is perfect for just leaving open in your living room every day while a little bit of the world slips into your life.

RVC: If you had an agenting motto, it’d be…

SB: in Latin, and I wouldn’t understand it.

RVC: Thanks oodles, Stephen! This was quite the experience!

Agent Interview: Jazmia Young (Curtis Brown, Ltd.)

On By Only Picture BooksIn Agent Interviews

While OPB regularly interviews well-​established and senior agents, editors, and publishers, we wanted to take a fresh look at the industry here at the start of 2021. With that goal in mind, we’re trying something different this month, which is why this month’s 2021 Industry Insider interview is with Jazmia Young, an agents’ assistant at Curtis Brown, Ltd. After two years of working alongside some of the top kidlit agents in the business, she’s got a lot of insight and perspective to share.

Let’s get started!

RVC: In the two years that you’ve been at Curtis Brown as an agents’ assistant, what has surprised you the most? 

JY: The most surprising discovery is how much intuition goes into agenting. I’ve been in certain communications where I’ll have this gut feeling it’ll go my way, so I’ll be more forceful (in a nice way) with my negotiations or asking for more. Also, being organized and having an organizational system is beneficial for your sanity.

RVC: One of the agents you work closely with is Vice President Elizabeth Harding, who has a sizable list of clients. What impresses you most about Elizabeth?

JY: I can say, without a doubt, Elizabeth Harding is the most generous, caring, poised, and warmhearted person I’ve ever met. There’s nothing I can’t come to her with that she won’t have a solution to. She’s a wealth of knowledge and extremely generous with it.

RVC: Agreed, though I’m biased since she’s my agent.

JY: Before being hired, I was an intern for two other agents at Curtis Brown. I was told by a few people how kind Elizabeth was but I just didn’t know to what extent. I can say without a doubt, Elizabeth has been by far my best boss (aside from the other agent I work for, Katherine Fausset.)

RVC: What does it actually mean to be agents’ assistant? What’s your day-​to-​day work like?

JY: It’s safe to say any assistant’s workload heavily includes administrative work and mine’s no different. I process book contracts to make sure they’re executed and all respective parties have a copy. I answer client questions. I handle small contracts such as magazine, audio, and anthology rights, etc.

Besides the administrative work, I give my thoughts on client’s manuscripts, then Elizabeth and I will discuss our thoughts. That’s my favorite aspect of the process. My thoughts are really valued and as I go through these readings with her, I’ve honed in on the genres and subjects I’m interested in.

RVC: Which are?

JY: Middle grade has definitely been one genre that has caught my attention. King and the Dragonflies and The Thing About Jellyfish are two of my favorite middle grade novels. There’s a sort of innocence to that age range that an author can play with, and, if done well, it entraps my heart and easily rises to the top of my “Favorite Books of All Time” list.

RVC: What’s the most difficult aspect of your work?

JY: I wouldn’t say this is a difficult aspect but learning when to take the next step in agenting has been a recurring issue for me. This is purely a personal issue–I find myself worrying about when/​if I will take on clients. I’ve spoken to my colleagues and it seems like it boils down to a gut feeling. You’ll when you’ll know. Also, the time between being an assistant and being an agent is not a linear path, and that flexibility gives me comfort.

RVC: You recently took on a role with the AALA (Association of American Literary Agents). How’d that happen, and why is the AALA so important?

JY: At the end of last year, Elizabeth came to me about a part-​time position that she thought I’d be a good fit for. At first, I was a bit confused because here was my boss letting me know about a job offer. I thought I might be getting the boot. Lol!

But she explained to me the details of the job, what it has to offer, and what it meant to be the Administrative Assistant to the AALA (formerly known as the AAR). It’s a wonderful organization that really cares about educating agents on all aspects of publishing. My ties are deeply rooted with them. They have an internship program that I was a recipient of and that’s how I ended up interning at Curtis Brown. Then by way of that, I obtained my current position there. I really owe the start of my career to the AALA.

RVC: Let’s talk about how your career got started. You earned a two-​year degree in liberal studies at Borough of Manhattan Community College. Did you have your eye on the publishing world at that point?

JY: I didn’t. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. All I knew was that I liked to read and write. So, I began taking courses in English, creative writing, and literature. Then I realized I liked my creative writing courses above the rest. After that, I knew that was the path to take.

RVC: That makes sense since you went on to complete a BA in creative writing from CUNY. What’s the most useful thing(s) you learned there about writing and stories that still helps you today?

JY: One thing that has stuck with me is to be receptive to the criticism of others. Someone is always going to see a text or a manuscript or a body of work differently than you. That doesn’t mean they’re wrong–it just means you have another perspective to consider. Not everyone is going to like what you like, and that’s definitely okay. I just feel more receptive to different angles and different ways of looking at someone’s writing.

RVC: After college but prior to Curtis Brown Ltd., you were an editorial intern at W.W. Norton (a publishing house) and then at Fletcher & Company (a boutique literary management company). What tips do you have for those interested in breaking into the publishing side of things like you did?

JY: I got both of those internships by way of my alma mater, The City College of New York. There, I was in the Publishing Certificate Program and one of the classes was an internship. That was my W.W. Norton position. For Fletcher, I was interviewed by them for the AALA internship program. I ultimately didn’t choose them to be my agency for the program but they needed an intern for a month and they asked if I could fill that spot, so I said yes.

There isn’t any clear-​cut way of breaking into the industry but being genuine and taking opportunities you wouldn’t think of taking is a start. Networking is a big plus, too, and being part of a publishing program is a huge step in the right direction.

RVC: Compare the type of work you did at those places with what you do at Curtis Brown, Ltd. 

JY: It’s completely different. As an intern, you don’t really feel as significant to the company as regular employees. I was doing the same thing each day and some days I didn’t do anything. But, at Curtis Brown I feel valued. Clients know me and are familiar with me. People trust me and give me responsibilities. I’m relied on. It feels good to be part of a company that values your time and effort.

RVC: What kind of career plans do you have? Are you going to be part of the next generation of agents? An editor? Something else entirely?

JY: I don’t have any three-​year plan or five-​year plan–I just set goals for myself. Then once I meet them, I go further. For now, I’d like to transition to taking on clients and really delve into agenting. But, for my publishing legacy, I hope to publish a variety of Black literature, both children’s and adult books by Black authors–specifically Black women.

When I was younger, Nikki Grimes and Sharon M. Draper were staples on my bookshelf. The characters they wrote were so relatable and mirrored problems I had in my life. Now, Angie Thomas and Nic Stone are dominating with their writing. I hope to discover new amazing Black women writers.

RVC: What do you think Elizabeth Harding would say if I asked her about you and your work?

JY: Elizabeth would say that I’ve been a huge help to her. She would boast about how insightful I am. Even though she’s completely too kind, I know she’d say having me as an assistant has been immensely helpful to her over these past two years.

RVC: What’s the #1 attribute of a good literary agent?

JY: Communication. Being honest with your client and knowing how to delegate between them and an editor is key. It takes a person with good communication skills to take their client’s comments into consideration and relay them to the editor concisely. I think once the communication can flow freely, the relationship can have longevity.

RVC: Whether they admit it or not, almost all literary agents have writing projects of their own. What are you working on?

JY: My writing is in a box in the back of my closet. I haven’t had the motivation to write. I used to write all the time and have so many notebooks full with scribbles of stories. I do have a recurring idea that floats in my mind consistently. My brother passed away four years ago. Often times I’m fearful that I’ll forget him. So, I desperately want to write his life but my emotions get in the way. I hope to revisit it soon.

RVC: Wow–that’s what we call a “heart book,” as opposed to what Jane Yolen calls a “head book” or a “pocket book.” Good luck with that!

JY: Thank you so much!

RVC: So, you’ve now seen like a million manuscripts. What advice do you have for budding picture book writers?

JY: I would say don’t submit an already finished book with illustrations. It stifles and pigeonholes the text. And I’m not talking about illustration notes but an actual fully composed book. Obviously, it’s different for illustrators who are also authors and other authors but if you can’t draw/​illustrate, don’t.

Also, your text doesn’t always have to rhyme.

RVC: Do you see the #OwnVoices movement affecting the demographics of editors and agents as much as we see it affecting writers? How do you think this is going to affect the kidlit world over the next few years?

JY: Well, I would hope that it would have more of an effect on the publishing world. Honestly, I don’t think it’s enough for a white agent or editor to publish a BIPOC author. It feels like they’re checking off a box. They’re done their good deed for the BIPOC community and now they can pat themselves on the back.

No.

The real change comes when you make your team diverse. You hire more diverse editors and agents, then put those people in positions of power. Once that happens, it opens more doors for BIPOC authors and illustrators. I believe the disconnect happens when the editor or agent doesn’t find a text relatable or it is far from their realm of understanding. And, maybe, the text wasn’t meant for them to understand. That’s why having a diverse team is necessary. It pushes for more books to be published that isn’t just relatable to the people publishing it but to the people that want to see themselves more within them.

RVC: Okay, Jazmia—you’ve been waiting for it, and now the time has come. It’s the LIGHTNING ROUND! We’re firing off 100mph questions and hoping for equally zoomy answers. Are you ready? 

JY: I was born ready, so I never have to get ready!

RVC: Best NYC comfort food: cronuts, cupcakes, burgers, or mac & cheese?

JY: Pizza.

RVC: What secret talent do you have that no one would suspect?

JY: I can bend my fingers backwards. It’s kind of unsettling.

RVC: If you had to play no-​limit Texas Hold’em poker against your coworkers at Curtis Brown Ltd., who would be the most fearsome opponent(s)?

JY: Sarah Gerton. She’s super sweet, but I just know she’d have a good poker face.

RVC: Biggest writer-​fangirl moment at work so far?

JY: Elizabeth represents Nikki Grimes, and I used to read her books in middle school. When I met her, she gave me a huge hug. I couldn’t contain myself!

RVC: If you could change one thing about the picture book world, what would it be?

JY: More depictions of BIPOC children in all situations by BIPOC authors and illustrators.

RVC: Let’s wave the OPB magic wand and WHAM, we’ve now got the Jazmia Young Literary Agency. What’s the motto?

JY: Your stories are safe here.

RVC: Thanks so much, Jazmia! I really appreciate the chance to get to know you and your work better!

Agent Interview: Clelia Gore (Martin Literary & Media Management)

On By Only Picture BooksIn Agent Interviews

Let’s give a big OPB welcome to Clelia Gore, the VP of Martin Literary & Media Management, where she serves as Literary Manager of the Children’s and Young Adult Division. Normally, I create a fabulously researched and often-​amusing made-​to-​order biographical introduction at this point, but when someone takes the time to create such an fine Twitter bio as Clelia did, what can I do but share it here?

  • Optimist
  • Lover of things lovely
  • Crooked smiler
  • French-​Peruvian-​American living in Singapore for a bit
  • Mama

And if you’re wondering how to pronounce her name, I asked, and I have the answer. From Clelia herself: “For those wondering, it’s pronounced Clel (rhymes with bell)-eeee-uh. Named after an Italian duchess from a Stendahl novel.”

Perhaps most important, she recently tweeted that “PBs are my jam.” Same here.

With that, let’s get to the interview!

RVC: Rumor has it that you had a great book experience in first grade that got you on the literary path. Care to share your special magic book moment?

CG: Yes! Charlotte’s Web by EB White sparked something within me that has stayed with me through adulthood. I was the kind of reader that devoured everything on my bookshelf, pretty much as soon as I got the hang of reading. I had read only one other chapter book on my own prior to Charlotte’s Web (a book about a dogcatcher called The Terrible Mr. Twitmeyer). My older brother had acquired it through a Scholastic Book Fair order. He didn’t like me touching his things, so I went into his room secretly, swiped it, and read it behind closed doors while sitting in a bathtub!

I remember being completely affected by the story—how much I loved the characters, the farm and county fair settings, enchanted by the storytelling and feeling ALL the emotions when Charlotte met her fate. I remember crying in the bathtub by myself, completely moved by this terrific pig. From then on, I understood the magic of books in a big way and I’ve spent the rest of my life chasing that same feeling in the books I read.

RVC: Some pig, indeed!

CG: I still have that same copy of the book today! I used to read it right before school started every year, as a comforting ritual. Now I bring it with me wherever we move, carrying a bit of my childhood with me.

RVC: I keep my first copy of  The Saggy Baggy Elephant for the same reason.

But back to you–how do you go from an amazing reader experience like that into the world of lawyering? What happened?

CG: I continued to be an avid reader through high school and college. At that time in my life, I was a bit of a book snob and only read classics—I was determined to read all of them. I think I was the only 17-​year-​old who had read all of John Steinbeck, Mark Twain, and Edith Wharton’s entire catalogs. I took a lot of pride in having read their deep cuts. In college, naturally, I became an English major. My parents put it in my head that, with that major, I could become a lawyer and I just decided to go with it. I wish I could say I put more thought into it than that, but I didn’t. Looking back, it wasn’t an illogical choice, just not the most thoughtful one. I ended up going straight to law school after college.

RVC: What got you out of the legal world and into the literary agent arena?

CG: I knew early on that being a lawyer was not for me. It was 2009 and I was working at a big corporate law firm in Manhattan litigating securities disputes—not quite the scene for a whimsical gal like me. I will say this—I gained so much from my experience in law school and practicing as an attorney for about four years. It, of course, helps me as a literary agent who negotiated contracts. I’m a better analytical thinker as a result of it, better equipped for the adult world and most importantly, it helped me develop a sense of professional confidence. For me, being a lawyer was a really hard job during a really hard time (the recession). I was challenged every day and was able to rise to the occasion, and I succeeded at it even though I didn’t like it. I brought the confidence I developed from that experience with me to publishing. I also met many lifelong friends and my husband along the way! Plus, I like knowing and learning about the law—I just didn’t like practicing it.

RVC: You’re not the first ex-​lawyer to say something like this here at OPB. Maybe one of these days, I’ll get you all together for a special Picture Book panel discussion.

CG: When I was first contemplating a career switch, I immediately thought of children’s book publishing. Kids books, especially picture books, were always an important part of my life. Even as an adult. As a lawyer, I worked in the Chrysler Building, across from Grand Central Station, and when I was feeling really stressed or sad, I’d go to the Posman Books that used to be there and just browse the picture book section and it would always bring me a sense of calm.

RVC: What happened next?

CG: I reached out to Rotem Moscovich for coffee, who is now editorial director at Knopf. She and I went to high school together and I asked her about children’s book publishing. She was the first person to put the idea in my head that I could be a literary agent—a career I didn’t really know anything about. It took me a few years to figure out how to transition, and I wanted to make sure I made the right step. I decided to go back to grad school, where I received a scholarship at Emerson College’s M.A. in Publishing & Writing. This program helped me try out a few avenues I was interested in: I interned at Houghton Mifflin for half a year in their children’s book division and then I tried out academic publishing at Oxford University Press. I also tried out teaching writing to college freshmen. Funnily enough, I never did an internship with an agency, but when I graduated, I was convinced that that was the path for me. As it happened, my then-​fiancé (now husband) had moved to Seattle from NYC for a job, so I joined him out there.

I was lucky enough to connect with Sharlene Martin right away—she agreed to meet me after I sent her a cold-​call email. I was going to ask her questions about starting my own agency such as: What is Step 1? We ended up sitting in a coffee shop talking for two hours, and at the end of it, she said: “Don’t start your own agency—come work for me! I’ll teach you everything you need to know.” Here I am seven years later, still calling her my mentor!

RVC: I’ve got a lot of creative writing majors here at Ringling College contemplating a path similar to yours. Some of them are thinking about going after internships like the one you had at Houghton Mifflin. How valuable was that for you?

CG: That was truly my first experience in children’s publishing, something I had always dreamed about. I was so grateful for the opportunity. It was definitely an odd experience going from being an attorney in NYC to an intern making $11/​hr. But I was determined to make the best of it, learn as much as possible, and I tried to make the weird situation as comfortable as possible—and the wonderful women I worked with were game, too. It was a great education in how kids’ books are made—having that foundational knowledge absolutely helped me in my career as an agent. I also made some great relationships—I still pitch to editors at HMH whom I knew as an intern. I made several book deals based on a referral from their former managing editor. And I crossed paths with Scott Magoon there, who was working there at the time and he ended up being the illustrator for Rescue and Jessica: A Life-​Changing Friendship by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes, which was an award-​winning and bestselling book that I represented.

RVC: You’ve been at Martin Lit for a good while now. In all your experience at that agency, what has surprised you the most?

CG: I started in September 2013, so it’s been seven years now, and in that time I’ve learned so, so much. I mean I was really starting off with very little knowledge and had to learn on the fly from Sharlene and from any resources I could access. I was very determined to right my career path and be successful at this.

One thing that surprised me is how thick-​skinned I would become. Publishing can be a roller coaster ride, especially at the submissions/​acquisitions stage and, having ridden that roller coaster over and over again, I can weather even deep disappointments well—and happily celebrate the highs. I also didn’t realize how my business relationships with clients could form into strong bonds of friendships.

RVC: A lot of early-​career picture book writers ask me if a platform is necessary. What do you think?

CG: I truly think the most important thing is that a book be great (and the timing is right!). Platform is a bonus and plus, of course, but if the work has that special sauce, it doesn’t matter if the author is unknown and has no platform to speak of. If you want to sell a book that plays off of your platform, then, absolutely, you should have an established platform. In certain genres like adult nonfiction, platform is everything. In kidlit, it’s less important, especially at the acquisitions phase. I do think it’s important to signal to publishers that you understand the author’s role in promoting and publicizing the book, that you are willing to play the game.

For authors trying to figure out what kind of platform they have to offer, I would think about what access you have to the target readers and book buyers for your book. Social media is one thing, sure. But…

  • Do you have or can you seek out media contacts that you can take advantage of when the book comes out?
  • Do you belong to certain groups or industries or speak at conferences or events that are made up of your target buyer?
  • What are ways that you can use those groups or gatherings to promote your book?
  • Can you reach out to your school alumni networks to promote the book in some way?
  • Can you write articles, start a podcast, create a blog related to your book or topics you cover in your book?
  • Can you start a newsletter that accesses your entire personal network?
  • Do you have connections to others who have a large platform who would be willing to promote your book?
  • Have you scoured Instagram for influencer accounts that reach your book-​buying audience and are ready to reach out to them?

Think about all the ways you can take advantage of your personal and professional networks so that people can find out about your book.

RVC: Love those examples–thanks!

You’re a self-​confessed sucker for picture books that are a “heart squeezer.” What are some PB examples that really made you get out the Kleenex (in the good way)?

CG: As a mother who struggled with infertility, I cry 100% of the time I read Matthew Cordell’s Wish. Seriously, I have not gotten through even to the third page turn without misty eyes.

Other recent heart-​squeezing favorites include Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love, The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld, Hair Love by Matthew Cherry, Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackhall, and Home in the Woods by Eliza Wheeler.

RVC: You dig nonfiction—so says your Manuscript Wishlist as of May 2020—but biographies aren’t really a big hit with you. Is that a marketplace thing, personal preference, or something else?

CG: I already have several picture book biographers amongst my clientele so I’m looking to diversify. I have said in the past that the market was thinning a bit to picture book biographies, but I do see evidence of the market opening back up. I sold two this summer. Publishing is dynamic! I will always love picture book biographies, but to me, there are a lot of cool things happening in kid’s nonfiction outside of biographies. I want to see more of those kinds of books!

RVC: How do you describe your agenting style? Is it different with your clients than with prospective editors? 

CG: Collaborative. Respectful. Transparent. Hard-​working. Analytical. Confident. Kind!

One thing I learned from my job as a lawyer, another client-​services industry, is the importance of maintaining professionalism. You can count on me to always be professional.

RVC: Unlike some agents, you’re open to developing MG and YA nonfiction projects with talented writers. Do you ever do such a thing with picture books? 

CG: I think there is a lot of room for growth in the middle grade and YA nonfiction space. There aren’t enough writers of these genres yet! So, at this point, I’d be willing to work with authors who are experts in a field, or journalists or researchers interested in specific topics to help pull good, marketable book ideas.

Picture books have a lot more nonfiction contributors so I’m not looking to develop ideas from scratch beyond my own clientele. I do LOVE coming up with ideas for market-​ready books. It’s one of my favorite parts of my job. Typically, when I think up a good idea, I think about which client would make a good fit and reach out to them and see if they are game to write it. Often, they are. At this point, I think there around about 6–7 books out or coming out that started as one of my brain children. It’s my way of bringing some of my own creativity into this job which is about supporting amazing creative talent.

RVC: Your clients are so lucky! Here’s hoping they send you a jumbo box of gourmet muffins when those book ideas you launched actually happen.

MMMmmmMMMMM…gourmet boysenberry muffins with cream cheese frosting.…

Sorry–I got distracted there. Now here’s a question I wish I didn’t have to ask. How has COVID-​19 changed your day-​to-​day agenting work?

CG: COVID-​19 came at a weird time for me. Since July 2019, I’ve been living in Singapore with my husband and daughter on an ex-​pat stint for my husband’s job (we’ll be back next year). So I was already operating a bit differently than I typically do in that there was less in-​person stuff. Because of COVID-​19, everyone else is doing less in-​person stuff, too. So I would say my day-​to-​day is very similar, but more editors are open to having video meetups as it’s now the norm. I do find that all of this has made me cherish life more and I’m motivated to only work on projects that I’m really passionate about and believe in.

RVC: I quite agree with that!

One last question before we move to the final part of the interview. Did you ever get that longed-​for picture book manuscript about the mathematical golden ratio?

CG: Ha ha, nice memory! No, I didn’t. I did a project on the golden ratio in the sixth grade and I remember it fascinated me, a math-​hating girl. I feel like if that topic could reel in the likes of me, it could reel in lots of other kids!

Feel free to send me one, dear reader!

RVC: There you have it, OPB friends and family. An exclusive manuscript request. When you send it to her and she sells that book, do remember me for helping facilitate this (hint: muffins, muffins, muffins).

Alright, it’s time for The Speed Round! Ferrari-​fast questions and Corvette-​quick answers please. Clelia, are you ready?

CG: Let’s do this.

RVC: Best place for food in Singapore?

CG: Hawker markets. There’s a stand in the Zion Food Centre in a neighborhood called River Valley that has the most perfect pan-​fried dumpling you can possibly imagine. I salivate every time I think about them. I’m salivating right now….

RVC: “If I wasn’t a literary agent or a lawyer, I’d be…”

CG: Government lawyer at the Federal Communications Commission (an alternate history in my lawyering career); speech writer; something in TV/​Film production; book-​related shop owner; First Lady of anything.

RVC: If you put together a golf foursome with PB characters, it’d be you plus which three others?

CG: Okay, I’m going to go pragmatic on this one—maybe that says something about the way my brain works. I own a gorgeous Anne of Green Gables-​inspired picture book from Tundra Books called Goodnight, Anne so I’d pick her so I can hang out with Anne-​With-​An‑E, one of my first major heroes. Ruth Bader Ginsburg from I, Dissent (rest in peace, legend), a major real-​life hero. And Jessica from Rescue and Jessica because that Jessica is really author Jessica Kensky, my longtime friend who is hilarious and probably as bad at golf as me and we could all have a good laugh together.

RVC: Describe your Dream Client in five words or less.

CG: Talented, perseverant, kind, charismatic, self-starter.

RVC: A forthcoming client’s book that has BIG commercial potential?

CG: Oh man, I am seriously SO excited about my upcoming titles. But in terms of which might have major sales potential–I would guess two picture books: Daddy Speaks Love by Leah Henderson and illustrated by EB Lewis (Nancy Paulsen), a beautiful tribute to fathers and The Very True Legend of Mongolian Death Worms by Sandra Fay (Godwin Books), a truly hilarious and very uniquely illustrated picture book that I think will appeal to Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett fans. She’s from New Zealand and brings that trademark dry Kiwi wit to her stories. She’s brilliant!

RVC: What’s the One That Got Away?

CG: In terms of picture books, I remember deciding not to offer representation on The Crayon Man by Natascha Biebow and that always bugs me–I would have made a different decision today. One book I offered on but the author ended up going with a different agent is an upcoming middle grade novel called La Loteria by Karla Valenti. I was dying to rep lovely Karla and her book, but she went with Ammi-​Joan Paquette, whom I like and respect very much, so I can’t be too mad!!

I just realized these responses were not “Corvette-​fast.” Sorry!

RVC: No worries, Clelia. The real bar for anything at OPB is quality, and you delivered, no doubt about it. Thanks so much!