Schmooze Central here.
We’ve gotten so big for our britches that we decided to have “one of the
little people” step in and slave over a hot keyboard for us while we get massages
(patting yourself of the back causes tight shoulder muscles…who knew?) and take
meetings with Terribly Important People.
We now hand this blog post over to the lovely and talented
Laurie Young (although we fully reserve the right to inset a few obnoxious
asides ‘cause that’s how we roll…exhausting, we know):
The Westside Writer’s Schmooze had the pleasure of a visit
from Jen Rofé at our December Schmooze who spoke on what an agent does and why
a writer needs one. Her willingness and
commitment to talk to our group was
very much appreciated, not just because it was during the holidays, but one
week before her wedding.
Jen has been an agent with the
Andrea Brown Literary Agency for over
7 years. She represents authors
and illustrators of picture books through young adult, though she admitted that
middle grade is her sweet spot. Some of her most notable authors include Meg
Medina, Joy Preble, Kathryn Fitzmaurice, Christina Diaz Gonzalez, and our own
LA chapter’s Eliza Wheeler.
She had previously been a journalist and an editor but spent
5 years in the trenches as a middle school teacher. She loves the business side
of being an agent, especially negotiating contracts and writing pitch letters.
(Schmooze Central: Yes – all the things you hate!
She LOVES them!! She was BORN to this!!!)
Jen started off the evening with a list of things she
doesn’t like: Horror (although psychological is fine with her), gore, and
especially zombie stories. She is also not fond of music stories, and anything
involving a mixtape. (She did
admit to liking Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List…that is, until the mixtape chapter.)
 |
| Just no |
To make it simple, here are her main ideas of her talk in
bullet points:
(Schmooze Central:
Oooohhh! Bullet
points! We likey! …That’s Karol.
Charlie feels safer with arbitrary snippets of unrelated words implying
unearned depth.)
How important
is it for a kid lit writer to get an agent these days? What is
the upside of having an agent?
- Contract negotiations—agents
understand the boilerplate and can get you a better deal.
- Most publishing houses are
closed, and editors know which agents they trust and want to work with.
- Agents advocate on your behalf
and can step in to resolve conflicts.
- Authors shouldn’t have to fight with editors
regarding business decisions. Agents help keep author-editor relationship clean
and focused on the work.
How have you
connected with the writers you sign? Where do you find your
clients?
- Mostly through conferences and the AB Big Sur retreat. https://bigsurwriting.wordpress.com/
- One-on-one critiques.
- Queries can be the last thing an agent looks at,
however, Jen will open conference or workshop queries first.
How do you approach an agent at a conference?
- Think of it as like interviewing for a job—be
professional.
What are the “no-no’s” for approaching an agent?
- Don’t be creepy. Don’t be a stalker.
- Don’t use social media to create a false sense of
familiarity or use their personal information as an intro. Don’t assume a
relationship just because you are “friends” on social media.
- Be professional on social media. Don’t bad mouth agents
or editors.
Do you need to have a platform or blog?
- No. You can build a platform after your book is sold.
- The exception: Non-fiction. A platform is needed to
show your credentials or why you are qualified to write on this topic.
What do you look for in a query letter? (Schmooze Central: aka Secrets to the Query Kingdom!)
o 1st
paragraph: Why you chose this agent. Show clear reference, personalized,
conscious decision.
o 2nd
paragraph: Jacket copy description (don’t give away ending.)
o 3rd
paragraph: Any relevant information about you.
- Keep it short, tight, professional, 1-page.
- Don’t say you are a first time writer. Don’t apologize.
- Can say if you are a teacher, but don’t say you read
your work to kids and they liked it. Sounds naïve.
- Don’t write query as your character. Don’t start query
with character.
- Don’t angst about the format—that said, send email to
self first to check and see if it reads okay.
- Do angst about the quality of the writing.
- MOST IMPORTANT: CHECK EACH AGENT’S WEBSITE FOR
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES BEFORE SENDING – AND FOLLOW THEM.
Author/illustrators:
Jen will accept links to picture book dummies, but make sure your artwork is
comparable to what is out there before submitting. Get feedback from
conferences and workshops.
Other than
great material, what other things attract you to a potential client?
- Rapport,
connection
- Similar
vision for the work
- Good working
relationship
Guidelines for submitting to agents? (Schmooze Central: aka (Secrets to the Kingdom of
Agent Protocol!…we are ALL about snappy titles here at S.C.)
- Pick top 5-6 agents to start with and wait for a
response.
- Tweak material, according to response and submit to new
5-6 agents. Repeat.
- Bad idea to submit to everyone at once—no opportunity
to revise before sending out again.
- If asked for an exclusive, okay to give timeframe.
- As a courtesy, let agent know if this is a multiple
submission.
- If you get an offer, as a courtesy, let other agents
know before accepting. (But only an offer—no need to let other agents
know if you get a request for full.)
- If an agent is interested in you and you are not
excited, you should not have submitted to that agent in the first place.
- Don’t hire an illustrator for your book.
o Waste
of time and money
o Editors
will choose the illustrator
o May
hurt your chances to be considered
- Revisions can happen before rep—don’t ask for them, but
be open to them. If agents want to
offer advice or notes, they will.
- Holidays are a bad time of year to query. The end of
the year is “wrap up” mode. You don’t want to get a rejection because an agent
wants to go on vacation.
- A handful of
rejections doesn’t necessarily mean you should self-pub. Revise first.
- A bad agent is worse than no agent. Make sure there is
an exit policy.
Picture books:
- If you write
in rhyme, make sure it is very good.
- You need to
have multiple hooks.
- Query for
best picture book, and then mention 2 of your other manuscripts with 1-line
description of each. If an agent is interested, he or she will ask for more.
- Andrea Brown
agents want at least 4 solid picture book manuscripts before taking on client.
Series:
- Can state in query that you envision book as a series.
HOWEVER: Put it all into first book, don’t hold anything back.
- Series are often dictated by the publisher.
What is the etiquette for switching agents?
- Leave old agent before pursuing any new agents
- Let potential agent know if your manuscript already has
been widely submitted to editors—it is likely dead.
How long to wait for response after sending query?
- No set timeframe. Can be hours or months or longer.
- Don’t follow up with Jen. You will get an auto
response, if no further response, consider that a “no.” (Schmooze Central: Re:
that last part – maddening, ain’t it? But, alas, it’s the industry standard.)
- Be working on your next project!
What are
typical terms for agreements between writers and children's literary agents?
- Jen uses a
1-page, straightforward agreement.
- No time
frame, either party can walk away at any time. (If project is sold, it remains
with agency.)
- 15% across
the board, no reading fees or other fees. (Different rates for foreign and film
rights.)
What happens after contract is signed?
- Revising may take a while, keep communication open.
Jen’s editing process:
o Big
picture—plot, character, elements
o Writing
tics (Schmooze Central: Everybody’s got ‘em!)
o Doesn’t
do much line editing.
- Jen makes a list of editors to submit to. Shares it
with client and asks if client has any ideas.
- Submission timeframe can take hours or months or more.
- Be patient. It takes a lot of “yes’s” to make a book
happen.
When you get
an offer from an editor, what happens next?
- Jen discusses offer with client, asks client what is
bottom line (starting offer vs. royalty rates, rights, etc.)
- Advances and royalties can range and depend on a number
of factors:
- PB: 2K–15K, 5-6% of retail (split between author and
illustrator)
- MG & YA: 8K+
- Turn around: 6–12 months to finish art for book; 18
months–3 years, depending on the list, (publishers work years in advance.)
What do agents roll their eyes at?
- Neediness
- Not meeting deadlines (Schmooze Central: Ugh! Fitzgerald never met deadlines!!)
Misc:
- You should
not expect to make a living for a while.
- You do this
because you want it more than anything else.
- You have to
want it more than anyone. If your agent wants it more than you do, you will be
dropped.
How does a
writer submit material to you/what are your submission guidelines?
Click HERE for the Andrea Brown
Literary Agency’s submission guidelines + plus a bonus list of great
resources for writers.
…Ah, being Big
Shots (even if only in our own minds) certainly does have its perks! Thanks loads, Laurie! (Sucker…KIDDING!)
Next up, the
Journey of Your Book continues with our Picture Book Critique Schmooze on
Wednesday, January 14th.
Until then, keep
passing the open windows,
Charlie & Karol (and Wonder Woman Laurie!!)
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