Sara Megibow

Literary Agent

KT Literary

she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

#PubTip
If you sign contract with Big 5 publisher, some things you own:
- copyright
- advance
- your royalties

Some things you don't own/ control:
- cover/ title
- price
- metadata
- distribution
- release date

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

Published Author #PubTip =

If your agent/ publisher has sold audiobook rights for you, that's GREAT!

Please please please please please promote the audiobook on your website including narrator and buy-links!!

@JaleighJohnson does it correctly here: jaleighjohnson.com/the-mark-of-th…

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

Great #pubtip from last week's #KTLitRetreat18 =

If you're reading an excerpt from your book at bookstore, library, school, launch party, etc., end the reading on a cliffhanger.

#excerpt
#surprise

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

Statistically speaking, it’s very likely your book needs editing/revision before pursuing an agent/book deal.

Critique parter/ beta reader/ critique groups/ etc. can be a huge help in pre-submission preparation.

#pubtip #agenting

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

#PubTip = I've heard this mantra about publicity for years and just wanted to share:

- What works (in publicity) every time? Word of Mouth
- How do we control Word of Mouth? We can't, alas

So we put together a publicity campaign to elevate visibility and...hope.
#agenting

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

#PubTip = to query me, include the word “query” in subject line of email.

Subject line, “Query: Red Hot Love” goes to my inbox.

Subject line, “Red Hot Love” goes to my spam.

#queries

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

#PubTip = a book's cover should be evocative if not, necessarily, literal.

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

Great question from #DCC2018 last weekend = "what if I don't like the contract a publishing house offers?"

Answer = agent doesn't accept any offer without permission of the author. An author should understand the offer and have the time to say yes/no!

#agenting #pubtip

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

A book is about more than "two people have an adventure." Know the thematic elements of your book. #PubTip

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

#PubTip = high level thematic elements of your book make great talking points. Example, THE LAST SUN by @KDEdwards_NC is about loyalty.

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

#PubTip = high level thematic elements of your book make great talking points. Example, THE DOOR TO THE LOST by @JaleighJohnson is about overcoming prejudice.

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

#PubTip = high level thematic elements of your book make great talking points. Example, THE ONE YOU CAN'T FORGET by @RoniLoren is about hope.

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

A reminder about reviews...

Publisher pitches our book to reviewers (PW, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, etc.).

The reviewer chooses which books to review.

The reviewer chooses *how* to review those books.
#pubtip

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

Too many middle grade queries in which protagonist, "is really mad at parents." This is, of course, a legitimate tween emotion but because I see it so often this particular conflict can feel generic. #pubtip #middlegrade

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

Making freebies for your book launch? (bookmarks, postcards, etc)

WAIT until at least 3 months before as release dates frequently change and you want the freebies to have correct info. #pubtip

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

An editing question to ask yourself before typing The End = “how does my protagonist grow/change from beginning of book to the end?”

#pubtip

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

#pubtip = It's common for amazon rankings to be lower for middle grade novels. MG sells very well at B&N and indie bookstores - especially in print. Amazon rankings and reviews *tend* to come from consumers who buy on amazon.

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

Know what you signed. World, World English, North American English...

Who is shopping your book for translation deals - your publisher or your agent? #pubtip #translation

Example: THE DAEDALUS INCIDENT by @mikemartinez72 in Hungarian (awesome!)

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

If the contract is a World Rights deal, the subrights team at the publishing house shops and closes translation deals.

Example: the amazing subrights team at @Sourcebooks sold Hebrew translation rights to THE ONES WHO GOT AWAY by @RoniLoren #pubtip #translation

Sara Megibow
@SaraMegibow
Literary Agent
she/her Literary Agent at KT Literary. Reading, parenting, table top gaming, baking challah, hiking and wine tasting. Always LGBTQIA+ friendly!
17 MSWL
13 AskAgent
298 Queries
525 Tips

During contract negotiation the agent either retains translation for the author (North American English deal or World English deal) or sells translation rights to the publisher (World rights deal). #pubtip #translation