Literary Agent
Liam Farrell @drlfarrell
My initial submission wasn't successful, but I asked an editor to help, + she prepared a much more systematic + organised pitch, then found an agent immediately; would you recommend this? #askagentIt is certainly worth spending time getting your pitch right so that you can present what your work is about succinctly and grab the attention of agents. #askagent
Literary Agent
KA Whitfield @Whit_Writes
@katenashagent @LinaLanglee #AskAgent Do you have a MSWL?I don't have a MWSL because I find looking at submissions a bit like clothes shopping - better to be open minded and see what's out there than have too many pre-fixed ideas. #askagent
Literary Agent
Anita Davison @AnitaSDavison
@katenashagent @LinaLanglee With such a wide variety of genres and sub-genre books flooding the market, aside from a well written story with engaging characters, what are you looking for in submissions for 2019? #askagentI think a cracking story with a good voice will always work! Having said that, I am LOVING the trend towards gothic/horror and would love to sign some. And there's a lot of people who haven't seen themselves represented in many genres yet so would love more diversity #askagent
Literary Agent
Stuart White 🏴 @SWhitewriting
Hi Lina and Kate,Thank you for putting on this session.
A lot of chat about it being harder to place YA with the publishers at the moment.
Are you finding this? Is MG selling well at the moment?
#askagent
I think YA has been trickier in a last couple of years but it's still a super exciting innovative area in publishing. And there is always a market for middle grade, especially series and stories with international potential. #askagent
Literary Agent
KA Whitfield @Whit_Writes
@katenashagent @LinaLanglee #AskAgent Do you have a MSWL?Wishlists are tricky because they are always changing BUT, I would definitely like to sign some ‘uplit’, a good crime procedural series and a bunch of YA. And I would love to see more diversity in all the aforementioned categories! #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Sandy Barker @sandybarker
Hello @LinaLanglee and @katenashagentHow do you think the digital imprints of large publishers - and smaller e-pub publishers are changing the face of publishing from authors' perspectives? #AskAgent
In short, boosting fiction reading - so actually growing the market - and earning authors more money #askagent
Literary Agent
Pauline Morgan @paulinemorgan56
@LinaLanglee @katenashagent #askagent Is there anything new you would like to see in women’s commercial fiction? Thank youYes, something a bit spooky or gothic, like @spookypurcell who I am a huge fan of #askagent
Literary Agent
Elizabeth Frattaroli @ELIZFRAT
@katenashagent @LinaLanglee Hi, I was wondering if either of you had any thoughts/comments on the recently reported fall of 22% in the UK YA market. Also, why does the appetite for YA in the US appear to be much stronger? Thanks #askagentHi Elizabeth 👋
I'm not overly worried about this. Last year saw a lot of BIG movie tie-ins which boosts sales. I suspect we'll see lots more of this. I think the overall market is strong though, and if the US appetite is stronger we just have something to work towards! #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Jonathan Petley @spacedoxie
@katenashagent I don’t often get such prompt feedback from agents on questions like this. It means a lot. CheersQuestion for you: what is PB? If picture books I am afraid we don't represent these. There are plenty of good agencies who do, however. #askagent
Literary Agent
Victoria Leybourne @AuthorialVice
Hi @katenashagent and @LinaLanglee! When agents ask for a synopsis, are you talking about an intriguing sales pitch (like back-cover copy) or more of a blow-by-blow that details everything that happens in the book? #askagentHi! Neither @katenashagent or I are overly fussed about the synopsis but they are good to have at hand. I'd expect a succinct blow-by-blow of where the story is going. You can do the intriguing sales talk briefly in you pitch email (think elevator pitch)! #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Pauline Morgan @paulinemorgan56
@katenashagent @LinaLanglee #askagent What are your thoughts on the older protagonist? Thank youI find this particularly attractive in genres where it has traditionally been less common. #askagent
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Pauline Morgan @paulinemorgan56
@katenashagent @LinaLanglee #askagent What are your thoughts on the older protagonist? Thank youHi Pauline, great question! My favourite protagonists are often children or people past retirement age. A Man Called Ove and Elizabeth is Missing are some of my favourite books. Would love to see more in our submission inbox. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Marion Todd @MarionETodd
@LinaLanglee Thrilled to be part of #askagent - wondering why agents ask if an MS has been sent to other agents - does it put you off considering the MS or make you more keen to read it? TIA.Hi @MarionETodd. We don't actually ask this at the Kate Nash Literary Agency, though I know some do. We appreciate if people let us know if they've had other full requests though. It means we might try to get to it quicker or know it's found an agent already! #askagent
Literary Agent
Jonathan Petley @spacedoxie
I have a self published PB that I think will do very well in the traditional market. Would any publisher touch this? I’ve also made significant improvements to the text. #askagentYears ago publishers could be wary of books that had already been self-published but now that does not matter at all. If you want a publishing deal, do approach agents and with the revised text. #askagent
Literary Agent
Kate Nash #FBPE @katenashagent
Q: "Is it best to compare agents rates?" A: Agents charge a commission which is published and the same for all their clients, in the UK usually about 15%. #askagentQ: "Do you help every step of the way?" A: Literary agents act as your career manager to find the right publisher(s) for your work, get the best and fair terms and help you achieve the success you deserve. #askagent
Literary Agent
Kate Nash #FBPE @katenashagent
Q. "When sending in a manuscript for children's book; should I do it page for page or just write it all on one page?" A: Guidelines on how to submit will be on the agency website (ours are here: katenashlit.co.uk/submissions/) and does vary by agency. #askagentQ: "Is it best to compare agents rates?" A: Agents charge a commission which is published and the same for all their clients, in the UK usually about 15%. #askagent
Literary Agent
Kate Nash #FBPE @katenashagent
Q. "Is it best to look around to find the right agent that specialises in a certain area?" A: Agents specialise in certain areas so do research to find agents who represent the type of book you write. #askagentQ. "When sending in a manuscript for children's book; should I do it page for page or just write it all on one page?" A: Guidelines on how to submit will be on the agency website (ours are here: katenashlit.co.uk/submissions/) and does vary by agency. #askagent
Literary Agent
Kate Nash #FBPE @katenashagent
We've had a couple of questions from writers on Facebook without Twitter accounts so here are the answers to these... #askagentQ. "Is it best to look around to find the right agent that specialises in a certain area?" A: Agents specialise in certain areas so do research to find agents who represent the type of book you write. #askagent
Literary Agent
I'll kick off this #AskAgent by introducing myself - I'm Lina, a new literary agent with the katenashlit.co.uk agency. I'm actively building a list of authors to find publishing deals for. @katenashagent and I are here until 9pm to answer any #querying questions!