get work . (Thank you!). There is just an overwhelming amount of people looking to connect with agents, and it can be challenging for some to give out that warmth all the time. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Remember, you are a business person seeking a business partner. She has negotiated many hundreds of childrens book deals between authors, illustrators, and all of the major American publishers. While youre working creatively, your agent is out there sharing your work and lining up the next best project. Unfortunately, misconceptions and assumptions related to the job description of an agent are rife in the illustration community. How is it different from the way you usually rep a book? "Referred to you by [insert casting director's name]". She is just as happy working with debut talents as she is best-sellers. The one who allows ego to influence their decisions. Sometimes those opportunities come in fast and sometimes they dont. Get a Kids Book Agent Susan represents work for children and teens only: picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and young adult, along with some non-fiction for young readers. catbird, any of five bird species named for their mewing calls, which are used in addition to song. Memoir/Inspirational L. Subramani Im reading from an unconventional point of view. Lets submit your work to an agent. Catbird Productions, which will package books for publishers, as well as operate as a boutique literary agency for children's book author/illustrators, with an emphasis on previously unpublished authors/ illustrators. I sent them some dummies, some promotional pieces. of Speculation by Jenny Offill, Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J.Ryan Stradal, and Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. Here is the: AAR Agent Databaseand the list of AAR members who represent picture books. Due to the volume of submissions we receive, we are unable toguarantee feedback or advice in our rejections. She currently has around 45 clients with little room for more, as she thinks 50 clients is the ideal number. Kirsten:Thats exactly right. "Berkley Books recently published my book in hardcover after Mark helped me get multiple agents interested in my work. Aliza R. Hoover: represents illustrators and author-illustrators. Notes/Tips:Our agency does not represent poetry or screenplays. Fuse Literary never charges reading or submission fees, nor is there a retainer fee for our services. Were not afraid of this. Do not submit a full-length manuscript or proposal unless requested. Kirsten works intimately with her clients to conceive and develop original story pitches. 38.4k Followers, 0 Following, 1,895 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Catbird Agency (@catbirdagencypix) If you dont know how to write a query, please read the Writers Toolbox post How to write a query letter for a quick tutorial. She prefers books that explore deep emotional relationships in an interesting or unusual way. Shes one of my favorite people in the entire industry. Childrens/Pic Book M. Leshem-Pelly Fairbank Literary Representation (About) (Submissions)Not accepting submissions for childrens works unless by an illustrator/artist. What I know when co-agenting with Erica is that no matter what happens well always be good. It is my belief that it comes from the onboarding process. You have to be a detective. We only accept submissions via e-mail. Literary Agent Kirsten Hall Catbird Productions, Author Success Story: Nonfiction/Narrative Nonfiction, [Click here to see all Mark Malatesta reviews]. While we have different client lists, Ericas and my intentions for the books we represent are largely the same, as is our aesthetic. Either way, I hope this post helps you move forward with your career. Books invite joy. What do you look for in a submission?I look to have an emotional response and for the work to be something different than is already represented on my list. Christy Ewers: is mostly closed to submissions for the time being. No, its not. Keep your correspondence professional. In childrens fiction, they primarily accept early readers and chapter books, and perhaps the very rare, exceptional picture book. An agent once said to me, If you think having an agent doesnt give you a distinct advantage, youre crazy. It depends on the agent and the artist, but I tend to agree with her. It may not even be 50 percent. A good agent is one who helps move a project forward. Like coaches,good agents get the best out of you. Excellent source for agent interviews, kidlit information, and an agent database you can search by age category (e.g., picture books). Playing with each others client lists is a way to stay true to that, to not overcommit in order to see more potentially exciting matching possibilities. Listen to podcasts. May 2010 - Feb 20143 years 10 months. Childrens/YA L. Moe, What Is a Literary Agent? My approach with each client is different based on what they particularly need. I also ask six well-respected agents to share their thoughts by answering three questions. How to Find a Literary Agent for Your BookAdvice from writing professional Jane Friedman. They lead the cheer for you. Narrative Nonfiction D. Cohen Feel free to share your thoughts and questions in the comments section below. She is the author of 100+ children's books, has been employed since 2009 as a US-based managing agent at the Bright Agency, which is based in London and specializes in nurturing . Can you terminate the contract if things go south? Kaylas taste lies squarely in that sweet spot between commercial and literary, and she is looking for captivating voices and rich worldbuildingwhether its a seaside town in Maine or a fantastical other world. Childrens/Pic Book M. Leshem-Pelly But, when it feels right and exciting on our end, we hope that it will be received that way by the publishers. But agents help your creative growth in more ways than the obvious. Theyre pitching. Fuse Literary represents both fiction and nonfiction in a variety of categories and genres. Ive learned how important it is to review our individual clients wants and needs before offers start to come in. Halls client list at Bright includes Benji Davis, Elly Mackay, Clive McFarland, and Connah Brecon. Keep an eye out this spring for DOLL-E 1.0 by Shanda McCloskey (Little,Brown), Time Tracers by Annabeth Bondor Stone & Connor White (HarperCollins), Finns Featherillustrated by Zoey Abbott (Enchanted Lion Books), and Rock N Roll Soul by Susan Verde and Matthew Cordell (Abrams)! We do not accept or respond to phone, paper or social media queries. Copyright 2011-23 The Bestselling Author, LLC. Im the person throwing up the grappling hook, not the one pouring down hot oil. Congratulations! Today, she is the founder and owner of a boutique childrens book illustration and literary agency, Catbird Productions. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Kirsten:Its so truein the past month alone weve had some particularly exciting pairings between Stimola and Catbird! Visit your local The Catbird Seat Inc at 271 Rt 46 W in Fairfield, NJ and contact us today for your home, auto business, and renters insurance today or call (973) 808-0110 Agents help a career in ways beyond even my understanding. As soon as you register youll get instant access to the following: * Agent bios for all agents atCatbird Productions When an artist joins Brightand here I can only speak about Brightan artists dreams and ambition must be aligned with those of the agency. These cookies do not store any personal information. (Maybe: Is publishing dead or not? Its not dead, but I digress.). If they do get back to you, expect a rejection . Someone asked me once, Do you only hire artists who have agents?Not in the slightest. Then I look for a voice, either in the words of an author or the art of an illustrator. Literary Agencies for Picture Books (A-F) 3 Arts Entertainment (New . Memoir/Women L. Lehr But I didnt get the level of attention I was expecting. What is one misconception about agents?An age-old misconception originates from a simple questionhow can we give equal quality, time, and support to more than one artist? "Mark helped me get five different offers for representation from top literary agents. 4. Im reminded of my father-in-law, who spends three hours fixing a leak instead of calling a plumber who could do it in one. She will happily review your comics, book cover designs, and picture book dummies.Aliza believes in a world where all young people can see themselves reflected in childrens books. Maybe its the book that we havent placed yet, but still so strongly believe has a place in the world. Our goal is always to sell their work and properly manage their rights, establishing long-term writing careers for our clients. NOTE: Each year Fuse Literary, as an agency, is closed to new submissions and queries between December 1st to January 15th. Kirsten:Lets be real, Im always looking for an excuse to hop on the phone or grab lunch with Ericaso working together gives me the perfect excuse! Agent statistics, detailing how long each agent typically takes to respond to a query. She has incredible vision and is very brave. Here is the: Advice from writing professional Jane Friedman. When our illustrators arent working up a project of their own, were pitching them to get matched up by publishers. All I can say is find the right agent for you, and you wont regret it. Some agents are boutiques. There may come a time where it makes sense for the artist and author to collaborate more directly. Ask around. Tugeau 2, A Children's Art & Literary Agency 2231 Grandview Avenue Cleveland Heights, OH 44106 Tugeau 2 proudly serves artists, writers and illustrators with representation in the children's publishing industry. Honest and open communication is key. Kayla welcomes dark humor, suspense, magical realism, awkwardly adorable romance, and everything in-between. Do you need an agent? Memoir/Inspirational L. Subramani Literary Agents & Publications Open To Submissions - Medium Agents are people, too. A major plus of not having an agent is the money saved. Why do I (acting as an author or illustrator)need an agent?As mentioned, making a career for oneself in the illustration world can be 100 percent DIY, and many people are great at being self-advocates, negotiating, managing the finances and paperwork, and/or marketing themselves as a commodity/business. Childrens/YA C. Plum-Ucci Most things are negotiable. Use our literary agency database to learn more about these literary agencies representing picture book writers. I want an agent to help me . CookeMcDermid Why do I (acting as an author or illustrator need an agent? * Preferred query letter methods (email, online form, postal mail) But I dont generally find myself doing much differently with regards to my clients when co-agenting other than have hard conversations on their behalf with my my co-agent up front. In this way we made a really exciting match for a to-be-announced Jory John and K-Fai Steele project. We will email you our periodic newsletter, never more than once a month. A Montreal-based boutique production company, we specialize in award-winning, beautifully-crafted and enduring POV documentaries for Canadian and international audiences. Erica:In some cases yes and in some cases no. All that being said, my bottom-line, if-youre-on-the-fence answer is much more straightforward: CONTRACTS. Ron is a literary agent and co-owner of CookeMcDermid. How Long to Get An Agent? I mean, youre not their only client. Writers can search posts for agents compatible with their work. Thats exactly right. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. LK Literary Agency is a boutique children's literature agency, so while we are open to general submissions, we kindly ask that you review our guidelines carefully ahead of sending in your submission to be sure we're a good fit for the wonderful work you do.. We are only open to electronic submissions, which means that unless someone from LKLA has specifically requested you send . Sure you can. These cookies do not store any personal information. Catbird Creative Agency Advertising Services Cleveland, Ohio 57 followers catbird seat (noun) an enviable position; having the upper hand or greater advantage How Much Do Authors Make? Its also really fun when it happens on the end of the publishers too. I was able to speak with literary agents from top agencies such as Janklow & Nesbit, Trident Media, Anderson Lit, and Folio. Not of, or relating to, Dogma, Catbird seeks to foster a community of varietous and riotously (not righteously) funny creators in Austin and in the larger state of Texas. Home - Catbird As soon as you enter your name and email address to the right, youll be able to see complete profiles for every literary agent at Catbird Productions(and every other literary agency). You should know, agents are not going to comment right away (if at all). Queries about books that dont conform, but rather provoke, excite me. But Im really thrilled to be co-agenting with Erica. After about a year, and no work, I asked to break our agreement. Nonfiction/Self-Help A. Goddard Books that tell the stories of people, places, and cultures that have been overlooked and ignored for too long are at the top of her list. Each have their advantages and disadvantages. In some cases the text and art may be developing simultaneously off of one another. Agencies are still in there, but the box is getting more crowded all the time. Each provides exact submission information (an email address or an online submission portal). Ask questions. I signed with Stephanie Tade who got me a 6-figure book deal with Penguin Books, which published my book in hardcover! It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Hall previously worked as an editorial assistant at Random House (1996-1997). Well navigate the waters together. Even if you get the book deal on your own, a complicated contract is sure to follow, and hopefully an ongoing business relationship has only just begun. Odds of Getting a Book Agent The project may work. Youve identified fifteen to twenty agents. [Click here to see all Mark Malatesta reviews], Fiction/General J. Jago Agents have their finger on the pulse and understand the rhythm of publishing. Look, even Ive received critique letters. Several of them. No agency can guarantee that a particular project will sell, but we sign clients because we love their writing and want them to succeed. If you can, find a contract professional to read it. We are Catbird Lit, an American journal of humorous writings and visual arts based in Austin, Texas. He also co-owned Cooke International, an . News and updates to get a top literary agent, publisher, and book deal. For adult fiction, Danielle is seeking upmarket commercial fiction and literary fiction. [Click here to see all Mark Malatesta reviews], Fiction/General J. Jago Work is more fun when youre doing it with people you like and respect. One size does not fit all. And it isnt cute if you dont follow the rules. If your submission is received by our system, an automated response will be emailed to you. Kirsten Hallis a former preschool and elementary school teacher who has authored more than a hundred learn-to-read stories for emergent readers. The story taps into important truths about love and loss and life. Were both former educators, are each moms of two boys, and we identify in a lot of ways with one another, are drawn to similar stories and talents. Kirsten HallLiterary Agent is on our list of Publishing Agents USA (book agents in the United States), Fiction Publishing Agents (book agents who represent fiction authors), Childrens Publishing Agents (book agents who represent books for younger readers), Young Adult Publishing Agents (book agents who represent YA books for teens),Middle Grade Publishing Agents (book agents who represent books for middle grade tween readers), and Picture Book Publishing Agents (book agents who represent picture books for kids). Corvisiero Literary Agency (Agents) (Submissions) Curtis Brown LTD (Agents) (Submissions) David Higham Associates (Agents) (Submissions) A UK agency. Pairing up directly with clients from other agencies is a great way to be proactive in making new projects happen. * Agent photos Right now, Brenda is not accepting picture book manuscript submissions, but she is looking for adult historical fiction. We were thinking of matching up Susan Verde and Jay Fleck for our own pitch and then Susans editor, on her own accord, ended up approaching Jay to illustrate Susans new series. There are a ton of resources out there that can help you DIY here, too, but its often the omissions in a contract that people dont see. Catbird Agency (@catbirdagencypix) is on Instagram Book Agent Submissions The greatest advantage (good) agents provide is knowledge. They step out when not needed. We spend a good amount of time bouncing ideas off of each other and sharing good and bad news. Thank you for submitting your work! On the reverse, sometimes our authors are looking for new inspiration and an illustration can be a great way to get those wheels turning. 7, Manuscript Wish ListANDManuscript Wish List specifically for literary agents of picture booksAND#MSWL (the Twitter version of Manuscript Wish List) Agents and editors of all writing genres post what they want. Childrens/YA C. Plum-Ucci Lets take a journey together. Nonfiction/Diversity S. Peer There is a lot of uncertainty that comes along with developing a co-agented pitch from just the seed of an idea. Ask the Agent Informative site ofJennifer Laughran, senior agent at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, who represents authors and illustrators of childrens and YA books. Were both former educators, are each moms of two boys, and we identify in a lot of ways with one another, are drawn to similar stories and talents. Other times, well sell texts to publishers first and then when it comes time for illustrators, if there isnt someone on our list who we think is right to recommend, our next step will be to look at each others lists, or those of other agent friends. What if you want to get your rights back? Who reps them? Publishing Agent Kirsten Hall is an agent with Catbird Productions. . It is a precise and qualified process, rather than an independent, possibly unpublished artist spread betting their work across editors and art directors who they do not know apart from an impression of them through social media. Theyre meeting. Fiction/Mystery B. Harper All rights reserved. Kirsten HallLiterary Agent This articleabout Literary Agent Kirsten Halland Catbird Productionsis part of a series about literary agents and how toFind a PublishingAgent. Youre the playerone of many players on his or her team. Erica is mostly interested in adding author-illustrators to her list andis looking for a diverse array of voices and styles. Read comments by other authors who have queried the same agents you have. Start with illustrators you admire. And then there are the projects that never seem to go anywhere at all. . does not support javascript or you have it disabled. QueryTracker Members can view the data gathered by all other members, organized into reports showing 2007-2023 QueryTracker. When looking for the first time at an artists portfolio, I like to see a cross section of their work. Its an honor to see a piece of a creators heart inside a proposals DNA. These letters are just steps on the path. Kirsten HallLiterary Agent represents the followingbook genres: Scroll below now to view representative titlesand a complete profile for Kirsten HallFREE in ourBookAgents Directory. But theyre not the only key to the door. Childrens/Chapter Book J. Agee I signed with Don Fehr at Trident Media and a short time later I had a publishing contract! But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Fiction/Mystery B. Harper Maybe. Its true, I love to co-agent, and I do it regularly with agents at several different agencies. How to Find a Book Agent Corvisiero Literary Agency (Agents) (Submissions), Curtis Brown LTD (Agents)(Submissions). Olswanger.com Some of her favorite non-client books in this category are: I Am I Am I Am by Maggie O'Farrell, Heavy by Kiese Laymon, Late Migrations by Margaret Renkl, You Just Need to Lose Weight by Aubrey Gordon, and In Shock by Rana Adwish. Thank you for trying us, and all good luck! Do not query multiple agents at Fuse simultaneously. Catbird Agency - Home | Facebook