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Menza-Barron Literary Agency

marie2

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Has anyone heard anything of the Menza-Barron Literary Agency? Particularly Claudia Menza? I found her through Agent Query but haven't been able to find anything else other than the apparent last sale was in 2002.
 

JerseyGirl1962

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Preditors & Editors has a $ next to her name.

However, I also found this:

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Claudia Menza[/SIZE][/FONT][SIZE=-1]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Claudia Menza Literary Agency
1170 Broadway, Suite 807
New York, New York 10001
(212) 889-6850[/FONT]
[/SIZE]​

Same address as on P&E, but...maybe Mr. Barron left the agency?

Then there's this from 2004.

I'm completely confused at this point.

Hope someone else chimes in with more (better) info.

~Nancy
 

CaoPaux

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FWIW, a search on Menza-Baron (with one "r") finds another sale in 2006. Still no recent activity, though, and a few listings for Menza have her as not accepting submissions. :Shrug:
 

Mr. Anonymous

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I sent Manie Barron the first three chapters (per request) yesterday. He asked me for the full today. I will keep you guys updated on my experiences. If he does offer me representation, I will make sure to inquire about his other clients, and see if I can speak with them.
 

Mr. Anonymous

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I decided to do some research on my own. Manie apparently worked as an agent for William and Morris prior to starting his own agency.

I found this page...

http://www.wrhammons.com/manie-barron-agent.htm

Which lists some of his projects/clients.

There's also this, which gives some more insight into his experience.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA91231.html

Manie Barron, former publishing manager at HarperCollins's Amistad Press imprint, will be joining the William Morris Agency as a literary agent in mid-July. He will be the first African-American agent in the 58-year history of the agency's literary department.

Barron began his publishing career at Random House in 1992 as a telephone sales representative and became African-American specialist in trade sales and marketing, then associate editor, before moving to Amistad last year. Prior to his tenure at Random House, Barron held positions as assistant manager for the Doubleday bookstore in New York and buyer for Golden-Lee Book Distributors.

I also found a Manie Barron who happens to be a book author.

http://product.half.ebay.com/_W0QQtgZinfoQQprZ806388

If it's the same person, well, that can't be a bad thing, right?

There's also this...

http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/7473005cp.shtml


Consumer: Manie Baron Selected as Panelist for Self-Published Authors Symposium March 2006
Previous Release
Next Release

Free magazines

Manie Baron Selected as Panelist for Self-Published Authors Symposium March 2006

The Self-Published Symposium will be attracting authors nationwide on March 12, 2006 at the Schomberg Center.

[ClickPress, Tue Jan 03 2006] Manie Baron selected as panelist for Self-Published Symposium. Manie Barron has been in the world of books for over fifteen years, and has seen it from all sides.

He was the Assistant Manager of Doubleday Bookstore in South Street Seaport, the African American Interest and then General Interest buyer for the Golden-Lee Book Distributors, a national book wholesaler. He spent over seven years at Random House.

He started as a Sales Rep, and then became the African American Specialist, Trades Sales and Marketing, where he worked on the marketing and promotion of all of Random House’s African American titles.

Manie later became an Associate Editor with the Random House imprint. His RH titles include the New York Times best selling Never Die Easy by Walter Payton and Don Yaegger; the Modern Library Harlem Renaissance Series, which included The Crisis Reader, The Opportunity Reader and The Messenger Reader, all edited by Sondra Kathryn Wilson, Ph.D.; NAACP Image Award winner Lift Every Voice and Sing; 100 Years, 100 Voices: A Celebration of the Negro National Anthem, edited by Julian Bond and Sondra Kathryn Wilson, Ph.D.;

Manie also began what is now the Striver’s Row imprint before leaving to become the Publishing Manager of Amistad Press. His titles at Amistad included The Warrior Method, by Ray Winbush, Ph.D. It’s All Good Hair, by Michelle N.K. Colson.

Manie left Amistad after one year to become the first African American literary agent in the history of the William Morris Agency, where his clients included comedienne Mo’Nique, Reverend Al Sharpton, actor Blair Underwood, singer Jill Scott, Mamie Till-Mobley, Emmett Till’s mother, and novelist Leslie Esdaile, the author of the Vampire Huntress series. After three years, Manie left William Morris to form his own literary agency, Menza-Barron, with Claudia Menza.

His clients now include Angela Bassett and Courtney Vance, VIBE Magazine and hip hop journalists Bonz Malone and Kris Ex. Manie is married, has a two-year-old daughter and lives in Harlem.


And finally, for those curious, there's a pic of him here...

http://events.aalbc.com/bea2005photos.htm

So yea, I guess this is where I'd say beware of my google-fu, but I don't use google. :| I prefer yahoo. So I guess it's, err, yahoo-fu?
 

DARK_VADER123

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Mr. Barron asked for me to submit my entire manuscript to him back in September. It's a novel about vampires.
I've sent two followup letters to him, one in January and one in February with SASE but haven't heard back yet. I've done my research on him so I know that he's the agent of L.A. Banks and a reputable agent.
I guess I'm just anxious because it's been 6 months now and I haven't heard anything. Mr. Anonymous have you heard anything?
 

CaoPaux

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Alas, Mr. Barron passed away Jan 8, '11.

Last reported sale for Claudia was in '08.
 

Ducky

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Does anyone have a current address on Claudia Menza Literary Agency?
I just recieved an RTS. I sent to this address:

1170 Broadway, Suite 807
New York, NY 10001

I found this address on AAR.org. I just checked Google Maps (which I should have checked sooner - epic duh) and said address is "Permanently Closed" according to them. Have they moved or are they closed to business?

Thank You!!!
 

amergina

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No idea, but the comments over at Query Tracker indicate that mail sent to that address is being returned. No one knows of another address. :-/
 

Ducky

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Thanks! It's nice to know I'm not just an airhead. ;)

Everything I find is either outdated (which isn't surprising because Mr. Manie Barron just past early this February), or it doesn't even list an address at all. I think I might try calling to see if they're still accepting submissions at a different address.