Category: Agent Interviews

Agent Interview: Erin Murphy (Erin Murphy Literary Agency)

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The first Industry Insider interview of 2020 is with Erin Murphy. She’s a fifth-​generation Arizona native now living in southern Maine where she’s President of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency (EMLA), the company she founded in 1999. “As founder of EMLA,” she notes, “I focus not just on publishing books, but on building careers—and creating a sense of community, as well.”

For those who like personal bio tidbits, Erin’s a fan of:

  • reading (of course!)
  • knitting
  • walking
  • kayaking
  • traveling
  • watching movies
  • and “figuring out How People Work”

If you want to do a little research of your own, here are some links to do some Erin Murphy/​EMLA sleuthing. But with that, it’s time for the interview!

RVC: Like many agents, you didn’t set out to become one. You started as an editor at a small children’s book imprint, right? How did you get from there to where you are now? 

EM: I was an editor of both adult and children’s books at a small, regional house that does not exist any longer. This was more than twenty years ago. It was right at the time that publishing houses were closing to slush and suddenly children’s writers needed agents—and there weren’t very many agents who did anything at all with children’s books at the time. (Listen to me! “Back in the olden days…”) I thought I’d be an editorial freelancer focusing on regional nonfiction or adults, but instead, I decided I should try my hand at agenting and focus on children’s books.

I had only worked with a couple of agents as an editor, so honestly, I didn’t have a solid impression of what agents could do. And I had never worked in publishing in New York, so I had no contacts there. I did, however, have a solid background in negotiating and reviewing contracts, as my publishing house had revised its contract during my tenure there, and the publishing law expert who did the revision trained me thoroughly. If it hadn’t been for that, I don’t think it would have occurred to me to try being an agent.

RVC: What is it about the children’s book industry that appeals to you? For those who don’t know, your agency specializes in that area.

EM: Three primary things:

  1. The work we do feels very important, because we’re not just making books, we’re making books for society’s youngest members, and therefore, we are shaping the next generation. Turning kids into readers is important, important work, and providing good and fun and interesting and moving books to hook them is a necessary part of that.
  2. The people in children’s publishing are generally incredibly nice. The competitive spirit isn’t as driving here, and there’s a sense of success for one book/​creator/​agent/​publisher being good for the whole industry.
  3. I can’t think of another job that would daily thrill my inner child so much!

RVC: How do you handle existing clients who suddenly want to branch out into writing, say, an adult thriller or a Malcolm-​Gladwell-​style cultural commentary book for adults?

EM: My colleague Ammi-​Joan Paquette generally says, “Bring it on!” when her clients do that, and she gets to work researching appropriate editors on the adult side of publishing. I, however, usually say “Uncle!” because I don’t have time to get to know a whole new set of editorial contacts from scratch. But there have also been times when a client thought their next project might be right for adults, and it turned out it actually worked better (or just as well) on the juvenile side.

RVC: What do you say to a prospective client who wonders why you’re located in southern Maine versus, say, the Flatiron building or in a loft on 27th Avenue in NYC? (Beyond the rent being WAY better in Maine, one assumes!)

EM: Whatever editor I need to reach is just a phone call or email away. I’m not a city gal; I’m happier, and more inspired, when I’m spending most of my time in the countryside. I’ve been doing this for more than twenty years while working far from Manhattan, and it seems to have worked out all right. But listen, especially while the industry is having important conversations about how we exclude a lot of people from becoming a part of the publishing industry because of the financial hurdle of living in NYC, I would hope that “lives in NYC” is not a primary requirement of authors seeking agents. My far-​flung colleagues deserve better.

RVC: Let’s talk about your agenting interests and style. Stop me if I’m way off base here, but in scrutinizing the authors/​books you rep, it SEEMS like you’re often taken by quieter subjects, styles, and themes. Is that fair? 

EM: I do think that’s fair, so long as it’s not all three at once. Something needs to make a book stand out and find its readership! Still, I do love being emotionally moved by a text’s subject, style, or themes—and emotion sometimes gets equated with quietness in literature. Take Deborah Underwood’s The Quiet Book as an obvious example. (I rep Deborah but signed her after The Quiet Book came out.) It has a very understated (and brilliant) writing style and the subject is literally quiet, but it taps into a universal feeling on every page. And it works so well because it’s not lacking for an obvious readership—what parent doesn’t want a book that inspires both conversation and quietness for bedtime reading?

Don’t get me wrong—I love fantasy and high stakes. I do represent Robin LaFevers’ His Fair Assassins series, which pitches as “teenage Medieval assassin nuns,” after all—and in picture books, Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton jumps to mind as a non-​quiet book! (See its companion book Fire Truck vs. Dragon, releasing in March 2020.) I just think high stakes are equally valid when they are internal, especially for kids who are figuring out the world and their place in it, and I find that very compelling.

I also find it especially compelling when it concerns voices that have rarely been heard in U.S. children’s publishing. A quiet, emotional story sometimes paradoxically makes a wider window into a world that children of the dominant culture are unfamiliar with—and a more powerful mirror for the children who haven’t seen themselves in books before. (Credit to Rudine Sims Bishop for mirrors/​windows!) My client Andrea Wang was inspired by Bao Phi and Thi Bui’s A Different Pond to write a story from her own childhood, about being a daughter of immigrants, which is forthcoming from Neal Porter Books (with Jason Chin illustrating)—so A Different Pond’s effects will ripple through the new book (tentatively titled Watercress) and beyond. I recently signed Kao Kalia Yang, whose stories of the refugee experience are incredibly powerful and boundary-breaking—and also very simple and poetic.

RVC: You have a rep for being an editorial agent. What does that mean to you, and what are examples of the types of things you’ll do for a client and their manuscript?

EM: Naturally I’m often aware of projects before they start or while they’re in progress and I’ll raise flags if a topic seems problematic, overdone, or not very easy to find an audience for, but that’s not what you’re asking about. I would hope that between a client telling me about an idea and me seeing a manuscript for the first time, they will have done a lot of drafting, re-​drafting, throwing things out, revising further—finding what a text actually needs to be and getting it as far as they can with the help of beta readers and critique partners.

RVC: You’ve got to love how a good critique group can help get a manuscript in submission-​worthy shape!

EM: Totally right! I only get one first look at a manuscript, and what I hope I will be doing with my editorial talents at that point in a picture book’s development is seeing what the author is wanting to do with it and clearing the way to make their vision even more crystallized and irresistible. I ask a lot of questions. I notice little clues the author left for their subconscious to pick up and do more with. I point out lazy writing or obvious “darlings” that the writer loves but that aren’t serving the whole. I point out brilliant writing and ask for more of it. I do a lot of suggesting the author go deeper or take ideas further. I ask them to justify their choices. Sometimes I say, “This is still just an idea, not a picture book text. Your text is talking about it, not telling a story. Go find another way in.”

RVC: So, you have an annual agency retreat. What kind of things are on the agenda each year?

EM: The retreat is a mix of scheduled and unscheduled time. The scheduled time is kind of conference-​like, pulling from the expertise of the agents, special guests, and clients who are in attendance, and it’s high-​level stuff—but the real magic happens in the unscheduled time, when attendees gather spontaneously or intentionally. Plot-​brainstorming sessions have become staples. Readings of works in progress are beloved, and have made it easier for writers to find each other and collaborate—we have several co-​written books that have resulted from the retreat.

There’s also lots of silliness and fun: goofy door prizes, a costume contest, some serious poker-​playing, lots of dessert, jigsaw puzzles, drawing/​painting sessions, Giant Jenga, singalongs, walks, shopping, and last year, a first-​ever EMLA retreat scavenger hunt, a truly evil thing organized by a visiting editor that absolutely captivated the attendees who participated. The main thing is, people really connect there, and they come away feeling creatively rejuvenated. We’re taking 2020 off to step back and evaluate what is really working and what isn’t, and as much as the staff needs the break, we’re all going to miss it a ton, too. It’s pretty great.

RVC: Sounds like fun! What many authors tell me isn’t as much fun, though, is PR. For many, promoting themselves and their books is the biggest anxiety-​causing part of the entire process. What are some of your agency’s best PR success stories?

EM: One of the best things I ever did for EMLA was set up a collaborative relationship with marketing firm Curious City and its brilliant creator, Kirsten Cappy. She takes on marketing concerns for the agency as a whole, but she also is available for our clients who need help with PR and marketing.

So, yes, book promotion can cause anxiety—it is hard to know what to do to support picture book sales and when one is doing enough—but Kirsten encourages our clients to worry less about the immediacy of PR and work more towards establishing long term tools for picture book programmers.  By providing library and classrooms with engagement activities, picture books can be introduced to children and families again and again, long after release. Recently, we have had some significant sales and PR successes that were driven at least partially by the creation of those tools.

After Nancy Raines Day released a Baby & Toddler Story Hour Kit for her book Baby’s First (Charlesbridge), an early literacy program discovered the title and bought 11,000 copies.

Picture book author Maria Gianferrari worked with Curious City to create a Pet Adoption Event Kit for libraries and organizations that centered on her book Operation Rescue Dog (Little Bee). Maria was invited onto the Hallmark Channel to talk about the book, and the talk show hosts celebrated Maria’s “giving back” to the community with the availability of the kit.

(Nancy and Maria are repped by EMLA agents Tricia Lawrence and Ammi-​Joan Paquette, respectively.)

RVC: Dealbreakers in query letters, cover letters, or pitches of any type?

EM: An obvious lack of knowledge of publishing in general or children’s publishing in particular. There is no excuse for not self-​educating when there is so much information that is freely available. I am not interested in dabblers!

RVC: How do you measure your clients’ success?

EM: My primary benchmark is growth. This can be growth in craft and professionalism, expanding into new formats/​genres, increasing sales and recognition, coming closer to getting offers on submission, engaging with wider circles of readers and gatekeepers, etc.

RVC: Talk about the reasons for having the no open submission policy. My guess is that it’s a measured, client-​focused decision that you still probably continue to revisit and debate from time to time.

EM: Actually, you’re only half right! We’ve been closed to slush since maybe my third year as an agent, and I have never once regretted the decision enough to revisit or debate it. We do take queries from people who attend conferences where we speak, and we take referrals (of which we get a lot), and when we realized how much our closed policy has been a barrier for marginalized writers, we started making a serious point of participating in online events like DVPit, doing more reach-​outs, etc. There are avenues to get to us, but we aren’t dealing with nearly the quantity of queries a lot of agents are, and it allows us to have larger numbers of clients than most do. I’m answering this question during the first work week of the new year and an agent from another agency posted that he had gotten 250 queries by Thursday. I can’t fathom dealing in that volume.

RVC: It’s time for the LIGHTNING ROUND! Zippy-​fast questions followed by zappy-​quick responses, please. Ready?

EM: Bring it on!

RVC: Best place for pizza in your neck of the woods (Windham, ME)?

EM: This one hurts. No good answer close by—but we are fans of Otto’s if we want to go a little further.

RVC: In a parallel universe where I wasn’t involved with books at all, I’d instead be ________.

EM: A news editor in some medium or other.

RVC: Favorite non-​kidlit guilty reading pleasure?

EM: Historical mysteries.

RVC: Best non-​client picture book of 2019?

EM: Ooh, that’s not fair! One book! Okay, this is the best I can do…a tie between Saturday by Oge Mora and Small in the City by Sydney Smith.

RVC: The #1 attribute for agenting success?

EM: Flexibility.

RVC: Three words that sum up the EMLA philosophy?

EM: Integrity, community, growth. (Or possibly “unicorns, pie, poker.”)

RVC: Way to end strong! Thanks so much, Erin!

 

Agent Interview: Jennifer Laughran (Andrea Brown Literary)

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This month’s Industry Insider interview is with Jennifer Laughran, a Senior Agent at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

By way of getting to know her, here are two haiku embedded with things biographical.

Reads and reads and reads,
this Slytherin show-​tune fan
and kids book maven.

“Books are in my blood.”
Runs the Literaticast.
Loves indie bookstores.

What more do you need, right? So, without further ado, let’s get to the interview!

(Though if you want more things Jennifer, the links below will serve you well.)

RVC: Let’s start with something I find intriguing. In addition to being an agent at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, you have a second job, of sorts—at your local bookstore, Oblong Books & Music. What do you do there?

JL: It’s not really a mystery. I work in my neighborhood bookstore for a few hours on weekend mornings, unless I’m out of town at a conference or something. What do I do there? I… sell people books! And also help run the teen events. I’ve been a bookseller since I was 12, and I see no reason not to keep being one. I like being able to peruse all the new books coming in, and see what kids and parents are responding to on the shelves. Also, as an agent, I work from home, usually extremely long days, sometimes without ever leaving the house or speaking to anyone except online. So it’s nice to actually be forced to interact with people in real time.

(I definitely do NOT work there for the money. I’m a book addict and I’m certain I spend more at the bookstore than I make–but the employee discount is nice!)

RVC: How did being a bookseller since age 12 help prepare you for agenting?

JL: Being a bookseller is, in some ways, like being an agent. As a bookseller, I have favorite books that I’m an evangelist for. I also hand-sell–that is, I ask customers what they want to read, and I find great books that fit their needs.

As an agent, I have authors that I’m an evangelist for. I ask editors what they want to publish, and I find great books that fit their needs. It’s matchmaking, in both instances. Also, my many years in the bookstore gave me a head start at knowing a lot about how publishing works, what the different imprints publish, etc.

RVC: Confession time. I like Kate Messner’s work. A lot. And what do you know, you’re her agent! So, let me ask—which of her picture books has the most interesting idea-​to-​publication story? 

JL: This would probably be a better question for Kate, actually – by the time her books come to me, they are well past the “idea” stage. But maybe Over and Under the Snow?

If I recall correctly, she wrote the original draft for the book on the back of a lunchbag at one of her kid’s field trips. And as you may know, it’s about the “subnivean zone”–which is the area in between the snowpack and the ground where animals chill out during winter. Well, I’m from California and had barely SEEN snow when she sent it to me so I was like “what”? And the editor is from California, as well, and she was like “subWHO zone”? But of course there is no arguing with a brilliant book, and we both quickly got on board the subnivean train.

That book went on to sell brilliantly and have many follow-​up books about different animal habitats, such as Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, Over and Under the Pond, with more forthcoming!

RVC: I know you could answer this from the perspective of many of your clients (I’m looking at successes like Daniel Pinkwater, Gareth Hinds, and Erin Lange, to name just a few), but what does Kate Messner do well that keeps her cooking along in the world of kidlit?

JL: Aside from creativity and good writing, obviously, I’d say the qualities that most successful writers share are flexibility, openness and positivity. To use Kate Messner as an example: She is constantly coming up with new ideas, she is always willing to dig deep in revisions and pivot if something isn’t working, and while of course this business has low moments, she rolls with the punches and doesn’t get mired in negativity. You can have a lot of talent, but if you aren’t able to push forward and do the work, you won’t be able to have a successful career as an author.

Also, as with most successful authors, Kate’s a great communicator–not just on the page, but in life. From an agent’s perspective: I need my authors to feel comfortable asking me questions and telling me what they need. I can help you in a lot of ways–but I can’t read your mind!

RVC: Great advice! Now in your 10+ years of agenting, what has most surprised you?

JL: I don’t know if it’s surprising but… interesting? When I first started as an agent, everyone said that “Picture books are dead”–and now I’d say it’s a golden age of picture books. So, like fashion, everything is cyclical. If you’re writing a topic or genre or type of book that isn’t in fashion now, it could very likely come back into style if you stick around! 🙂

RVC: Let’s get numbery. How many submissions do you personally deal with in an average week?

JL: I probably get a hundred or so queries a week.

RVC: What are the first questions you have for submissions that—I’m guessing here, but I’ll bet I’m right—knock out more than half of them straight away?

JL: This was a bigger problem before I got the submission form that I use now. When it was email, I’d get twice as many queries where at least half simply weren’t in a category that I represent. Now that the form exists, it just doesn’t let you submit if you aren’t writing in a category I represent (unless you lie? But like… what’s the point of that?).

RVC: Something else you value in stories—you’ve said it’s a common thread in all of your favorite stories—is an “offbeat worldview.” What are a couple of examples that demonstrate what you mean here?

JL: What I mean by “offbeat worldview” is NOT BORING and NOT DIDACTIC; a story or point of view I haven’t read before. I’m more likely to gravitate to quirky, original-​looking art rather than extremely commercial straightforward art. I’m more likely to appreciate stories that are surprising and funny rather than something with a Good Moral Lesson. My books reflect that taste. Some examples: Cindy Derby’s How to Walk an Ant, which is weird and funny and subversive, about a girl who is a professional Ant Walker. Sergio Ruzzier’s Good Boy, which takes a simple relationship between a kid and his dog to the next level. Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s Also an Octopus, which is a book about writing a book (and has a ukulele-​playing octopus and a rocket ship made of waffles!)

An example of “extremely commercial straightforward art” AND a “good moral lesson” is the Berenstain Bears. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with the bears, they’re popular, and I loved them when I was a kid–but they are pretty much the opposite of books I would choose for my own list.

RVC: Is the offbeat worldview in these books part—or most?—of what makes them unputdownable in your mind?

JL: Yes, being surprising and original and NOT BORING is a good recipe for being unputdownable.

RVC: What’s a recent picture book success story that you’ve been part of?

JL: Raúl the Third’s Vamos, Let’s Go to the Market was very well received this year. It’s a Richard Scarry-​esque exploration of a border town mercado, with tons of awesome details in Spanish. I can’t take credit for the creation of the book in any way–that’s all due to Raúl’s genius! But I’m proud of the role I played in bringing it to the world–particularly now that it’s becoming a franchise, with two more picture books and a handful of board books and early readers signed up.

RVC: And with that, it’s time to move forward with … THE SPEED ROUND! 100mph questions and 200mph answers, please. Ready?

JL: I don’t know, but I’ll try.

RVC: Most surprising Twitter account you follow?

JL: I mostly follow friends, writers, book industry people, theatre people, activists, and cute animals. I don’t think any of those things are surprising.

RVC: The most unappreciated Slytherin member is ____________?

JL: All Slytherin are underappreciated, because the HP books are written with distinct Gryffindor POV bias.

RVC: Mystery Oreos. Great snack, or the GREATEST snack?

JL: Neither, by any metric, but it is a fun guessing game.

RVC: Favorite thing about the Andrea Brown Literary Agency?

JL: My smart and amazing colleagues!

RVC: Most vital social media for an agent?

JL: I don’t think any social media is “vital” for an agent. I personally like Twitter, but it’s optional.

RVC: Three words that describe your Dream Client?

JL: Talented, flexible, communicative.

RVC: Thanks so much, Jennifer! The next time we bump elbows at an SCBWI event, the first pineapple smoothie is on me.

Agent Interview: Abigail Samoun (Red Fox Literary)

On By Only Picture BooksIn Agent Interviews4 Comments

This month’s Industry Insider interview is with Abigail Samoun—Abi to her pals—co-founder and literary agent at Red Fox Literary. She’s also worked as an editor and has authored a number of children’s books, which makes her fluent in all aspects of the entire book industry. Talk about the ideal person to chat with for an Insider Interview!

Since OPB readers have requested more Five Facts and One Lie games as a way to get to know interview subjects, here we go again. One of these is an out-​and-​out falsity, the others are all 100% totally yeppers. If you’re unsure which is the stinker, I’ll give you the 411 before we’re through.

  1. She organizes her library according to which authors would get along well together (Brontës next to George Eliot, etc.).
  2. Her husband’s an entomologist whose current research project is investigating biological control options of bagrada bug and spotted wing drosophila.
  3. She’s a former Girl Scout who once sold two boxes of Thin Mints to Barack Obama quite a few years before he was the senator of Illinois.
  4. As a child, she used to do acrobatics on horses and was the top girl in a five-​girl pyramid atop a moving horse.
  5. Abi was born in Paris, France and French was her first language. She immigrated to the U.S. at age seven.
  6. She once worked as an intern at the Bronx Zoo and often spent her lunch hour hanging out with the big cats.

Well, with all that terrific bio-​info, I don’t know about you, but I feel tremendously prepared for the following interview. Sound good? Let’s do it!

Website: www.mommikin.com/abigail-samoun

Agency website: www.redfoxliterary.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abigail.samoun

Twitter: https://twitter.com/abigailsamoun

RVC: Your undergraduate major at NYU–French Studies/Journalism–seems a bit unexpected. How did that prepare you for a career in the book world?

AS: Not all that well! My real love was literature but I thought journalism might be a more practical option. Little did I know at the time that a journalism degree in a world of print newspapers competing with Facebook, Twitter, and the blogosphere, wouldn’t be nearly as practical as I’d hoped. What really best prepared me for an editorial career were the many, many creative writing classes I took. In each, I had to give kind and insightful critiques of my fellow students’ works. I learned a lot about style, form, and characterization in those classes, and also how to give a critique without making the author feel defensive.

RVC: You must’ve learned those lessons well because you were killing it as an in-​house children’s book editor for more than a decade, with the books you worked on receiving honors like the CCBC Charlotte Zolotow Award, the New York Public Library Ezra Jack Keats Award, and the Pura Belpré Award. Why did you switch to agenting in 2011?

AS: The publisher I worked for was bought by Random House and about a year later, they decided to shutter the children’s division. It was sad but it was just the kick in the butt I needed to get to the next stage of my career. I wrote down a list of all the things I liked to do and most of it had to do with working directly with authors and illustrators. The thought of leaving behind all those authors and illustrators I’d developed relationships with over the course of those ten years with the hardest part of being laid off. Agenting was a way to continue that work. The first clients I took on were authors and illustrators I’d worked with and come to know as an editor.

RVC: With nearly a decade of agenting behind you now, I’ll bet you have strong thoughts about this next question. What do you think is the most common misconception people have about agents? 

AS: I always love seeing the way literary agents are portrayed in film and TV. I think the latest example of this was Melissa McCarthy’s agent in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, played by Jane Curtin. Often, they’re depicted as brash and scheming and money-​hungry. But—and I think this is particularly true for children’s book agents—most of them got into the business because they care about books. We may be focused on getting our clients good deals and some of us can become pretty tough negotiators (I had an editor accuse me of this recently and I took it as quite a compliment), but the deals aren’t the most fulfilling part of the work.

Seeing a book you represented on a bookstore shelf, sharing the news of an offer with a client, securing a deal that will allow your struggling young client to quit his day job and spend the next year doing his art—those are what fulfills most kids’ book agents.

RVC: As mentioned in the intro to this interview, you’re an author, too. One of your books—an illustrated biography entitled Mind Afire: The Visions of Tesla—came about through a successful Kickstarter campaign. As someone who has watched writer pals try (often unsuccessfully) to fund creative things via crowdsourcing sites, what did you learn about the process?

AS: What was great about the Tesla project is that we had a built-​in audience of Tesla fans. At the time, there wasn’t that much out there about Tesla and he hadn’t yet reached the height of his cult popularity. So, I think our timing was really good. We also got lucky with our videographer who created an elegant, stylish video that made us look like hot shots. Plus Beth Haidle’s art is uniquely hers and was such a great fit for the subject—she created these charming animations to go with our Kickstarter launch and I think those won a lot of people over. It was also a point when Kickstarter was featuring makers on a monthly basis, rather than daily, so when they featured us, it really had an impact.

It was a wild ride, doing that book. I’d never written a nonfiction book before and I would lose myself completely in research, digging around and finding all kinds of fascinating and obscure info about Tesla. It was a good thing we had the weight of 1,500 backers to hold us to our deadlines.

RVC: You bet–1,500 backers is a ton! What tips do you have to help others who are considering crowdfunding a project? 

AS: It feels like crowdfunding really works best when you can find a subject that has a niche—where you can find a group of people who are really passionate about it and who will be willing to make an investment simply based on that interest. It feels toughest to do a crowdfunded campaign on something really general, for which there’s a lot of competition—for example, a sci-​fi/​fantasy young adult novel. Compare that to a book set, say, in the world of competitive tennis, and you’ll be able to see that the target audience is much narrower and you’re likely to capture their interest just by virtue of the subject.

RVC: I’ve got a couple of students here at Ringling College’s creative writing program who are entertaining the thought of becoming a children’s book editor. Sure, they should probably move to NYC and work for a press—small, indie, or big—to get hands-​on experience and make connections. But what type of personality or attributes do you think make someone well-​suited to the editing world? What actionables might you recommend to help them become ready for the challenges that await?

AS: Well, first and foremost, you’ve got to be part of that passionate, underground society of rabid book lovers. Just about every editor I’ve met spent most of their childhood and adolescent years with their nose stuck in a book (yours truly included). Next, you have to understand how stories work—what makes a good story, what are the tools that are used. Creative writing and English lit classes help, but most of all, read good books. A good editor has a deep respect for the creative process and can intuit what their author is trying to accomplish, paragraph to paragraph, chapter to chapter. She understands that writing books is not easy and that there are always going to be challenges and ways to make the story stronger. An editor also has to be diplomatic and know how to work in teams. The book-​making process is a long and complicated one—there are designers, art directors, copyeditors, proofreaders, production manager, printers, sales and marketing, book buyers, and, of course, the author and/​or illustrators themselves. Much of the time, the editor is managing all these different people, like a conductor, trying to make sure everyone is doing their part properly.

RVC: In all your experience with the book industry—as a writer, an editor, and an agent—what has surprised you the most?

AS: As I mentioned, I took tons of creative writing classes throughout my long and varied college career and most of my teachers would tell us what a tough business writing was, and how it was hopeless to expect to get published, and that editors received literally tons of manuscripts daily and you had a better shot at going to the moon than getting published. But one of the encouraging things I’ve discovered in my career in children’s books is that talent really does rise above. Editors and agents may receive a ton of submissions but much of it isn’t from those bookish types who live, eat, and breathe books and writing. If you’re really passionate about it, committed to it, take your craft seriously, there’s a good chance you’ll get noticed. A writer who cares about words and has a musical ear and something personal and meaningful to say isn’t a dime a dozen. We love seeing work from such authors. We editors and agents are dying to find work we can really fall in love with. As jaded as we get, I think most of us still get that little flash of hope when we open a new submission and think, “maybe this will be the one.”

It’s a bit like kissing the frog and hoping for a prince. Most of us must be eternal romantics!

See the source imageRVC: Let’s circle back to your agency. Your co-​founder, Karen Grencik, and I met at an SCBWI event a while back. I found her to be quite impressive. What do you see as her real strengths as an agent?

AS: Karen is one of the most conscientious and caring people I know. She works hard for her clients and always knows how to keep what really matters—relationships and books you can be proud of—front and center. She’s ambitious in that she wants to see Red Fox’s reputation grow and shine, but she wants it to grow and shine because of the quality of the books we rep and the respect and care with which we treat our clients and the editors and designers we work with.

RVC: If I asked Karen the same question about you, what do you think she’d say are YOUR strengths as an agent?

AS: Ha! I know exactly what she’d say—she’d say I’m the shiny red sports car and she’s the trusty Volvo station wagon. But I don’t think that’s entirely accurate. She’s often more willing to take a chance than I am and she’s been the driving force behind bringing on our other agents Stephanie Fretwell-​Hill, Jenna Pocius, and Jennie Kendrick. Karen has a real vision for the potential of our agency and pushes us toward that potential. I have a tendency to get stuck in the demands of the day-today.

Karen knows my strengths are more in the creative realm—envisioning the website, coming up with promos, editing manuscripts. She’s more of a big-​picture person and she’s super organized and keeps on top of all the bills, banking, and other business‑y things. We balance each other really well and I feel so incredibly lucky to have teamed up with her.

RVC: Want to share the story of how you and Karen met, and how you partnered to become Red Fox Literary in 2011? You bought a manuscript from her, right? That’s what started it all?

AS: Oh, it goes waaaayyy back. She and I first corresponded in 2001, when I was just a young cub editor, checking agent submissions for my boss, the publisher. Karen was a fairly new agent and sent in a manuscript by Sarah Wilson that I loved so I shared it with my boss and she liked it too. Then my boss said, “How would you like to edit this one?” I had no idea how to even make an offer on a book and acquire it, much less edit it. I was scared out of my wits. But both Karen and Sarah were very kind and patient. I remember a meeting early on where I sat at the table with them and my boss and I was so shy I could barely say anything. But Sarah kept turning to me and saying, “And what do you think, Abi?” I’ve never forgotten how kind and generous Karen and Sarah were to an awkward, fairly clueless, and very young editor.

The picture book we did, George Hogglesberry, Grade School Alien, went on to win the Golden Kite Award from SCBWI. I recently read it aloud to my seven year old—eighteen years later—and it’s still a charming story.

RVC: One last serious question before we get to the LIGHTNING ROUND! Could you say a few words about the important relationship between agent and writer, and how one might find the ideal match, whether it’s at Red Fox or somewhere else?

AS: Your relationship with your agent, just like any important relationship, rests on a foundation of trust. You have to believe that your agent has your best interests at heart. I want all my clients to find success in children’s books. I’m in this business to make good books and help artists and writers make a living off their work. That’s the part of the work that’s most dear to me. I believe in the power of art and books to make a better society—to make us better human beings. The books I have loved made me a kinder, more thoughtful, more mature, and empathetic person. Artists aren’t given much support or encouragement in the U.S. today. Through my work, in a very individual and up-​close-​and-​personal way, I feel I’m doing my part to help a small group of artists feel encouraged, supported, guided—and I find good homes for their stories so they can continue to pay their bills and do work they love.

My point here is that you need to know that your agent’s values align with your own. If an agent talks more about the important people he knows than about his clients and their work, he’s communicating a value to you. If an agent doesn’t speak respectfully of other people in the biz, that’s another thing to pay attention to. Finding an agent is similar to dating. On those first dates, you have to listen carefully and intuit what this person really cares about and if those are the same things you care about. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned in this business—at times the hard way—is that you’ve always got to listen to your gut. If your gut is telling you that this isn’t the agent for you, listen to that, no matter what the agent’s reputation is.

One of the things I love about this industry is that most of the people in it really and truly love books and believe it’s important that children hear and read many, many stories. Every once in a rare while, you’ll come across people who put their egos front and center, but that’s not the norm in this biz. (I suspect those types usually end up in Hollywood or Washington DC!).

RVC: Thanks for the inspiring, honest advice, Abi. And now, without further hubbub, to-​do, or ballyhoo … it’s time for the Lightning Round! Fast questions and zippy-​quick answers, please. ARE YOU READY?

AS: Go for it!

RVC: Best place in Sonoma, California for a burger?

AS: Picazo Café on Arnold Drive. A local family owns it and they take great pride in the delicious food they serve. The French fries are the best in town too.

RVC: Would you rather have a rewind or pause button for your life?

AS: Pause. I’m perpetually late to everything—all the women on my side of the family are. It’s terrible. My sister is the worst—it’s impossible to serve her a warm slice of turkey on Thanksgiving, no matter how late we put the bird in the oven.

RVC: Batman, Deadpool, or Captain Marvel—who’d write the best picture book?

AS: Oh, I’m so out of the whole DC/​Marvel universe thing. Now if you asked me which Brontë sibling would write the best picture book… I’d say Emily, because she loved animals so much.

RVC: What’s on your playlist that you listen to at work?

AS: I love this question! I’ve been spying on my fellow kid-​lit people’s Spotify playlists and have discovered some really interesting stuff. Lately, I’m listening to the late sixties band CAN, atmospheric techno from Beach House and Morcheeba, Nirvana’s demo recordings (I particularly like Marigold), Pavement, Yacht, De-​Phazz, ‘70s disco and funk, and Arcade Fire.

You can tell I’m a child of the ‘90s, right?

RVC: If you went back into the editing world, name one picture book author—not including a Red Fox client—who’d you LOVE to work with?

AS: Mem Fox—because she has such a wonderful understanding of the form.

RVC: If Red Fox Literary had a motto that struck at the heart of what it does and encapsulated its mission, what would that be … in ten words or less? Bonus points for rhyme, Yoda-​speak, or emojis!

AS: It’s funny ‘cause a client was talking to a big-​time editor who asked her what agency she was with. When she said “Red Fox Literary,” the editor said, “Oh, good! They’re not jerks.” Well, he actually said something a little stronger than “jerks.” So the joke among us at Red Fox is that this should be our slogan, “Red Fox Literary: We’re not jerks.” We could put it on our business cards.

But beyond that, I would say… hmmmm… (my attempt at Yoda speak): Good people, we are. Make good books, we must.

RVC: Thanks oodles, Abi. It was a pleasure getting to know you better and sharing all of this with the OPB family. 

And for those of you didn’t figure out which fact from the intro section was, in truth, a big honking lie, I’ll let you in. The falsehood was #3. Abi did NOT sell Girl Scout cookies to Barack Obama, but “I wish that were true!” she admits.

Agent Interview: Mary Cummings (Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises)

On By Only Picture BooksIn Agent Interviews4 Comments

**UPDATE: As of 2021, Mary launched her own agency, Great River Literary.**

This month’s Industry Insider interview is with Mary Cummings, a literary agent at Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises. She got on my radar not only for being involved with a number of books that are connected to OPB in some manner (we’ll address those in the interview below), but because her name kept popping up on the Dealmakers section of Publisher’s Marketplace. Yep, we watch that pretty closely here at OPB, for obvious reasons.

Before we dive into the Q&A, let’s learn a bit more about Mary via a Six Facts and One Lie Game. Six of the following are honest-​to-​goodness true. One is a complete falsehood. (Can’t tell which is the pants-​on-​fire moment? I’ll spill the beans somewhere in the interview.)

  1. She can’t stand coffee.
  2. She’s fast in terms of responding to queries. I mean FAST.
  3. She’ll take a pass on any vampire and zombie stories.
  4. She adores opera. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t enjoy an aria or two.
  5. She loves PT Cruiser cars, even though they stopped making them in July 2010.
  6. She spends way too much time following the national news.
  7. She’s GOT to have her annual trip to the mountains or she’ll be worthless to family, friends, clients, and the world in general for the rest of the year.

Now that we’re in the loop with who Mary is and what she’s about, it’s time for the interview. Onward!

Website: www.cummingskidlit.com

Agency website: www.amsterlit.com

Bonus interview #1: https://duotrope.com/interview/agent/24344/mary-cummings

Bonus interview #2: http://www.literaryrambles.com/2019/04/agent-spotlight-interview-with-mary.html

RVC: Unlike many agents I’ve interviewed at OPB, you didn’t start off in the literary world as an agent or as an intern at an agency who then worked their way up. You started at the Loft Literary Center. How did you get involved there? What did those experiences teach you about books, readers, and writing?

MC: As Education Director, I oversaw and sometimes taught classes, workshops, conferences, etc. for adult and kid writers. It was the perfect setting to develop an understanding about what writers need, and my work involved meeting those needs through education, networking, award programs, etc.

One of the most crucial things that I’ve carried forward is my empathy for writers, for their passion and drive in striving to create a publishable manuscript that will reach readers as a book. My area of particular focus was children’s literature. I was in charge of selecting judges from the top editors in the field for the McKnight Award in Children’s Literature, a $25,000 award. I also curated an annual festival of children’s literature featuring authors, illustrators, editors, agents, art directors and other industry professionals. These relationships were foundational for my work as an agent.

RVC: In 2008, you joined Betsy Amster’s agency. What made you take the agenting plunge? And how did your work at the Loft prepare you for success as an agent?

MC: It was a logical next step. I had hired Betsy on many occasions to teach workshops at the Loft. We liked one another, and I brought kid lit expertise and contacts to the agency. She mentored me in some business aspects that I hadn’t had experience with before. As I mentioned, having empathy for writers and understanding for their passion and difficulties was crucial. I also knew writers who talked about what they liked, and didn’t like, about their agents which helped shape my own approach.

RVC: In another interview you did, you called yourself an agent who “takes risks.” That phrase stuck with me (and makes me think of juggling flaming knives, but I suspect you meant something different). What type of risks do you mean?

MC: Well, I’m not cautious! Don’t know about juggling flaming knives, though. I’m willing to take on a project I love even if it’s out of the mainstream, even if it will be extra challenging to explain it to–and hook–editors.

See the source imageRVC: Here’s a fun connection. The first OPB Industry Insider interview was with Sylvie Frank, who WOWed me with a great picture book intensive (with Chronicle Books editor Melissa Manlove) at a regional SCBWI event in Miami. One of the texts Sylvie spoke about a lot was I Have a Balloon. That’s one of your sales, right? What do you think Sylvie liked so much about that book? What kind of behind-​the-​scenes info on that story can you offer?

MC: Yup, it’s one my sales. Here’s what Sylvie Frank said in her deal memo:

This manuscript is so much fun! It’s fresh and funny and totally defies readers’ expectations. (At first I thought it was going to be a sharing book—and then it wasn’t! Ha!) I love that it’s about negotiating and getting what you want. So original.

I worked with Ariel to change the ending before I submitted it (this process is described in an article on cummingskidlit.com). But once it was, there were NO word changes in the publication process. None. Zero. The book’s font sizes were varied throughout the text to give visual energy and suggest areas for emphasis in read-​aloud, but no words were changed. That’s rare. (And this definitely is behind-​the-​scenes. Not many people know this).

RVC: We specialize in delivering behind-​the-​scenes 411 on things here at OPB. Thanks for keeping that trend cooking along!

See the source imageSince we’re talking about OPB connections to your sales record, let’s move to Small Walt and Mo the Tow—another Sylvie Frank book, I’ve got to mention!—which we reviewed here. Do you find that sequels are easier to sell than stand-​alones? Is there a trend here that writers should be aware of?

MC: They typically aren’t easier to sell unless there’s a clear sales record from several prior books in a series. I don’t think there’s a trend here.

RVC: What’s one thing that your client Elizabeth Verdick (author of Small Walt and other picture books) does well that helps her career?

MC: Elizabeth works very hard, and very creatively, to promote sales of her books. There are several things she does which other writers could learn from. (See the article about this on cummingskidlit.com)

RVC: Let’s follow through on offering advice to aspiring picture book writers because many of them come to OPB for guidance, tips, and direction. What can you offer them in terms of using rhyme effectively in picture books?

MC: The hardest rhyme to sell is couplets using end rhyme. Find unusual, fun words and vary the pattern and syllable count. Include other language devices besides rhyme. Consider mixing rhyme with non-​rhyming sections, as Elizabeth Verdick does in her Small Walt books. (See the article on this topic at cummingskidlit.com)

RVC: One of the tips you’ve shared on your website is that “the narration style associated with oral storytelling isn’t suited to picture books.” That’s quite compelling. Could you say a bit more about what you mean by this?

See the source imageMC: Oral storytelling uses different sentence construction than written. It begins differently, has different pacing, depends upon different devices for impact. Take a look, for example, at The Wolf, the Duck & the Mouse (Mac Barnett/​Jon Klassen). It has a sudden start, quick action, fairly short word count, a mix of language styles–and visuals tell part of the story.

RVC: Let’s talk about your agenting partner, Betsy Amster. What are the qualities you most admire about her as an agent?

MC: Her professionalism is #1. She’s ethical, has many years experience in the industry, she’s a deep listener, and a true advocate for authors. We like and complement one another.

RVC: If I asked her the same question about you, what do you imagine she’d say about you as an agent?

MC: She’d say I know my own mind. (I know she’s told people this!). She’s struck by how quickly I’m able to decide if I have interest in a project.

RVC: Dear reader, you’ve been waiting. I’ve been waiting. Mary has been waiting. My neighbor’s twin gerbils have been waiting. And here we are—it’s time for the Lightning Round! [Insert Rick Riordan-​style Zeus lightning crashes! ka-BOOM!] 

ARE YOU READY?

MC: I’ve got my tea. Not that you’re going to give me time to sip it …(and there, I just gave a clue on the Six Facts and One Lie game!)

RVC: Worst pet ever: hermit crabs, gerbils, fish, or ants?

MC: Looks like you have experience with all of them?! I’d say the wrong breed of dog.

RVC: If Hollywood made a movie about your life, what celeb actress would play you?

MC: Meryl Streep.

RVC: In a parallel universe where Mary Cummings didn’t become a bookish person, she instead had a career in … ?

MC: Opera.

RVC: Late night TV talk show you’d most like to see one of your authors on?

MC: Hmm. Depends upon the author, but let’s say Jimmy Fallon.

See the source imageRVC: The last picture book you read—beyond those you worked on—that made you go WOW!

MC: You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks (Evan Turk).

RVC: Three words that describe what a great picture book is/​does?

MC: Stays in the brain and heart. Not three words. So sue me!

RVC: Fantastic. And for those of you who weren’t sure about which of the Mary Cummings Facts wasn’t, in fact, a fact (wow, that’s a funny phrase to say aloud), the answer is…

MC: I do like some classic stuff, including classic cars. But the PT Cruiser is just ugly. Not classic!

RVC: Agreed! Thanks so much, Mary. It was great getting the chance to learn more about all you do.

Agent Interview: Alyssa Eisner Henkin (Trident Media Group)

On By Only Picture BooksIn Agent Interviews2 Comments

See the source imageThis month’s Industry Insider interview is with literary agent Alyssa Eisner Henkin, Senior Vice President of the Trident Media Group. Her Twitter bio adds these two terrific bio facts: “Lemonade-​Maker and Literary Cheerleader.”

While that’s nearly enough useful bio material to set up a good interview, OPB underpromises and overdelivers, so I’ll also note that Alyssa loves the movie Steel Magnolias, the TV show Mad Men, and Beverly Cleary. Plus, like so many people with fine taste, she’s quite the fan of Anne of Green Gables and she adores Bollywood movies.

With that, let’s proceed to the interview!

Agency website: https://www.tridentmediagroup.com/agents/alyssa-eisner-henkin/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AgentHenkin

Manuscript Wish List: http://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/alyssa-eisner-henkin/

RVC: Rumor has it that you were captured on video at age six, sharing your dream about having a particularly bookish future. 

AH: Yes, indeed. I remember also visiting NYC at the age of six and just feeling certain I would live and or work there one day.

RVC: Has it turned out to be all that your six-​year-​old self imagined?

AH: Yes. I’ve got to meet and see quite a few celebrities on the job and I’ve had my fair share of power lunches both in NY and in LA. But while it might have been the surface glitter of the publishing/​film world that seemed cool when I started, what I’ve come to enjoy most about my work are the quiet moments, usually at my home office (in PA!), discovering a brilliant new voice in the slush pile or having a good heart to heart with a current client.

RVC: While you clearly have a love for middle grade stories, what draws you to picture books? 

AH: I love humor, and biographies, and I adore a great rhyme à la Iggy Peck, Architect. I’m also a fan of picture books that do something totally different as in The Scrambled States of America.

RVC: What do picture books do more effectively than MG and YA?

See the source imageAH: They are concise and informative, so you can learn a lot in a picture book biography without needing to read 500 pages. I think a culmination in a picture book can be so gratifying too when done with relatively few words and the perfect image that just kind of says it all. I shared Wemberly Worried recently with my soon-​to-​be five-​year-​old son, and that moment when the two shy little kids in stripes meet is just so rewarding!

RVC: Let’s talk about your agency. It strikes me that Trident is more committed than some to securing foreign rights sales for your clients. Why is that part of your mission?

AH: Trident devotes a lot of resources to its full-​service foreign rights department. Many agencies use co-​agents in major markets so that their bestselling titles are competing with other agencies’ bestselling titles, so we are so fortunate to have a dedicated rights team that sells only Trident titles and attends 3 international books fairs every year. We’ve found that making foreign sales for our clients is great from a financial perspective because a foreign sale is like “found money.” The author does not need to do anything other than approve the deal and the jacket. The author does not pay for translation costs, but they are compensated for this book to exist in a whole other language/​territory.

Also, sometimes books that are moderately successful in the United States can be bestsellers abroad. We have even had clients create special editions just for certain markets if they have a huge following.

RVC: In other interviews, you’ve called yourself an entrepreneur. What does that mean to you, and how does that play out in your role as a literary agent?

AH: Early on in my career when I was still an editor, I realized that sitting in meetings all day and making decisions by committee was not how I wanted to spend my life. I also did not want to be typecast as doing just one kind of book. As an entrepreneurial agent, I get to have my hands and mind in as many projects as I can manage. I love the breadth and diversity of my list and the range of jobs that abound. On any given day, I can be advocating for my clients in myriad ways, from negotiating film rights, to going out on submission, to advocating for an author tour. I also like to approach individuals and brands that have not had books before, but who I think should be in the book business.

I also have a soft spot for sleeper books that exceed expectations and backlist for a long time! There’s nothing I love more than a scrappy story that defies and surpasses everyone’s expectations of what sells. Having a back-​end source of revenue is every entrepreneur’s dream!

RVC: More and more aspiring picture book writers read the OPB interviews, so let’s give them a hand here. Imagine a picture book writer who’s thinking of submitting to you. What are three picture books you’d love for them to read that might offer a good sense of the type of PB you appreciate/​prefer?

ASOR jacketAH: Rosie Revere, Engineer, A Splash of Red (by my client Jen Bryant), and The Day the Crayons Quit. I’m not usually one for really spare language…I like a rich and funny story, and if there’s a feminist empowerment or humor bent, then all the better!

RVC: And one more thing for those aspiring writers, please. What are your feelings about art notes from text-​only writers?

AH: I would try to be judicious and not include too many art notes since we want the text to stand on its own. That said, I think a few well-​chosen art notes can work.

This Is MY Room!: (No Tigers Allowed) by [Jacobson, Jennifer Richard]RVC: A month or so back saw the publication of This is MY Room! (No Tigers Allowed), a picture book by your client Jennifer Richard Jacobson. Please share your process of preparing a manuscript for submission. Are you super hands-​on? Editorial? More focused on marketing angles? Do you see early drafts or is what your clients send you a “final”?

AH: When a client has a new picture book manuscript, we usually do a few rounds of text revisions before I am ready to start creating the pitch letter and the list of editors who I plan to pitch. In the pitch letter, I always highlight what’s unique about this book and also WHERE I see it sitting in the market. Some books are more gift-​oriented and some are more school and library-​oriented with backlist potential. I know I’ve done my job well when I recognize bits of my pitch letter in the flap copy for the book when it gets published.

Once a book is sold to an editor, I don’t usually do much of the editorial work since I think it’s important not to have too many cooks in the kitchen. That said, I always read the revisions and weigh in on artists and jacket and title and, of course, the marketing. Since my job is to sell the next book and the one after that, I always like the current book to be so successful that it makes subsequent sales that much easier.

RVC: Since I run the creative writing program at Ringling College of Art and Design, I semi-​frequently get asked questions about elephants/​the circus/​clown college, all of which have as much to do with my college as bicycles do to fish. 

So, I have to ask—how many questions/​jokes/​comments do YOU hear about Trident sugarless gum and/​or that fifth dentist who just won’t cave?

AH: So cool about Ringing College! Believe it or not, I’ve never gotten a single remark about Trident gum, but I do remember those commercials quite vividly from my childhood! These days, Trident Media Group is also branding itself as TMG, so maybe other folks noted the gum thing? 😊

RVC: Okay. It’s time for … THE LIGHTNING ROUND! Zip-​zappy questions and electrifyingly quick answers, please. Ready?

AH: Ready!

RVC: If I were a character on Downton Abbey, I’d be …

AH: The Dowager, without a doubt!

RVC: #1 hot dog condiment?

AH: Mustard. Never ketchup!

RVC: Which deceased writer would you most love to have shadowed for a full workday?

AH: Edith Wharton.

RVC: What project—picture book or otherwise—are you most excited about right now?

AH: I hate to play favorites among clients, so I’m going to link into the wonderful array of books I have coming out this year on my web page. Short answer, excited about ALL OF THEM!

https://www.tridentmediagroup.com/agents/alyssa-eisner-henkin/

RVC: Best recent picture book with interactive family-​bonding potential baked right into its literary DNA?

See the source imageAH: This is MY Room!, Pirates Don’t Go to Kindergarten!, and Joan Proctor, Dragon Doctor, because we are a big history/​science-​loving family!

RVC: Three words that describe your agenting philosophy.

AH: Passion. Persist. Visionary.

RVC: Thanks so much, Alyssa! (And thanks as well to Alice, your on-​the-​ball assistant, for helping pull this all together.)

Agent Interview: Christy Tugeau Ewers (The CAT Agency, Inc.)

On By Only Picture BooksIn Agent Interviews

This month’s Industry Insider interview is with Christy T. Ewers, an artists’ agent who is the owner of The CAT Agency, Inc. She’s been surrounded by artists her entire life, with a mom who has a Fine Art degree, a husband who’s a filmmaker, and a pair of book-​loving children (one has a deep appreciation for unicorns and the other “enjoys using every crayon in the box”). You put anyone in that environment and they’re pretty much going to come out as an artists’ rep!

That’s probably all you really need to know in terms of pre-​interview stuff, though there is a good bit on her LinkedIn page about HTML, Java, and C++ skills (that kind of thing always impresses the heck out of me). So we could just move on to the interview … but here at OPB, we do more than the average bear does. And after extensive research (I Googled for about nine seconds), I’ve determined that when the average bear creates a list, they’ll only use three items. OPB can top that. So here are four—count ‘em, FOUR!!!!!—bonus facts about Christy to better prepare you for the almost-​ready-​to-​start interview.

Christy loves:

  • seaside escapes
  • very hot coffee
  • pitbulls
  • handwritten notes

With that, let’s get to the OPB interview with our new favorite artists’ agent, Christy!

website: www.catagencyinc.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CATugeau
Instagram: @the_cat_agency

RVC: Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. You’re half of The CAT Agency, the first mother/​daughter agency in the kidlit business. Describe what that’s like on a day-​to-​day basis.

CTE: Well, a lot of what makes working with my mother so successful is that we have separate offices in separate places. Haha! But it’s not what you think – we get along famously – it’s just that if we were in the same office, neither one of us would get any work done. We like to talk! So when we DO work in the same place, there’s a lot of good-​hearted goofing off.

Also, after 25 years at the helm, she’s now enjoying semi-​retirement and/​or “working from the boat” where she can often be found cruising around with my dad. No one is more deserving of R&R, and she can enjoy it, knowing that I’m very happy behind the wheel in my little office nook.

RVC: Sounds delightful!

CE: It is! One of the things I love most about my job is that the day-​to-​day is different every day. Some days are promo days, where I spend the hours putting together blasts, or postcard mailings, or going into NYC to meet with editors and art directors. Some days, I focus purely on sending out dummies and pitches. Some days, it’s all about accounting; invoicing, cutting checks, balancing the books. Some days I read a lot of contracts – and negotiate terms. Some days I dedicate to reading manuscripts and dummies and providing feedback and notes. Some days I’m a cheerleader or a therapist, or both! Some days, I get to be the delivery person of amazing news, and some days, not so amazing.

And then there’s the occasional Field Trip Day to the local bookstores, where I get a latte, and dig in in the children’s section. I love the daily variety of being an agent. But every day consists of replying to email, talking to my mom 30x on the phone, participating in social media, and staying up way too late replying to submissions. There are always some constants!

RVC: Though you have author/​illustrators on your client list, you’re not currently representing text-​only authors. As someone with a degree in English/​Journalism, do you ever ache to just work on the word side of the picture book equation?

CTE: Good question! I find that I feed that hunger in helping our author/​illustrators – and also helping those who submit dummies to us. I spend a lot of time working with people in helping them to write – but I also spend a lot of time learning as much as I can, too. I read about writing, research, go to conferences, and listen to authors and editors speak, etc. So it’s really also about continuing education for me, and I enjoy that immensely. I have so much to learn, and such great resources! I find it satisfying to learn as much as I can, and then apply that in helping people who are writing for children. It’s very different from the literature I studied in school and the creative writing I have done…writing for children is much, much harder!

Honestly, I love the art part. Art has always been a major part of my life. If I ever just worked on the word side of the equation, I would miss working with artists immensely. I think I’d feel like a glass half empty – whereas now, I’m full to the brim!

RVC: Beyond your degree in English/​Journalism from the University of Delaware, what was the best life or career experience(s) in terms of preparing you to succeed as an agent?

CTE: Oh boy, this one is going to make my parents chuckle – but hands down – Assistant Managing a fine-​dining restaurant. When I was in college, my parents urged me to get a summer internship in NYC (I’ll give you one guess as to what industry my mom was pushing!). So what did I do? I spent my summers living in practical squalor on Nantucket Island, where I spent my days at the beach, and my evenings as the Assistant Manager at a very popular fine-​dining restaurant. My parents were thrilled, let me tell you! But honestly, there was no better preparation for life, let alone agenting than those 4 summers.

First of all, I had to have confidence in myself – or at least pretend to – because I had to finagle my way into that job, even though I was woefully inexperienced. And then I had to learn quick! Right out of the gate, I had to learn how to liaise between the kitchen staff, and the wait staff – which anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant understands is a difficult undertaking! I had to smile while restaurant-​goers screamed at me after I told them that there were no open reservations – and then I had to “find” them a table. I had to put out literal and figurative fires, keep my cool, and multi-​task more than I ever had. I learned to work harmoniously with everyone from the bus boys, to the bartenders, to the line cooks, to the owners, to the doormen. I really listened to people with more knowledge and experience than me, and began to understand that no one reaches a point in which they have nothing left to learn. I embraced being human; to always keep things in perspective, and to laugh. Because sometimes, the only thing there is to do is laugh. I learned that at the end of the day, none of what I was doing was life and death, but people’s livelihoods depended on the job that I did. And I took it very seriously.

By the end of my last summer, I was hiring people, training people, and feeling an immense sense of pride at the end of each night, no matter what happened. I came to see the challenges of the job as a positive thing, and learned SO much from each and every one of them. Even though I held this position nearly 15 years before becoming an agent, working in a restaurant set the blueprint for who I am today. It made me a better person – and a much more diplomatic, understanding and patient one. All of the skills that I acquired and honed in that job, (including learning a LOT about wine) I have applied to my life and career every day since.

Plus, that’s where I met my husband…he was a waiter! So…it was a real win/​win/​win/​win/​win/​win for me.

RVC: What’s the most challenging aspect of being an agent?

CTE: Hmmm. I’d have to say convincing people with immense talent that they are not totally untalented and worthless; which usually immediately follows a rejection. I completely understand how it feels to be on the receiving end of a rejection – and how difficult it is to put one’s heart on their sleeve the way that authors and illustrators do. This is definitely a crux in most artistic and creative lives, but I see so much self-​doubt and self-​deprecation oftentimes when it’s completely uncalled for! I find it challenging to combat that in an effective way. Thank goodness for Jane Yolen for ALL things, but I appreciate that she openly (and often hilariously) posts about her rejections and woes. I think that really helps ease the sting for other authors and creatives! We have a tendency to share only good things – which is human. But the flip side of that is that when we only share things to celebrate, rejections seem fewer and farther between – when in fact, they are tenfold! It’s hard to convince people that they are not alone – and that it happens to the best of them!

RVC: While we finally met face-​to-​face at the 2019 SCBWI regional conference in Miami, I’ve known about you and your agency for far longer than that thanks to your third Thursdays “Ask CAT” posts on Kathy Temean’s blog/​newsletter. How did that relationship come about?

CTE: My mom was on faculty at the NJ SCBWI conference many many years ago when Kathy was an RA, and they hit it off! They go way back – and have much respect for one another personally and professionally. Just like Kathy, my mom has always been very active in sharing her knowledge and skills, so it only made sense to contribute to Kathy’s incredible blog. We admire Kathy greatly and would do anything for her – and we are always happy to help her readers in any way we can.

RVC: I saw on your agency’s blog (The Way Tugeau) that you reposted a piece you did for Kathy on the difference between a licensing contract and a publishing contract–something that really confused some people. In a nutshell, what’s the difference? And why are people confused about it?

CTE: In a nutshell, licensing is a whole different ballgame. I think that the biggest difference is that in licensing, you’re negotiating the term of the license from the perspective of knowing its end-​point. You’re also licensing your work in terms of usage. And those factors determine the compensation. In trade publishing, at least, the terms are more boilerplate. If you retain the copyright to your work, you are licensing it to the publishing of the book, and book materials, usually worldwide. And the terms of the license end when the book goes out of print. This doesn’t determine the compensation for the book – other variables come into play as far as that negotiation goes.

RVC: Are you noticing any particular trends in the picture book market now? (I’ve recently seen a few books that have a decidedly comic-​book style to them, but I’d really suggest that it’s the marked rise of interest from publishers in the work of author/​illustrators.)

CTE: Graphic novels (even in the younger genres) are all the rage now, yes. And it’s about time! They tap into a whole new market of children who read in a less traditional way. And it’s wonderful! I have a resistant reader, and she loves the graphic novel format. I’m so relieved that this “trend” is here to stay! It’s also a wonderful showcase of highly crafted writing, and beautiful illustrations. It takes special people with very special talents to create a successful graphic novel!

You’re right that there is a bit of an influx of author/​illustrators. It makes sense. If an editor is presented with a dummy, and they like the story AND the art, then voila! It’s a one-​stop-​shop. But I think that’s also happening because some editors are starting with artwork. I know several who will see the work of an illustrator and/​or a visual story, and say “do they write!?!” and if they don’t, the editor will say “do they want to?!”. There are a lot of editors out there right now who are willing to help illustrators write, based on beautiful visual stories that they have already created. I really love this trend, especially for picture books, because the illustrations ultimately drive the story. It kind of makes sense to start there, right?

I’m also seeing an influx of Own Voices, diverse stories, and books that are visually representing the world we live in. HOORAY! I don’t even want to use the word “trend” with any of these things, though, because that implies that it’s temporary. None of these things I have mentioned should be temporary.

RVC: Could you talk about your role in pairing a picture book artist with a writer via a publisher? Do publishers ever come to you and say “We’ve got a book by so-​and-​so about subject X. Do you have a client who’d be ideal for that?” Or do they come with a specific client of yours in mind? How does it all work, and how can you promote your clients to create new opportunities for them versus waiting for opportunities to arrive? (Lots of big questions—I know!)

CTE: These are great questions! It’s a little bit of both. I’d say 50/​50. Sometimes, editors and art directors come to us and say “We are on the search for an illustrator who can do XYZ and ABC – got any suggestions?” and then I say “Heck yeah!” and send along links and samples and it goes from there. Oftentimes, I get the emails with a specific inquiry – asking if so-​and-​so is available and interested in a specific manuscript. Other times, it’s an “audition” scenario where I’m contacted regarding several illustrators, and they would like them to create samples for a project (along with artists from other agencies) and then we see that play out.

My job as an agent is to make sure that I’m promoting, promoting, promoting, without being annoying. So I’m either arranging postcard mailings, sending blasts, visiting publishers to show portfolios and dummies in person, or just doing direct-​reach-​outs to art buyers to remind them of the talent in our group. It’s a trick to stay in the forefront of people’s minds when they are looking for an illustrator, while making sure that I’m not being too “agent‑y”!

RVC: I hear that artists are sometimes as reluctant as writers to promote themselves. So let’s help them! What’s one thing an early-​career artist can do to get noticed by an agent or other industry professional? What’s worked on you?

CTE: Everyone is going to hate me, but BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK!! That certainly catches my eye. That, and a personal email/​cover letter. We always try to look at everyone’s work and get back to everyone with a thoughtful and personal response (even if it’s a pass), but if someone takes a minute to actually look at the people we represent and researches our agency a little, and mentions that in their email, it means a lot. It’s clear when it’s a mass submission, and not only does that bum me out, but I see that as a missed opportunity for the artist. When I see a mass submission (especially beginning with “Dear Sirs”) I’m less inclined to give their submission any attention when I know they didn’t do the same for us. A little effort goes a long way.

RVC: Final question for “serious” part of the interview—What’s the most important thing someone should know or understand about The CAT Agency? (I dearly hope your answer involves something about cat interns!)

CTE: Ha! If anything, we’d have dog interns. I’m highly allergic to cats!

One thing that a lot of people don’t know or realize is that we are The CAT Agency, because my mother’s initials are C. A. T. The agency used to be called the Christina A. Tugeau Artist Agency. When I took over, we shortened it to “CAT” to pay homage to our founder, and to be a lot more pronounceable. 🙂

And we’ve always had our little reading cat logo, so it made sense! It’s funny, because I’ve never been a cat person. But they are growing on me…and they’re all over my office!

RVC: So it’s time for the often-​copied, never-​equaled LIGHTNING ROUND! Ready for some zippy-​skippy Q and A?

CTE: Ready!

RVC: This is such a low-​hanging fruit, but I’ve got to ask. If Harry Potter zapped you into a cat, what type of cat would you hope for?

CTE: Sorry, cats–I’d hope to be a dog. But if I HAD to be a cat, I’d have to say lioness.

RVC: Most surprising song (or artist) on your playlist.

CTE: The title score to Game of Thrones. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it!

RVC: What’s the bigger deal-breaker—an artist with a galaxy-​sized ego or an artist who is unbothered by the sound of deadlines that WHOOSH by?

CTE: Oh man. Ahhhh! Both give me hives. Ummm…I’d have to say an artist who is unbothered by the sound of deadlines whooshing by. Because you kinda also have to have a big ego for that to be true. To think that deadlines are inconsequential, and that your time is more important than someone else’s is the sign of a pretty big head. And, as we know, meeting deadlines makes or breaks a career, not just your relationship with your agent!

I can (begrudgingly) deal with inflated egos – so long as those egos meet deadlines.

RVC: Spec covers. Yay or nay?

CTE: Do you mean doing a cover on spec in hopes of being hired for a cover? If so, YAY!

RVC: “A picture book illustrator I don’t rep but whose work is underappreciated despite being totally awesome is ___________.”

CTE: Oh, there are so many!! P. Marin. She’s got a very distinct style; full of raw emotion and energy. I follow her on Instagram.

RVC: Three words that describe your art aesthetic. 

CTE: Emotive, loose lines, contrast‑y (yes, that’s a word!)

RVC: Thanks so much, Christy!