This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Joanna Swainson worked for a number of agencies before meeting Caroline Hardman at Christopher Little. In June 2012, they set up Hardman & Swainson and now represent about 40 authors of fiction and non-fiction.
We’re looking to grow our list and are constantly seeking out new writers across all genres of fiction and non-fiction. I read widely and aim to reflect that in the authors I represent. It is about personal taste, but it has to be more than that: I don’t want to impose limitations – that would be like owning a shoe shop that only sells shoes that I would wear myself and in my size. So part of the job is having a sense of whether a book will appeal to a significant number of readers and therefore has commercial potential. That said, whatever we take on, we do have to feel very strongly about it.
Caroline and I work closely together, reading and feeding back on each others’ authors’ work, so despite the fact we’re independent spirits, with differing tastes to some extent, each new author we take on will have the full support of the agency.
When thinking of a wish list, it’s essential not to be bound by ‘rules’ or just feed off past successes but to keep an open mind. You never quite know what might grab your attention, incite your curiosity, make you swoon, or keep you feverishly turning the pages at night.
At the moment I’m particularly on the lookout for authors of literary fiction. I love Patrick Gale and Kate Atkinson. And I recently read Evie Wyld’s All the Birds, Singing – a wonderful novel. You wouldn’t expect to find ‘the next Evie Wyld’ – the whole point is to be unique and individual (the word ‘novel’ comes from the Latin ‘novus’ for ‘new’ after all!) – but something with that strength, structurally, with vivid characters, arresting insights and distinctive writing would be amazing.I’m a fan of Ann Cleeves, and would love to find more authors of crime and thriller, either psychological or straight – perhaps with a female protagonist, although that’s not in any way a prerequisite. I’m also intrigued by accidental investigators; normal people who have been drawn into a mystery and have to battle their way out. For that reason, SJ (now Sharon) Bolton’s creepy early novels appeal.
We’ve already built a strong stable of women’s fiction authors, both contemporary and historical, but we’re always on the lookout for more. Humour and irony are always welcome! And I’m interested in young adult fiction. I have a good test reader in my 14 year old daughter – she reads a lot and pulls no punches with her critiques. I obviously don’t completely rely on her opinion but if she reads something I love and she loves it, too, then it’s useful to have that insight from a reader of the target age group.
On the non-fiction side, we’re proud of the fantastic memoirs we already have on our books but, again, I’m always looking for more. On a work trip to New York recently, I was given Brain on Fire, by Susannah Cahalan, and A Farm Dies Once a Year, by Arlo Crawford. Two very different memoirs, but I devoured them both with equal relish. And more recently I enjoyed Andy Miller’s The Year of Reading Dangerously. So memoirs that have a point or tackle a particular aspect of life and have an original voice are always appealing.
I love science and am interested in accessibly written books from various scientific disciplines. I’d also love to find an author who breathes life into history, someone as good as Simon Schama.
Just to prove the ‘no rule’ rule, the biggest surprise for me this year was taking on an author of action adventure. Who would have thought it? But he’s such a fantastic writer and I was so entertained that I couldn’t possibly say no.
You can find Joanna’s submission guidelines here.