This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Spying On Researching Agents by Carlie Lee
One of the things I’m worried about, with the Lit Factor Pitch, is coming face-to-face to with an agent, and not having a clue who he or she is.
I could read their badge, but I would still look gormless when the agent says, “So. Our author list…where would you sit?”
“Um. Under ‘L’ for ‘Lee’?”
No! I need to answer, full of confidence – “I believe I share a target market with X, and I could add growth to the market by doing Y.”
But that’s tricky when you don’t know who you might be facing.
My cunning plan then, is to learn as much as I can about each literary agent (or agency), so I can make sure I’m talking to the right person about the right thing. And I thought I’d share my notes, because I’m nice like that.
There are (at the moment) seventeen confirmed literary agents attending the LitFactor pitches, from twelve agencies. Here are three of them, complete with my cribs…
Literary Agencies in the Author Lounge
Lorella Belli
According to the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook, (Lorella’s website is under-going a refurb) Lorella is actively looking for first-time writers. Aspiring Authors! Might be worth a shot.
She represents a lot of well-travelled type writers (complete with guides), and also Emily Giffin (author of Something Blue), and Molly Harper (Nice Girls Don’t Bite Their Neighbours – which I think is cross genre between rom-com and vampire-fantasy.)
Lorella is particularly keen on books set in Italy, or with an Italian flavour. She looks all glamorous and Italian from her photographs, so might be worth talking loudly about gellatto when she’s nearby.
AM Heath
Um…sadly don’t think agent Charlie Brotherstone will fancy me much. One of AM Heath’s star writers is Hilary Mantel, and I don’t think I could quite match up.
Interestingly though – Novelicious favourite Katie Fforde is represented by AM Heath’s Bill Hamilton, but I can’t see many other rom-com writers on their lists.
Here’s a link to Tom Vowler’s blog, who is one of Charlie’s authors, and has (very handily) published an interview with him.
David Higham
Accept commercial fiction, so I’d be very happy to meet their representative, Laura West. I’d be even happier if Laura was working with Lizzy Kremer, who agents Novelicious favourites such as Carole Matthews, Rowan Coleman, Lucy Diamond and Milly Johnson.
Laura herself is an ex-bookseller, so will know first hand who buys what and why. I think I might sidle up next to her in a coffee-queue, and try to find out her thoughts on upcoming trends in women’s commercial…