Carly Watters
Literary Agent
P.S. Literary Agency
SVP & Senior Lit Agent @PSLiterary MA in Publishing Studies @CityUniLondon Co-host of @TSNOTYAW VP of Professional Assoc. of Canadian Literary Agents
Literary Agent
I'm answering #askagent questions over on my @instagram account! Click on my Stories, go to the last one which looks like this (below) & ask away!
instagram.com/carlywatters/
Literary Agent
Cheryl Pappas @fabulistpappas
@carlywatters Thanks so much, Carly. Many of them are already placed in good journals. I am thinking about making three of the stories a novella, but I've heard those do not sell well, either.Unless you are established already, novellas are also tough.
Literary Agent
AmyGaffneyWrites @gaffneyamy
@carlywatters On that, is there a middle ground for fiction that’s not overly literary but more than commercial?category is called "upmarket"
high quality of writing, accessible characters, plotty.
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Michael R. Kramer @michaelkramerSB
@carlywatters Is there a different length range for YA?I haven't repped YA in awhile but I think it's still 60-80k. Another agent might chime in here.
Literary Agent
Crystal Bell @WritingLEOW
@carlywatters If you haven't published before and beyond schooling related to writing, is there anything else we should mention in the bio on our query?It's perfectly OK to call yourself a debut writer and have a short bio. If you're querying in the slush then I assume you are starting your career. I'm happy to see: "This is my first novel. I graduated from XX. I live in XYZ City/State with my dog/partner/cat/gerbil."
Literary Agent
Cheryl Pappas @fabulistpappas
@carlywatters I keep hearing that it's always best to approach an agent with a novel rather than a short story collection. But, of course, I'm assembling a short story collection. Is it worth going this route?SS are SO incredibly hard to sell. I don't rep them. It might be best to pitch those stories individually to get your name out to different magazines, get some bylines etc and then pitch an agent a novel. Remember I am a more commercial agent though. I don't do much lit fic.
Literary Agent
JB McNeil @JBMcNeil15
@carlywatters What’s the best way to present a novel which touches multiple genres?Also, have we yet arrived at the time when a lesbian MC might still be classified as women’s fiction and not exclusively LGBT?
#AskAgent
1) In your comps you can express that it's THIS meets THAT with the range of genres in those titles. If THIS did THAT, or FOR FANS OF XYZ (use TV shows and movies too as long as they're recent and relevant too).
2) I think so. IMO, yes.
Literary Agent
pam mandel @nerdseyeview
@carlywatters Social media numbers. Matter or no?If you're writing non fiction: YES. YES. YES.
If you're writing fiction it helps but is not required. We do expect them to grow with your career. So you don't get a free pass.
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Elaina Battista-Parsons @BraveIrene77
@carlywatters @ericsmithrocks @PSLiterary Is a no from one agent a no from all?At @PSLiterary yes correct. No from one is a no from all. The queries go to an open account where we can all see them so you can assume one or more eyes are on them.
Literary Agent
Lisa Hartley Roman @life_with_riley
When is the best and worst time to query an agent (which months or time of year)?is now a bad time due to the holidays? #askagentWe close for queries at @PSLiterary from Mid Dec to early Jan every year. (We'll put those dates out soon.) But other than that we're fair game. Some times of year are busier than others. January and Sept are busy times. Basically, pitch it when you are ready. & pitch it good :)
Literary Agent
Lisa Hartley Roman @life_with_riley
When is the best and worst time to query an agent (which months or time of year)?is now a bad time due to the holidays? #askagentI see people put these grandiose "don't query now" statements out and I don't get it really. I am never 100% up to date. So if you query me on thanksgiving I'm not reading it on thanksgiving, I'll always read it after the fact. In bunches of 20-100 or so at a time.
Literary Agent
Miles Everett Travis @MTravisimo
@carlywatters You're writing a novel that draws directly from personal experience/actual events. Should you bring this up in the query? Would an agent want to know? #askagentI would at the end in the author bio section. Most important thing is that it's a great book. Lead with the hook. At the end some agents might like to know extra facts. It depends on what it is. i.e. Did you grow up in a religious cult? Write a novel/fictionalize it? Then yes.
Literary Agent
Paul Gleed @PaulGleedWrites
@carlywatters #askagent If an agent has requested full from a writer before, but declined it, is it okay to query that agent with a future project even if they are closed to queries at that future time? Does that assume too much or is there a 'relationship' established?It depends. I would reach out and ask. Many agents are closed for a good reason (health issues, time management etc). When I was closed to queries I would have looked at something from someone if I sent them a lengthy R&R but that's it.
Literary Agent
Marcella Haddad @marcie_via
@carlywatters #askagent at what point when reading a manuscript do you make the decision to represent the author? Is there a type of moment that just makes you go, "I have to have this book"?Sometimes it's very early. Yes the last one I offered on I knew after 50 pages but I had to read the whole thing to know exactly what I wanted to say on the phone. I don't call after 50 pages. I need a vision for it.
Sometimes I think for a day. But overall it's fast.
Literary Agent
TheScribblingDragon @ScribblingDrake
@carlywatters Thank you! Follow up question, what genre(s) are those ranges for? #askagentAlso, non fiction can be 70k. And cookbooks often shorter because there are images too.
Literary Agent
TheScribblingDragon @ScribblingDrake
@carlywatters Thank you! Follow up question, what genre(s) are those ranges for? #askagentI only rep adult fiction and non fiction (mostly) so I like books 80-100k.
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
ηαтαℓιє ℓσ¢кєтт 25074/50000 @natlckettwrites
@carlywatters #askagent this is more specific to you. Your #MSWL lists YA as a genre you rep, but your website bio doesn't include that. (Creeping over here) Which is correct? Thanks!If it's the MSWL website I have not updated that in awhile. Also people take old Wishlist blog posts & repost them & I have no control over that. I recently sold YA but that was for an existing adult fic client. Overall I don't seek them unless they're coming-of-age more than YA.