Middle Grade Agents

Chalula88 · Aug 20, 2007

Hey everyone, it's me again!

I've just begun sending query letters to agents regarding my fantasy MG novel, but it seems like there just aren't very many agents currently representing this age group. I did a search on agentquery.com and it came up with 88 agents, but I could only find around 25 of these (many within the same agency) that have actually previously published MG. I don't want an agent who's just "willing to take it on" without any knowledge of the market, but I don't feel like there are very many experienced MG agents.

If any of you have MG agents who are they and where else do you guys send your queries to? Should I try directly contacting publishers instead? :Shrug:

Your responses are greatly appreciated!

Jack_Roberts · Aug 21, 2007

Hey! Good question! I want to know, too!

Toothpaste · Aug 22, 2007

Hmm . . . I can't rightly say to be honest, I queried in the UK, but I seem to remember there were a decent number of them. And really 25 isn't such a bad number. Okay, add me to the list of interested parties!

ILSinTexas · Aug 22, 2007

Chalula--

We're in the same boat. But do you think you could take an oar? My arm is tired from doing all the rowing myself

ILS

Soccer Mom · Aug 22, 2007

Hm, other threads around here have stickies with lists of small publishers and such....maybe we should start compiling one of our own.

RLB · Aug 22, 2007

Your numbers sound about right. I've got about 35 on my spreadsheet, and I even eliminated ones that said no fantasy. I've only queried about 14 or so (I'm going to start submitting again after the midsouth SCBWI conference next month in case I learn something from the critique). I found most of them on agentquery.

Chalula88 · Aug 23, 2007

I would love the names of any small publishers you guys know of!

I only have about ten left to submit to, but I'm going to wait until I get feedback (hopefully) from the agent who requested a partial.

Azure Skye · Aug 23, 2007

Sadly, when I was submitting to agents, I only came up with a list of about 22. I agree that we need to start compiling our own list.

ghost · Aug 23, 2007

There are a lot of agents that will represent middle reader fantasy. I wouldn't depend on AgentQuery.com for that. Get a copy of the Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market for the American agencies. There is also one for the UK Market that you can order.

As for the UK Market, I'm more up to date with them. There are lots of great agents and publishers.

Imogene Cooper of ChickenHouse publishers is a great one but she takes about three months to respond.

Christoper Little is the man who found dear old JK. There's also Rosemary Cantor at PFD but she only takes on two clients a year. She is exceptional though and often gives great advice, even if she turns you down.

Toothpaste · Aug 23, 2007

And my darling Julia Churchill of the Darley Anderson Agency. She rocks!

peevy · Aug 25, 2007

I have to mention the Andrea Brown Lit Agency. They do a lot of MG and YA and have offices both in CA and NY. You can usually find a bunch of recent deal reports on Publishers Marketplace put up by their agents. My agent is with them and I got a deal with Hyperion.

Btw, you might want to check out Publishers Marketplace and look through their MG reports to see which agents are getting the deals done. It'll also show you the range of how much money the book went for. It costs about $20 a month, but you can always put your money down for one month and then quit at the end of the month. It's cheaper than buying Writer's Marketplace and probably a lot more useful.

akaa1a · Aug 26, 2007

yep..
Andrea Brown is a terrific agency~
Both Andrea and Laura Rennert do middle grade as well as a few others in the agency.
What's nice is they communicate with each other, so if one doesn't feel they are right for the project, they will send it to another.

I would definitely send a query their way!

Shan

MsJudy · Aug 26, 2007

I have to mention the Andrea Brown Lit Agency.

They also run the Big Sur Children's Writing Conference, which I attended last year and highly, highly, highly recommend. It can be brutal, but I learned so much in three days. Cool faculty, all real editors, agents and authors, critique groups limited to four participants, plus a one-on-one critique....

MsJudy · Sep 1, 2007

I keep hearing that one of the reasons you need an agent is that so few publishers will look at unagented material. But I'm starting to wonder.....

I've now sent queries to all the appropriate agents listed in the 2007 Children's Writer's and Illustrators Market. for middle grade fantasy, I found about 20. Now I'm workiing my way through the publishers listings, and I've already found 5 and I'm only halfway through the letter B! Maybe the you-can't-be-seen-without-an-agent is a rumor being spread by agents?....

Anyway, it keeps my hopes alive!

Toothpaste · Sep 1, 2007

See for me the best reason to have an agent is to have someone to help look out for your career. To help sell your work abroad, and who can get you the best possible deal. If you are having issues with your editor, someone who will be in your corner and speak your side to them. Someone who looks out for your interests. Not just for subbing to publishers. Agents do way more than simply that.

MsJudy · Sep 2, 2007

Agents do way more than simply that.

Oh, I totally agree. I'm just finding that since there aren't that many agents who rep middle grade fantasy, the competition is fierce. If I go through the list of 25 or so agents, I'm not going to give up. I'll try to find a publisher. Maybe then an agent will be willing to take me on from there.

Middle Grade Agents

Chalula88

Jack_Roberts

Scribe of my muse, Annabelle

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

ILSinTexas

requiescat in pace

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

RLB

bundled

Chalula88

Azure Skye

Huh?

ghost

Hey, that's my bike!

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

peevy

keeping my head

akaa1a

Giggle Collector

MsJudy

MsJudy

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

MsJudy