Agent Q&A - Michael Carr, Veritas Literary v2

[KingM]

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Original Answer: Our web site is out of date and meant for the general agency rather than individual agents.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.

 

[Earthling]

Thank you for doing this!

Is there a particular word/phrase/etc that makes you auto-reject or auto-request a query? Besides including a synopsis.

"Women's fiction" - does contemporary romance float your boat?

 

[KingM]

I don't autoreject a query for including a synopsis. I just skip past it. The things that cause me to autoreject instead of respond are people who come across as aggressive or bragging. As in "Don't miss out on this opportunity, Michael! This book will be an instant classic! A megablockbuster! Get on the rocket before it blasts off!"

<delete>

I don't have anything against romance, I just don't know the market. If there's one thing I've learned, often painfully, it's to only represent the type of book that I would read on my own. I know "women's fiction" sounds like it fits the category of things I'd know nothing about, but that's not true. I'm a big reader of book club-style books, especially the ones with both a plot and some literary aspirations.

 

[Lillith1991]

Thanks do much for doing this!

I was wondering, is there any particular subgenre of SFF you'd like to see more of? And how do you feel about Lit-Genre crosses? Or vampire novels told from the POV of a vampire more like Spike or Angelus from Buffy the Vampire Slayer than Edward Cullen?

Sorry to pepper you with questions. Talking to an agent about what they like is kind of exciting.

 

[KingM]

Thanks do much for doing this!

No problem. It's a fun break from my usual work.

I was wondering, is there any particular subgenre of SFF you'd like to see more of?

Nothing in particular, just great writing and storytelling. One issue that I sometimes face with sf/f is that there are a limited number of publishers, so I sometimes run through the people I know and see if I think it would appeal to them. But I'll take a chance if I love the book.

And how do you feel about Lit-Genre crosses?

Can you be a little more specific?

Or vampire novels told from the POV of a vampire more like Spike or Angelus from Buffy the Vampire Slayer than Edward Cullen?

I'd definitely take a Spike story over . . . well, that other guy. UF isn't exactly what I know best, but if the writing was fantastic, I'd take a chance.

 

[Lillith1991]

Can you be a little more specific?

Sure. I was thinking of something in the realm of a recently turned vampire and her family coming to terms with her vampirism over the course of a year, or a genre bending work like Octavia Butler's Kindred that uses the speculative elements to pose tough questions while making the reader consider how they would answer whatever the questions are.

I'm always looking to read that type of more... well, I wouldn't say quiet stories exactly. But stories more about the emotional journey than the plot, though they also should be very well plotted in order for emotional growth and questions posed to have the impact the writer is hoping to achieve.

I'd definitely take a Spike story over . . . well, that other guy. UF isn't exactly what I know best, but if the writing was fantastic, I'd take a chance.

Good to know. I also prefer Spike from a character standpoint. As a reader I tend to find him more nuanced than the other one, though both are problematic characters in their own right.

 

[KingM]

Sure. I was thinking of something in the realm of a recently turned vampire and her family coming to terms with her vampirism over the course of a year, or a genre bending work like Octavia Butler's Kindred that uses the speculative elements to pose tough questions while making the reader consider how they would answer whatever the questions are.

Octavia Butler is one of my favorite sf writers, so yeah. If someone can write like her, I'm sold.

Good to know. I also prefer Spike from a character standpoint. As a reader I tend to find him more nuanced than the other one, though both are problematic characters in their own right.

I'm okay with Angel. Prefer Spike, but Angel is fine. It's the sparkly dude's name I couldn't bring myself to say out loud.

 

[Lillith1991]

Octavia Butler is one of my favorite sf writers, so yeah. If someone can write like her, I'm sold.

I'm thoroughly convinced the world needs more SFF that poses the types of questions posed by Octavia Butler in the majority of her work. Kindred, Lillith's Brood and the like pose some really tough questions and Butler gives some really tough, bleak answers that are uncomfortable and also make perfect sense all at once.

As you may be able to tell, I'm also a Butler fan. She makes me think and I enjoy that. I may not always enjoy what she makes me consider, but the fact she even dared pose those questions in her work is awesome.

I'm okay with Angel. Prefer Spike, but Angel is fine. It's the sparkly dude's name I couldn't bring myself to say out loud.

Sorry. I was thinking of the Sparkly Dude when I said the other vampire. Angel/Angelus is also a nuanced character though I do prefer Spike to Angel.

 

[Lillith1991]

I have another question.

Is it safe to say that because you're a fan of Octavia Butler, you would be open to diverse stories that are hard hitting when it comes to matters of race and gender? I've found that Butler's work while appealing and evocative is also deeply rooted in her blackness and her views on what race and gender mean and how those things intersect.

 

[KingM]

Is it safe to say that because you're a fan of Octavia Butler, you would be open to diverse stories that are hard hitting when it comes to matters of race and gender? I've found that Butler's work while appealing and evocative is also deeply rooted in her blackness and her views on what race and gender mean and how those things intersect.

Yes, of course I would be. I love stories that really dig into things that are not my own experience, regardless of what that is. Having said that, I'm primarily interested in story. So was Butler, I think. These were background, flavor, very important themes, but she didn't turn it into a soapbox, or if she did, she was so good at it that I never noticed.

Above all, I want something that makes me want to know what comes next. The more I have to know what comes next, the more likely I am to pick up the phone and make the call.

 

[KingM]

As a brief threadjack while I'm waiting for questions, I've got a few thoughts on persistence. This initial stage that most AW writers are in can be very frustrating. It's easy to go from wild optimism to depression and back again. I've seen a lot of writers give up, some of them who were closer the finish line than they thought. Some of that might come down to initial expectations.

I think sometimes writers want to just sit down and produce words and feel like they're going to get there sooner rather than later. It would be like starting a painting project without taking lessons or reading books on technique. I know you've been to the museum six hundred times and can differentiate your Matisse from your Monet, but it's not the same thing as study and practice. Some people are brilliant right out of the gate, but not most.

So I'd say make it a long-term plan. Give yourself three years and/or three novels. Couple your writing work with intense study. Pick up books in your genre and look at how they open, build, and conclude. Read as much about the craft as you can. Workshop your fiction; the giving advice part is at least as helpful as the getting of advice. By the end of those three years/books, you'll have a much better understanding of where you are.

If you find that you hate it, well, that's useful to know as well.

 

[Lillith1991]

Yes, of course I would be. I love stories that really dig into things that are not my own experience, regardless of what that is. Having said that, I'm primarily interested in story. So was Butler, I think. These were background, flavor, very important themes, but she didn't turn it into a soapbox, or if she did, she was so good at it that I never noticed.

Above all, I want something that makes me want to know what comes next. The more I have to know what comes next, the more likely I am to pick up the phone and make the call.

I agree. Story is always king and a good writer should always be able to work in the types of themes they want without soapboxing.

On that note, I'm starting to feel bad about monopolizing your time so I'm just going to ask a final question. How do you feel about some really good, scarey YA Horror that pushes boundaries?

 

[KingM]

On that note, I'm starting to feel bad about monopolizing your time so I'm just going to ask a final question. How do you feel about some really good, scarey YA Horror that pushes boundaries?

No worries. There's nobody else on here yet, so why not?

Good, scary YA Horror sounds great. I've always said I would like a good old fashioned scary ghost story, but have yet to see one that hooks me. I'm more cautious about taking on YA these days, however, as my sell rate is not as good in YA as I would like it to be.

 

[Perks]

You should get extra cake in heaven for not making writers write the dreaded synopsis.

I love you.

 

[Earthling]

You should get extra cake in heaven for not making writers write the dreaded synopsis.

I love you.

I second this. The only thing worse than a query, for me, is writing a synopsis.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Here's a question - I'm based in the UK but have begun to query agents in the US.

I've already tried to ensure my fantasy MS is as neutral as possible in terms of differences between British/American English, because I'm aware of the need to appeal to both audiences. But there are certain spellings I can't escape from - colour/color and axe/ax, for example.

If I'm asked by a US agent to submit a sample, should I use American English spellings as much as possible? Or is British English acceptable? I've presumed the latter so far, but I'm happy to stand corrected.

 

[Dreity]

In addition to a classic ghost story, do you have anything else on your wishlist?

And what recent non-client SFF have you read that you really enjoyed?

 

[KingM]

If I'm asked by a US agent to submit a sample, should I use American English spellings as much as possible? Or is British English acceptable? I've presumed the latter so far, but I'm happy to stand corrected.

Don't stress about this. Anyone in publishing is going to be sophisticated enough to know about the spelling differences already. If you sign with a U.S. publisher, a copyeditor will undoubtedly sanitize all your Britishisms. Until then, it's not an issue.

 

[KingM]

In addition to a classic ghost story, do you have anything else on your wishlist?

I'm always looking for good historical fiction.

And what recent non-client SFF have you read that you really enjoyed?

I just read The Three Body Problem, by Cixin Liu (Tor), which is translated from Chinese. Quite interesting on several levels. I could have read an entire novel written by Liu about the Cultural Revolution part alone, but that's a small part of the book.

 

[Dreity]

I'm always looking for good historical fiction.

Any particular time periods that you're a sucker for?

I just read The Three Body Problem, by Cixin Liu (Tor), which is translated from Chinese. Quite interesting on several levels. I could have read an entire novel written by Liu about the Cultural Revolution part alone, but that's a small part of the book.

I've heard nothing but good things about The Three Body Problem. Thanks to you I'll bump it up in the TBR pile!

The last book I read set in the Cultural Revolution was a memoir, Mao's Last Dancer. It's a quick read with a very YA feel to it. I found it very compelling, both as a former ballerina and as someone wanting to get a feel for life during that time. Li Cunxin is a wonderful dancer (I love watching him leap) and now I have a deeper appreciation for the grueling work he put into his art to get to that point.

 

[ElaineA]

I have a question about "market," as in, "That market is too hard a sell right now." My gut tells me that if a story is well-written enough, market toughness isn't much of an issue, but what is your experience? What goes into a decision to take a chance on a manuscript you're jazzed about, even if the market for it might be somewhat problematic? (I know it's not the synopsis )

 

[KingM]

Any particular time periods that you're a sucker for?

I don't have a personal preference myself, but I've heard from a couple of editors lately that the sweet spot is Renaissance to WWII. I don't understand why the bias against stories set in antiquity, and like many things, I suspect that the prevailing wisdom might become a self-fulfilling prophesy. But that's what the market is saying right now.

 

[KingM]

I have a question about "market," as in, "That market is too hard a sell right now." My gut tells me that if a story is well-written enough, market toughness isn't much of an issue, but what is your experience? What goes into a decision to take a chance on a manuscript you're jazzed about, even if the market for it might be somewhat problematic? (I know it's not the synopsis )

I just wrote the above post before I saw this. It easily could have applied to your question, too. Sometimes what I think happens is that people get carried away with something, whether that's Scandinavian crime fiction or zombie novels. Something comes out that's really popular, and the market things it's popular because it's [fill in the blank], and not because it was just really good. So they buy some iffy stuff, which tanks, and suddenly the market is saturated.

You can see that the conventional wisdom is sometimes wrong by the fact that indie writers can keep having success in supposedly dead genres. I wonder, too, if maybe the editors just get sick of a certain type of novel and want to work on something else.

Having said that, writers and agents need to pay attention to what the editors are saying, just like the editors need to pay attention to what the publisher's sales force is telling them.

 

[Tavia]

Thank you for doing this!

Since it's been five years since your first Q&A here... As you've gained experience as an agent, have there been any surprises along the way? Aspects of the industry you hadn't seen from your previous professions, genres you didn't expect to sell in, parts of the job that are easier or harder than expected, anything else?

 

[ElaineA]

I neglected to say thank you for being here. It's a treat for us. And thank you for the thoughtful answer.