Mandy Hubbard

Literary Agent

Emerald City Literary Agency

Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.

Mandy Hubbard
@MandyHubbard
Literary Agent
Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.
67 MSWL
28 AskAgent
1 Tips

MeiLin Chan @meilin418

For the PB market, do you find grandparents-themed stories difficult to sell right now? What would be more considered more sought after?
#askagent & #askECLA
Replying to @meilin418

I think many adults think PBs are "easy" because they are short, and many parents/grandparents decide to write them and center themselves in the story too much. Those same parents/grandparents still buy books, so if it's well done, there's room for it. #AskECLA

Mandy Hubbard
@MandyHubbard
Literary Agent
Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.
67 MSWL
28 AskAgent
1 Tips

Christina Ferko 💗💜💙 @ChristinaFerko

@MandyHubbard Do you know how long (estimate) you will be staying open for at all? I'd love to query you w/my creepy thriller but still doing revisions on it.
Replying to @ChristinaFerko

Hoping to stay open for quite awhile! I am 100% caught up on queries and have two fulls (from January) I need to finish. I think my vice is staying open TOO long and developing a backlog because I don't want to miss out on awesome stuff! #AskECLA

Mandy Hubbard
@MandyHubbard
Literary Agent
Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.
67 MSWL
28 AskAgent
1 Tips

E.M. Wright | SEDITION OUT NOW @EMWrightWrites

#AskECLA I know YA fantasy is a bit oversaturated right now, but are there any particular elements that you’re looking for? Things that might stand out in the current market?
Replying to @EMWrightWrites

I try to say "competitive" rather than "oversaturated" because I think there is always room for brilliance. I actually signed a new YA fantasy this week. For me it's just about feeling fresh/interesting and not super derivative. #AskECLA

Mandy Hubbard
@MandyHubbard
Literary Agent
Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.
67 MSWL
28 AskAgent
1 Tips

D. Ann Williams 🏳️‍🌈 @dawilliamsbooks

@judieofferdahl #AskECLA #AskAgent

This generally only applies to PB because of the shorter word count. It's also to see what other stories/ideas the author has and what type of work will be needed.
Replying to @dawilliamsbooks

Yes, agree with D.Ann, it's not AT ALL uncommon in the PB world, but for novels usually it's more "what direction are you going next?" Even editors ask US this when they are about to offer on a project! It's usually good--they're looking ahead. #AskECLA

Mandy Hubbard
@MandyHubbard
Literary Agent
Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.
67 MSWL
28 AskAgent
1 Tips
Mandy Hubbard
@MandyHubbard
Literary Agent
Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.
67 MSWL
28 AskAgent
1 Tips
Mandy Hubbard
@MandyHubbard
Literary Agent
Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.
67 MSWL
28 AskAgent
1 Tips
Mandy Hubbard
@MandyHubbard
Literary Agent
Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.
67 MSWL
28 AskAgent
1 Tips

Linda -pro witch, anti pumpkin spice- Epstein @LindaEpstein

@MandyHubbard Absolutely agree with this. But know who you're querying, because not all agents like everything. For example, I'm the wrong agent for violence or anything remotely murdery. Just do your research.
Replying to @LindaEpstein

Linda and I constantly joke about how I want the dark/murdery books (I spend my free time listening to Dateline podcasts and watching True Crime docs!) It really is often taste and not reflective of your writing if we pass. #AskECLA

Mandy Hubbard
@MandyHubbard
Literary Agent
Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.
67 MSWL
28 AskAgent
1 Tips

Jeannette Suhr @JanSuhr

@LindaEpstein How many writers are you currently representing? What’s the maximum you would handle?

This is SUCH a good question-- and it varies tremendously from one agent to another as lists take shape. Some clients write a few books a year, others a book every few years. Some clients take more time to assist, since so much of agenting happens BEYOND the sale. #AskECLA

Mandy Hubbard
@MandyHubbard
Literary Agent
Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.
67 MSWL
28 AskAgent
1 Tips

Stephanie L. Ward 🎃👻🕷🕸🎃 @StephaineWard

@LindaEpstein What about #MG #Scifi? Are any of the #askECLA agents looking for this type of story?
Replying to @StephaineWard

I think we would all look at it! #AskECLA Check out what we've sold/general wish list and query the one you think best fits what you've got. You can always query another if there is a pass.

Mandy Hubbard
@MandyHubbard
Literary Agent
Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.
67 MSWL
28 AskAgent
1 Tips

Doris @doreesespieces

Would love to know your general guidelines in terms of content restrictions for YA. I just feel like I’ve read such different things on the internet...
Thank you so much for doing this #askECLA !

As long as the character reads like a teenager, reacting to things as a teen, I don't think there ARE restrictions. With some topics (like sex), it is generally handled in a more emotional/grounded way, rather than scintillating. #AskECLA

Mandy Hubbard
@MandyHubbard
Literary Agent
Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.
67 MSWL
28 AskAgent
1 Tips

August Zehn @AugustZehn

Is there a reason agents usually ask for the *first* X pages of a manuscript? #askECLA

We just like to get a flavor for the writing. Sometimes people can pitch a project well, but the writing is really flat. And if I'm on the fence from the query I ALWAYS read the pages! #AskECLA

Mandy Hubbard
@MandyHubbard
Literary Agent
Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.
67 MSWL
28 AskAgent
1 Tips
Mandy Hubbard
@MandyHubbard
Literary Agent
Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.
67 MSWL
28 AskAgent
1 Tips
Mandy Hubbard
@MandyHubbard
Literary Agent
Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.
67 MSWL
28 AskAgent
1 Tips
Mandy Hubbard
@MandyHubbard
Literary Agent
Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.
67 MSWL
28 AskAgent
1 Tips

Mandy Hubbard @MandyHubbard

While we're doing an #askECLA session, can I give you a few check boxes for the #amwriting #NaNoWriMo community when you're looking at agents to query?

The most important thing to understand is that, unlike real estate agents, there is no licensing or required education to become a literary agent. Which means anyone can be an agent, and you as a writer have to research agencies and decide who to trust with your work. #AskECLA

Mandy Hubbard
@MandyHubbard
Literary Agent
Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.
67 MSWL
28 AskAgent
1 Tips
Mandy Hubbard
@MandyHubbard
Literary Agent
Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.
67 MSWL
28 AskAgent
1 Tips
Mandy Hubbard
@MandyHubbard
Literary Agent
Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.
67 MSWL
28 AskAgent
1 Tips
Mandy Hubbard
@MandyHubbard
Literary Agent
Author of eleven novels. Founder of Emerald City Literary. Follow me for book talk… stay for pictures of my cows.
67 MSWL
28 AskAgent
1 Tips

Shireen Hakim @ShireenWrites

@MandyHubbard @GarrettAlwert @LindaEpstein ok thanks for letting me know
Replying to @ShireenWrites

Yep! The market for graphic novels is continuing to grow which is SUPER exciting! It felt more "niche" when I got into publishing ten years ago... but more and more big 5 pubs are looking at them. #AskECLA