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. Home Book Agents Literary Agent Kirsten Hall Catbird Productions. Susan represents work for children and teens only: picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and young adult, along with some non-fiction for young readers. Kirsten Hallis a former preschool and elementary school teacher who has authored more than a hundred learn-to-read stories for emergent readers. A coin is flipped on its head. Also send five pages from your manuscript. Shes one of my favorite people in the entire industry. They want to represent you?! We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Ive asked agents James Burns, Kirsten Hall, Jennifer Linnan, Alexandra Penfold, Linda Pratt,and Erica Rand Silverman three simple questions. It isnt as automatic as you think. Were able to spot trends before they enter the marketplace, and this knowledge becomes invaluable in ensuring that your portfolio is as current and fresh as possible. She likens her agency, which specializes in picture books, to a creative playground. How do you work with your clients individually on something like this? We promise not to share your information with third parties, and we do not spam. Shes one of my favorite people in the entire industry. Ive worked as a publicist, as an editor, and now as an agent and author. In some cases the text and art may be developing simultaneously off of one another. A good agent is one who helps move a project forward. Please send her: childrens illustration portfolios, picture book dummies, picture book manuscripts, childrens graphic novel pitches, and the select chapter book project. Nonfiction/Business D. Hamme "Berkley Books recently published my book in hardcover after Mark helped me get multiple agents interested in my work. Hall previously worked as an editorial assistant at Random House (1996-1997). What I know when co-agenting with Erica is that no matter what happens well always be good. QueryTracker includes resources for all writing genres (not just picture books). If you do not receive a reply from Chad in 2 weeks, please assume its a pass. Literary Agent Kirsten Hall Catbird Productions, Author Success Story: Nonfiction/Narrative Nonfiction, [Click here to see all Mark Malatesta reviews]. Bios, interests, and submission instructions can be found here. 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. "Just got great reviews!" is better. If an agent is interested in representing you, under no circumstances should you simply say, Great! It was a natural progression for those conversations to lead to ways our clients could work together. The black catbird (Melanoptila glabrirostris) is found in coastal Yucatn. The answer might be a little different for our editorial colleagues with writers. and strategic process), so its not something we do all the time. QueryTracker Members can view the data gathered by all other members, organized into reports showing 2007-2023 QueryTracker. Astound US Illustration Agency(Submissions scroll down to Artists submissions)Open to illustrator & author-illustrator submissions. And then there are the projects that never seem to go anywhere at all. Erica Rand Silverman, Literary Agent,Stimola Literary Studio, Inc. Maybe its the prospective client that we missed out on. What do you look for in a submission?The very best in art and literature reveals something real and true about ourselves, and childrens books are no exception. Its brilliant I mean, really, its fantastic. Find out whos working in the field. Erica:In some cases yes and in some cases no. Authors pen manuscripts, artists are creators, agents have insight and continued relationships, editors and art directors have the vision. Can you terminate the contract if things go south? Id like to thank James Burns, Kirsten Hall, JenniferLinnan, Alexandra Penfold, Linda Pratt, Erica Rand Silverman,and Laura Stiers for their time, generosity, and invaluable contributions to this article. For an author or illustrator, most of the benefits of having an agent are fairly obvious. In this post, you and I will go through the steps of a submission, from researching agencies to signing on the dotted linewhile having a bit of a heart-to-heart along the way. Do you need an agent? Thank you for submitting your work! Co-agenting, or doing that process together, makes it even more fun and is a great way to learn from one another. But the absolute wrong thing to do is blindly sign an agreement. By the end of this post, you may finally have the answer to: "Do I need an agent?" When an artist joins Brightand here I can only speak about Brightan artists dreams and ambition must be aligned with those of the agency. Other times, well sell texts to publishers first and then when it comes time for illustrators, if there isnt someone on our list who we think is right to recommend, our next step will be to look at each others lists, or those of other agent friends. Find The Agents With The Fastest Response Times. Im reading from an unconventional point of view. Send her your high-concept and hooky; your award-winners; the books that will become backlist gold. Get a Kids Book Agent HOLD IT! Remember, you are a business person seeking a business partner. I see you have an email from an agent. What percentage of art directors go to agents first to find illustrators? If you want the most accurate information available for literary agents atCatbird Productionsregister above now for FREE instant access to the Directory of Literary Agents. Your parents, who arent quite sure what you do, certainly know what agents doand that will make them happy. We are particularly interested in work about art, culture, the environment, music, and human rights. Kirsten: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! * Search the directory by book genre/category (more than 100 categories). 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. Before we see illustration samples or book pitches, we know that the agent has worked hard to make sure their clients best foot is forward. No agency can guarantee that a particular project will sell, but we sign clients because we love their writing and want them to succeed. When Should You Get An Agent? Stagger it. If you dont know how to write a query, please read the Writers Toolbox post How to write a query letter for a quick tutorial. Publishers really enjoy being in control when it comes to matching a text to an illustrator (its an extremely fun (!) Is it consistent? What is one misconception about agents?You wouldnt believe how many conference attendees come up to me to say thank you for being warm and approachable, as if this isnt the norm. DO NOT QUERY THIS AGENT AT THIS TIME: Cherry is not currently accepting unsolicited submissions. Literary Rambles: Spotlighting Childrens Book Authors, Agents, & Publishing Excellent source for agent interviews, kidlit information, and an agent database you can search by age category (e.g., picture books). ), etc. Agent statistics, detailing how long each agent typically takes to respond to a query. To find out more about PWs site license subscription options, please email Mike Popalardo at: mike@nextstepsmarketing.com. There may come a time where it makes sense for the artist and author to collaborate more directly. get work . Like coaches,good agents get the best out of you. 1) Those that reflect soulfulness and deep consideration. You submit all this via email. Most of the time, Im working with my clients to develop their own dummies or texts to sell directly to a publisher or Ro and I are looking within the studio for an illustrator match to a pre-existing text. Before working in publishing, Erica was a teacher and dean. Its important to identify who you think are good matches. It was a natural progression for those conversations to lead to ways our clients could work together. Well try to get back to you as quickly as possible. Manuscripts sent to them will be discarded unread. Youve identified fifteen to twenty agents. LiteraryAgents.com An online list of agents who represent all genres (not just picture books). Search tools to help you find the right agent for your book. Were allies, strategists, friends, supervisors, listeners, managers, organizers, brainstorming partners. Nonfiction/Self-Help A. Goddard 4. Fiction/Mystery B. Harper And thats just on Monday. Its important to get a sense that a potential client will take that approach. Were not afraid of this. Nonfiction/Diversity S. Peer Unfortunately, due to the overwhelming number of submissions received, personal responses are only very rarely possible. you guessed it: agents. Humor is important, even in a narrative thats dark or sad or edgy. Childrens/Pic Book M. Leshem-Pelly Do not send attachments with your query. While her taste is broad, shes especially excited to find fresh stories and artwork from voices that have previously been underrepresented. The greatest advantage (good) agents provide is knowledge. But were also different from one another; we shine in different ways. Erica is a tireless advocate for her clients and proud to be a part of an industry that is so thoughtfully shaping young minds. It feels good to say, I have an agent. Its legitimizing. Some of her favorite non-client books in this category are: A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti, Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai, Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, Chime by Franny Billingsley, Swing by Kwame Alexander, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly, Still Life With Tornado by A.S.King, The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor, When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. Fiction/Christian K. Sargent Congratulations x 2 to Isabelle Arsenault! This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Memoir/Multicultural N. Aronheim Kayla welcomes dark humor, suspense, magical realism, awkwardly adorable romance, and everything in-between. . I signed with Stephanie Tade who got me a 6-figure book deal with Penguin Books, which published my book in hardcover! Erica:Its also really fun when it happens on the end of the publishers too. She is not seeking sci-fi, horror, or high fantasy. Maybe. If you have questions, you can build your own network of colleagues who may have the answers. A good contract should cover not only the essential points of the job/deal but also the worst-case scenarios: What if your client doesnt pay? Want more information about Kirsten Hall? If you still dont hear from them, move on. Publishing Agent Kirsten Hall is an agent with Catbird Productions. Childrens/YA D. Bester She is just as happy working with debut talents as she is best-sellers. Bookmark Literary (Submissions) Open to illustrator submissions. She doesnt represent adult projects. Submit to five. To set up immediate access, click here. What do you look for in a submission?I look to have an emotional response and for the work to be something different than is already represented on my list. You should. New to PW? Writing thats confident, vivid, addictive; work thats both ambitious and wise. We dont take any pleasure in having to pass on your work or give you difficult news. Sometimes those opportunities come in fast and sometimes they dont. However, there are differences in our tastes and our particular areas of proficiency, e.g., editorial, genre, licensing, promotion, etc. As soon as you enter your name and email address to the right, youll be able to see complete profiles for every literary agent at Catbird Productions(and every other literary agency). . Join QueryTracker to access more query and agent information, including To read more comments about this agent, or to leave comments of your own, become a QueryTracker member. These letters are just steps on the path. Your friends will congratulate you. Otherwise, please consider submitting to one of my wonderful colleagues at ABLA. She is particularly interested in illustrators from diverse backgrounds and portfolios that depict diverse characters and experiences. Do not submit a full-length manuscript or proposal unless requested. Your work has been submitted! I like to feel as if someone is sharing with me, not just shopping to me. Do your clients have more contact with one another than they would if this were set up by a publisher? 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. Christie Megill: is eager to work with illustrators, author/illustrators, and picture book authors, offering long-term support in their careers and creative journeys. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. While were waiting on the agents response, can I ask you why you want an agent? Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency, (Prospect Portfolio: Illustrator Submissions), (Molly ONeill: open to illustrators & author-illustrators), Stimola Literary Studio: Books for Children and Young Adults, (Submissions for childrens book illustrators only), Association of Authors Representatives, Inc. (AAR), How to Find a Literary Agent for Your Book, Literary Rambles: Spotlighting Childrens Book Authors, Agents, & Publishing, Manuscript Wish List specifically for literary agents of picture books. It can make me uneasy because it takes time and sometimes doesnt work. Look at the length of the agreement. Although of course it would be totally fine for them to communicate if it would benefit the development of the proposal! Any agents not listed above are CLOSED to submissions. The story was called Drift,and it was about a little beaver named Buckley who lives with his mama and makes these beautiful and intricate boats to send off to sea to his absent father. You can unsubscribe easily at any time we dont spam. Memoir/Women L. Lehr And then there are the projects that never seem to go anywhere at all. Children's Book Writers She is drawn to work that showcases expressive characters, timeless palettes, and atmospheric scenes. 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. When looking for an agent, its important to do your homework. After You Get A Book Agent. How active are they in the industry? Here are their answers: What do you look for in a submission? Having someone on your side who can not only advocate for better terms (and knows what the industry standards are) but also navigate all the legalese with you is key, especially if youre not well-versed. When our illustrators arent working up a project of their own, were pitching them to get matched up by publishers. I work alone and basically love knocking on other agents doors and asking them to come out and play! If you dont get a good feeling from them in any correspondence, your gut is trying to tell you something. Its not 100 percent, I can tell you that. This is why its so important to make sure theres a termination clause in your contract.
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