I did a Q&A on this site about five years ago when I was a new agent, and I've been thinking for awhile that I'd do a repeat, assuming there are enough interested parties to participate. I can credit the original thread with one of my favorite clients and a few invitations to teach at writing conferences, which I love to do. So!
To start off, I'm going to put up the original questions and answers, together with my new response to show how my needs have changed or not.
Q: Your web site doesn't list list YA, but you indicated interest on a thread. Can I query you with my YA?
Original Answer: Our web site is out of date and meant for the general agency rather than individual agents. We have a number of YA authors, including one that was recently signed based on a writer I met on AW. I am open to most anything except romance and erotica, largely because I don't know anything about those genres.
New Answer: The web site is up to date. Query the right agent with the right project. But when in doubt, try me!
Q: Do you troll (in the fishing sense) AW for new writers?
Original Answer: Yes, regularly. We signed the aforementioned AW writer based on a query I saw on SYW. The novel came, it was wonderful, we offered and the book will go on submission in January. I have made several other requests based on queries I've seen on AW and just offered to my second AW writer. She's waiting to hear back on a couple of fulls, but I'm optimistic based on our conversation.
New Answer: Not as much as I should.
Q: Is there anything you'd particularly like to see?
Original Answer: More non-fiction. In fiction, I'd love to have a commercial, upmarket writer like Alan Furst who writes in some other historical setting. If you have a real vampire novel (you know, the deadly blood-sucking kind who need to be staked), please query. I'm always looking for lucid writing and good old fashioned storytelling.
New Answer: Non-fiction. Historical, sf/f, women's fiction.
Q: Query or query + pages? Synopsis?
Original Answer: Query + first five pages. No synopsis. They make me break out in hives.
New Answer: My allergic reaction to the synopsis has grown to a life-threatening condition. I'm getting shots, but the allergist tells me they can take up to a year to have an effect.
To start off, I'm going to put up the original questions and answers, together with my new response to show how my needs have changed or not.
Q: Your web site doesn't list list YA, but you indicated interest on a thread. Can I query you with my YA?
Original Answer: Our web site is out of date and meant for the general agency rather than individual agents. We have a number of YA authors, including one that was recently signed based on a writer I met on AW. I am open to most anything except romance and erotica, largely because I don't know anything about those genres.
New Answer: The web site is up to date. Query the right agent with the right project. But when in doubt, try me!
Q: Do you troll (in the fishing sense) AW for new writers?
Original Answer: Yes, regularly. We signed the aforementioned AW writer based on a query I saw on SYW. The novel came, it was wonderful, we offered and the book will go on submission in January. I have made several other requests based on queries I've seen on AW and just offered to my second AW writer. She's waiting to hear back on a couple of fulls, but I'm optimistic based on our conversation.
New Answer: Not as much as I should.
Q: Is there anything you'd particularly like to see?
Original Answer: More non-fiction. In fiction, I'd love to have a commercial, upmarket writer like Alan Furst who writes in some other historical setting. If you have a real vampire novel (you know, the deadly blood-sucking kind who need to be staked), please query. I'm always looking for lucid writing and good old fashioned storytelling.
New Answer: Non-fiction. Historical, sf/f, women's fiction.
Q: Query or query + pages? Synopsis?
Original Answer: Query + first five pages. No synopsis. They make me break out in hives.
New Answer: My allergic reaction to the synopsis has grown to a life-threatening condition. I'm getting shots, but the allergist tells me they can take up to a year to have an effect.
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