Many of us are friends. Levy Creative Management (Artist Submissions), Liza Royce Agency (Agents) (Submissions). Click here to retrieve reset your password. Someone asked me once, Do you only hire artists who have agents?Not in the slightest. Literary Agent List Step 3: Send Out A Lot Of Submissions Before you start using our list of literary agents, it's important you understand that you should approach the process of trying to find and get a literary agent the way agents approach the process of trying to get a publisher. Isabelle Arsenault 161161 5 Comments 5 Shares Like Comment Share Catbird Agency is with Seb Cosset and Brigette Barrager. She has incredible vision and is very brave. If you do not receive a reply from Chad in 2 weeks, please assume its a pass. Were not trying to make your road to publication harder. LiteraryAgents.com An online list of agents who represent all genres (not just picture books). Kirsten opened Catbird's wings in March 2014. All agents should share the ability to reasonably negotiate contracts. The project may work. This is both a positive and a negative: As a coach, they help your career. Look at the length of the agreement. I work alone and basically love knocking on other agents doors and asking them to come out and play! Follow your instincts. She likens her agency, which specializes in picture books, to a creative playground. They agreed almost immediately. But the truth is everyone in publishing faces rejection at some point. Darius Foroux. But were also different from one another; we shine in different ways. Erica:Its all about matchmaking matching up talent to work together, matching up talent to editors and publishers. Simply click this linkand complete the subscription form. In order for me to co-agent with someone, I need to feel a certain level of trust because the process can be quite unpredictable. Take time with it. Nonfiction/Diversity S. Peer Your parents, who arent quite sure what you do, certainly know what agents doand that will make them happy. For off-site access, click here. Order is not locked and is accepting submissions. 3. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Shes drawn to projects that are character-driven, tightly plotted, and have a singular, specific voice; always on the hunt for: She looks for projects that know kids are smart and perceptive and feeling deeply; that make the reader feel seen. Astound US Illustration Agency(Submissions scroll down to Artists submissions)Open to illustrator & author-illustrator submissions. "Mark helped me get five different offers for representation from top literary agents. We were thinking of matching up Susan Verde and Jay Fleck for our own pitch and then Susans editor, on her own accord, ended up approaching Jay to illustrate Susans new series. Catbird Productions - USA Literary Agencies and Literary Agents Now, let me tell you why you dont need one. When our illustrators arent working up a project of their own, were pitching them to get matched up by publishers. She is just as happy working with debut talents as she is best-sellers. Find The Agents With The Fastest Response Times. Hall is the author of the picture books. NOTE: Each year Fuse Literary, as an agency, is closed to new submissions and queries between December 1st to January 15th. Once you sign with an agent, you dont just sit back and wait for the jobs to roll in. Start with illustrators you admire. If you can, find a contract professional to read it. We revel in rebel voices; cast forward outcasts; and structure the lawless, braless populace into humorous narratives and . Publishers really enjoy being in control when it comes to matching a text to an illustrator (its an extremely fun (!) Before working in publishing, Erica was a teacher and dean. While were waiting on the agents response, can I ask you why you want an agent? Scroll below now to learn more about Literary Agent Kirsten Hall andget free instant access to our BookAgents Directory. Childrens/YA L. Moe, What Is a Literary Agent? Visit their websites, where they explain who they are and what they want. . Lets be real, Im always looking for an excuse to hop on the phone or grab lunch with Ericaso working together gives me the perfect excuse! catbird, any of five bird species named for their mewing calls, which are used in addition to song. Memoir/Multicultural N. Aronheim Corvisiero Literary Agency (Agents) (Submissions) Curtis Brown LTD (Agents) (Submissions) David Higham Associates (Agents) (Submissions) A UK agency. If tabling at a convention and pitching your work to passersby feels like your worst nightmare, bring your most outgoing friend. They are the busiest bees in the hive. Kirsten works intimately with her clients to conceive and develop original story pitches. "Actor seeking representation" is a bore. Illustrators: send 4-6 jpegs of samples, a live link to your website and a short letter of introduction. Memoir/Inspirational L. Subramani Kirsten opened Catbirds wings in March 2014. This is why its so important to make sure theres a termination clause in your contract. But theyre not the only key to the door. WAIT! When an artist joins Brightand here I can only speak about Brightan artists dreams and ambition must be aligned with those of the agency. Thank you for submitting your work! As soon as you register youll get instant access to the following: * A link to the Catbird Productionswebsite, * A map to the office ofCatbird Productions, * Access to all literary agent profiles in the, * Search the directory by book genre/category (more than 100 categories), Scroll back up to the top of this webpage now to enter your name and email for FREE information and listings for all book agents at Catbird Productions, Author Success Story: Nonfiction/Self-Help, [Click here to see all Mark Malatesta reviews]. Please send her: childrens illustration portfolios, picture book dummies, picture book manuscripts, childrens graphic novel pitches, and the select chapter book project. Today, she is the founder and owner of a boutique children's book illustration and literary agency, Catbird Productions. Unfortunately, misconceptions and assumptions related to the job description of an agent are rife in the illustration community. You still need to work hard, improve your craft, increase your self-awareness. Why do I (acting as an author or illustrator) need an agent?Agents wear many important hats. Aliza R. Hoover: represents illustrators and author-illustrators. Congratulations! Can you do it without an agent? . And sometime between crying, I offered Jessixa representation. 2) Those that somehow present the world differently. Catbird Lit | Duotrope Picture books (as a format) seem simple at first blush, but they are often in fact quite layered and even poetic, displaying an elegant interplay between text and art . She is . To bridge these twoindustries, she co-founded Room 228, a consulting company that creates educational marketing materials and literacy programming for children. Theyre the coach. No agency can guarantee that a particular project will sell, but we sign clients because we love their writing and want them to succeed. There is just an overwhelming amount of people looking to connect with agents, and it can be challenging for some to give out that warmth all the time. No, its not. Literary Agents for Children's Books 2023-2024 | Kids' Book Agents includes resources for all writing genres (not just picture books). Im the person throwing up the grappling hook, not the one pouring down hot oil. Shes one of my favorite people in the entire industry. Ron is a literary agent and co-owner of CookeMcDermid. In each case, they pointed out issues in my work that I knew were there but refused to recognize. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. As an art director, it made no difference whatsoever. Nonfiction/Business D. Hamme There is a lot of uncertainty that comes along with developing a co-agented pitch from just the seed of an idea. Search tools to help you find the right agent for your book. Before you submit, read this: Please submit to SUBMISSIONS@CATAGENCYINC.COM & let us know who you are submitting to in the subject line! SCBWI Statement of Intent on Equity and Inclusion, The Essential Guide to Publishing for Children, Co-Agenting with Kirsten Hall and Erica Rand Silverman. Erica:Work is more fun when youre doing it with people you like and respect. We'd love to see your work! "Berkley Books recently published my book in hardcover after Mark helped me get multiple agents interested in my work. Agents are curators. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Erica Rand Silverman is a Senior Agent at Stimola Literary Studio, a full service literary agency devoted to representing authors and author/illustrators who bring unique and substantive contributions to the childrens book industry. Offer of Representation Due to the volume of submissions we receive, we are unable toguarantee feedback or advice in our rejections. You submit all this via email. Submit to five. All rights reserved. PW site license members have access to PWs subscriber-only website content. With the amount of information available to us through articles, workshops, podcasts, and the like, it takes just a bit of elbow grease to figure things out. Agents Seeking ClientsAuthor Erica Verillo has links for agents seeking clients and other excellent resources for writers, including kidlit writers on her blog Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity. Your submission to agents isnt an Instagram post thats totes gonna get likes. An agent will intuit which clients are going to respond well to the artists work, and this becomes the first port of call for an illustration agent when initially pitching, sharing, and presenting the portfolio to commissioning clients. If we are interested in reviewing your dummy, we will request that you send it. Childrens/Pic Book M. Leshem-Pelly Not really. Sts ID Perm Fac. We spend a good amount of time bouncing ideas off of each other and sharing good and bad news. And then there are the projects that never seem to go anywhere at all. What if you cant deliver the work on time? She had been in my session and introduced herself at the end and mentioned that she was sending me her dummy. If you dont hear from them after a month or so, gently check in. But, as an individual player, you arent the only one they need to help. . If I have requested your work, please email me at lara@andreabrownlit.com and please include the word "request" in your subject line (and please do NOT include the word "query'"). Association of Authors Representatives, Inc. (AAR)AAR members must meet the highest standards and canon of ethics. I also ask six well-respected agents to share their thoughts by answering three questions. Kirsten Hall | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster Visit your local The Catbird Seat Inc at 271 Rt 46 W in Fairfield, NJ and contact us today for your home, auto business, and renters insurance today or call (973) 808-0110 It frequents gardens and thickets. The subject heading in your email should be simple but enticing. In some cases the text and art may be developing simultaneously off of one another. According to Publishers Marketplace, for the past several years Kirsten has been an industryleader in picture booksales. Visit our Team Fuse page and click an agent to read their profile. Nonfiction/Self-Help A. Goddard Catbird Agency (@catbirdagencypix) is on Instagram We will not open emailed attachments. But its good to be pushed outside our comfort zones once in a while. Tugeau 2 The story taps into important truths about love and loss and life. I want an agent to help me . We will email you our periodic newsletter, never more than once a month. Memoir/Multicultural N. Aronheim It is a precise and qualified process, rather than an independent, possibly unpublished artist spread betting their work across editors and art directors who they do not know apart from an impression of them through social media. * Agent photos Ive co-agented all kinds of dealsones that have gone to multi-house auctions on day one, one in which only one client saw an offer and the other client gracefully stepped aside, one in which wildly different offers came in and my co-agent and I needed to negotiate with each other as much as the publishers because our clients positions were so different. In your query letter, stick to professional accomplishments that relate to writing and publishing. Kirsten:Its true, I love to co-agent, and I do it regularly with agents at several different agencies. Some of her favorite non-client books in this category are: I Am I Am I Am by Maggie O'Farrell, Heavy by Kiese Laymon, Late Migrations by Margaret Renkl, You Just Need to Lose Weight by Aubrey Gordon, and In Shock by Rana Adwish. Submit a QUERY and TWENTY PAGES of your manuscript to one of the agents listed below. You did the homework. Need manuscripts and art to stay on schedule? Sometimes those opportunities come in fast and sometimes they dont. Susan believes that books can change lives inspire a passion for reading and story; unlock imagination and empathy; move readers to feel, think, wonder, examine, explore, to laugh really hard. We usually begin by keeping the artist and author separate from one another as publishers do. And thats just on Monday. Show an agent you are serious about writing as a career. Ive learned how important it is to review our individual clients wants and needs. As soon as you register youll get instant access to the following: * Agent bios for all agents atCatbird Productions Sometimes those opportunities come in fast and sometimes they dont. I like being asked to see or think about the world divergently. Pairing up directly with clients from other agencies is a great way to be proactive in making new projects happen. (Thank you!). The answer might be a little different for our editorial colleagues with writers. An online list of agents who represent all genres (not just picture books). Ive co-agented all kinds of dealsones that have gone to multi-house auctions on day one, one in which only one client saw an offer and the other client gracefully stepped aside, one in which wildly different offers came in and my co-agent and I needed to negotiate with each other as much as the publishers because our clients positions were so different. Fiction/Mainstream K. Cox Many writers fear writing queries, but it shouldnt frighten you off! If working at an office location and you are not "logged in", simply close and relaunch your preferred browser. Were a tight-knit community! Erica:Publishers really enjoy being in control when it comes to matching a text to an illustrator (its an extremely fun (!) Tell us what you like and we'll recommend books you'll love. Unfortunately, due to the overwhelming number of submissions received, personal responses are only very rarely possible. Check out her Literaticastpodcast. How Long to Get An Agent? They're publicizing. When an agent is pitching or submitting the work, it is my belief that the success rate is so much higher. Memoir/Christian S. LeRette Read comments by other authors who have queried the same agents you have. Otherwise, please consider submitting to one of my wonderful colleagues at ABLA. Book Agent Submissions The overwhelming advantage in having this knowledge is proven when we come to share new work; it cuts through the noise and competition. an enviable position; having the upper hand or greater advantage SCBWI | Co-Agenting with Kirsten Hall and Erica Rand Silverman Kirsten HallLiterary Agent represents the followingbook genres: Scroll below now to view representative titlesand a complete profile for Kirsten HallFREE in ourBookAgents Directory. It sounds less hurtful. I work alone and basically love knocking on other agents doors and asking them to come out and play! Even if you get the book deal on your own, a complicated contract is sure to follow, and hopefully an ongoing business relationship has only just begun. . Kirsten:Thats exactly right. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. If an agent is interested in representing you, under no circumstances should you simply say, Great! There are a ton of resources out there that can help you DIY here, too, but its often the omissions in a contract that people dont see. Follow agents on social media. Theyre traveling. An agent delivers. Theyre not your servants. Bios, interests, and submission instructions can be found here. However, there are differences in our tastes and our particular areas of proficiency, e.g., editorial, genre, licensing, promotion, etc. Again, I digress.). Erica:We have to make sure that the risk and expectations are clear for all involved. Playing with each others client lists is a way to stay true to that, to not overcommit in order to see more potentially exciting matching possibilities. More on her wish list, here. Since it was published as Boats for Papa by Neal Porter Books in 2015, I have read it and cried again and again and again. Catbird Productions, which will package books for publishers, as well as operate as a boutique literary agency for children's book author/illustrators, with an emphasis on previously unpublished authors/ illustrators. . We have invaluable industry insights and connections. Erica:In some cases yes and in some cases no. Its all about matchmaking matching up talent to work together, matching up talent to editors and publishers. They step out when not needed. the Twitter version of Manuscript Wish List) Agents and editors of all writing genres post what they want. This is probably less often the case once a project reaches the publisher. 5. She will happily review your comics, book cover designs, and picture book dummies.Aliza believes in a world where all young people can see themselves reflected in childrens books. 7, Manuscript Wish ListANDManuscript Wish List specifically for literary agents of picture booksAND#MSWL (the Twitter version of Manuscript Wish List) Agents and editors of all writing genres post what they want. A good agent is one who helps move a project forward. Plus, get a FREE ebook when you sign up! A thoughtful, personalized query letter does a lot, and obviously if I connect with an art sample or a pitch, its a win, but even then my decision ultimately hinges on what that persons web presence looks like. Do not submit a full-length manuscript or proposal unless requested. Submission Guidelines: Hello! Kirsten:Because co-agenting can be even more unpredictable than regular agenting, and because two agents naturally need to look at whats best for two clients with different histories and hopes, the co-agenting process requires double the consideration and diplomacy. Some agents are boutiques. Ive heard illustrators say they want an agent so they dont have to deal with marketing and contracts and the non-drawing-and-painting aspects of illustration. Each agent lists what they want on their bio page. Agents help a career in ways beyond even my understanding. But, when it feels right and exciting on our end, we hope that it will be received that way by the publishers. Thank you for signing up, fellow book lover! Maybe. Here is a little secret: most of the childrens agents I know are incredibly warm, and kind and fun. But Im really thrilled to be co-agenting with Erica. RESPONSE TIMES We respond to most queries within twelve weeks. I think of co-agenting as an opportunity to have double the client list with only half of the responsibility. (Her rst bookBunny, Bunnywas published when she was in 7th grade. The Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a mission to foster public appreciation of childrens books and to support the vibrant community of people who create and promote them. The North American catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), of the family Mimidae (order Passeriformes), is 23 cm (9 inches) long and is gray, with a black cap. Having Mark on your side is incredibly valuable." The one thing I look for across the board in a submission is a clean, professional-looking portfolio site! Christy Ewers: is mostly closed to submissions for the time being. About | Catbird Productions The main reasoning behind this stems from the fact that what an artist feels is their strongest work is not necessarily what the agent would agree is best for the market. Ideally, you handle the creative end, and your agent handles the business end. Prentis Literary (Childrens Fiction) (Agents) (Submissions) In childrens fiction, they primarily accept early readers and chapter books, and perhaps the very rare, exceptional picture book. She likens her agency, which specializes in picture books, to a creative playground. Hall previously worked as an editorial assistant at Random House (1996-1997).