Consider agents outside New York?

Huh. It didn't occur to me that it would be a big deal. I'll be watching this thread with interest.

Kristin Nelson does OK from Colorado. The Knight Agency does not have a NY office.

So is it that you don't want to query agents that are outside of NY?

Go ahead.

Or is it that you've run out of agents to query from NYC and want to cast your net outward...

???

My agent's based in Boston, and she seems to do fine. Also, others I know are in LA and the already mentioned Colorado has at least two agencies, I think. So, yes, agents that are effective and "important" exist and do their jobs while based outside of New York.

I'm with Sheryl in that I'm not sure what your question actually is, though.

Laer Carroll said:

I'm sure it's nice if your agent can easily have lunch with a publisher. But in these days of texting and emails and Skype is it really that important for them to be able to meet physically face to face? Yet I still have this prejudice. The only REALLY important agents are those who work in the Big Apple.

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There are some highly successful agents who live outside NY. Kristin Nelson is one.

My agent is in Toronto and worth her weight in all things precious.

Marlene Stringer is based in Florida and I know for a fact she spends a lot of time in Manhattan.

My Toronto agent is one of my heroes. It doesn't matter where your agent resides. At all. It matters what the hell they do.

Yair . . .

There are even agents in other countries!! Imagine that!!

Cheers.

scrub puller said:

Yair . . .

There are even agents in other countries!! Imagine that!!

Cheers.

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Since the OP in is LA, it's a safe bet that North American agents would be what was in question in this particular thread.

Yep, what everyone else said. My NYC agency has at least one agent who works there remotely.

My agency is the number one children's/YA agency in the country. Our main office is in the SF Bay Area, and only one out of nine agents lives in NY. (It's me -- and I don't live in NYC!)

Looking at the Publishers Marketplace top 10 children's agencies, at least half are based outside of NYC, and I believe 90-100% have at LEAST one agent who does not live in NYC.

Prominent agents who do not live in NYC, off the top of my head: Laura Rennert (and everyone else at Andrea Brown). Kristen Nelson. Kate Testerman. Erin Murphy. Ami-Joan Pacquette. Tracey and Josh Adams. Sarah Davies. Steve Malk. I mean honestly, do I need to keep going? These are among the top agents in the country.

My agent is based in Boston. It's really not as big a deal anymore. Many agents who don't live in NYC make trips there often, though.

Laer Carroll said:

The only REALLY important agents are those who work in the Big Apple.

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Nope.

There are plenty of agents with really impressive lists who are based outside of NYC. When I was querying, quite a few agents on my "top agents" list aren't in NYC.

But you are free to limit yourself to what you're comfortable with, of course.

I'm querying agents who are looking for my genre (I fall somewhere into the humor/satire novel category.) So far, I've received a positive personal response from an agent who is overseas and who works for a good agency. Without going into too much detail, she might be the perfect agent for my project, since it's based in the country where she lives. I don't think that location is important as long as your agent is good and invested in your project.

Okay, I gotta ask: what's so special about NYC?

Samsonet said:

Okay, I gotta ask: what's so special about NYC?

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I think it's because most big publishing houses have been based there, so traditionally, large literary agencies had their main offices there too too. But this is far less true than it used to be. Not only is publishing changing, but the internet makes it far easier to connect with people in different cities and to send manuscripts back and forth electronically.

I really haven't considered where the agent's office is located when querying.

I'm looking for signs that an agent is capable of selling novels to the markets I'd like mine to be sold to and that they have a good reputation with people who have worked with them.

Location doesn't matter. There are many highly successful agents who live and work in areas other than New York. My agent isn't New York based, and she is all things awesome .

Living in New York, or near Hollywood, is not a requirement, but vising regularly is, at least for me. This usually means living relatively close.

The internet has changed many things, but it has not changed how important it is for an agent and editor to know each other, and to meet face to face. A good agent can sell a good novel, or a screenplay, from anywhere, but there's a lot more to this business than just placing a novel with a publisher.

My agent's never lived in NYC, though she spends a lot of time there when she's in America. I've never felt worried or like there were any missed opportunities because of this, but she's very established/well known.

Jennifer_Laughran said:

Prominent agents who do not live in NYC, off the top of my head: Laura Rennert (and everyone else at Andrea Brown). Kristen Nelson. Kate Testerman. Erin Murphy. Ami-Joan Pacquette. Tracey and Josh Adams. Sarah Davies. Steve Malk. I mean honestly, do I need to keep going? These are among the top agents in the country.

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PFFFFT, I was not on the very tip top of your head, Jenn? I'm so appalled!

Mine lives in a small town in Oregon. And he's astoundingly good.

MandyHubbard said:

PFFFFT, I was not on the very tip top of your head, Jenn? I'm so appalled!

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I didn't even think I needed to MENTION you, as it GOES WITHOUT SAYING. <3