While her taste is broad, shes especially excited to find fresh stories and artwork from voices that have previously been underrepresented. Erica is a tireless advocate for her clients and proud to be a part of an industry that is so thoughtfully shaping young minds. You should. Only looking for author/illustrators (one individual). I think of co-agenting as an opportunity to have double the client list with only half of the responsibility. How did you come to collaborate on books together? The snob. Need manuscripts and art to stay on schedule? I work alone and basically love knocking on other agents doors and asking them to come out and play! 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. Odds of Getting a Book Agent Hall is Catbird Productions' sole proprietor. Insofar as the quality of your work is good, it doesnt matter if you have an agent or not. Chad W. Beckerman: is always looking at submissions! That one was just meant to be it seems! Managing Agent, USA for a London-based children's illustration agency representing 150+ incredibly talented artists. All rights reserved. . Childrens/YA C. Plum-Ucci Follow each agents instructions, but remember that they may be different. We will email you our periodic newsletter, never more than once a month. In some cases the text and art may be developing simultaneously off of one another. 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! What if you cant deliver the work on time? Some favorite titles that provide a sense of her tastes: Picture book: Penguin and Pinecone by Salina Yoon; Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds and Peter Brown; I Dont Want to be a Frog by Dev Petty; Bad Dog by Mike Boldt, Middle grade: Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina; The Year the Swallows Came Early by Katherine Fitzmaurice; Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed; The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Young adult: The Sea is Salt and So Am I by Cassandra Hartt; Dumplin by Julie Murphy; The Cost of All Things by Maggie Lehrman; To All the Boys Ive Loved Before by Jenny Han; The Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse. According to Publishers Marketplace, for the past several years Kirsten has been an industryleader in picture booksales. Theyre reading. All I can say is find the right agent for you, and you wont regret it. Do you need an agent? Scroll below now to view the email and postal addressfor Kirsten HallFREE in our BookAgents Directory. When was the last time you checked out Publishers Weeklys Rights Report? Why do I (acting as an author or illustrator)need an agent?An agent is a matchmaker, negotiator, mediator, lifter-upper, creative confidant, and industry insider all rolled into one. To find out more about PWs site license subscription options, please email Mike Popalardo at: mike@nextstepsmarketing.com. QueryTracker You have to register (its FREE unless you upgrade to premium) to use this, but once you register and sign in, you can track your query and find which authors are represented by which agents, a publisher list, an agent list, author success stories, and more. Excellent source for agent interviews, kidlit information, and an agent database you can search by age category (e.g., picture books). Here are their answers: What do you look for in a submission? How to Get a Nonfiction Agent Writers can search posts for agents compatible with their work. Well navigate the waters together. Hall is the author of the picture books. But I didnt get the level of attention I was expecting. Hear what they have to say. I read it and I cried. 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. If you dont get a good feeling from them in any correspondence, your gut is trying to tell you something. Many writers fear writing queries, but it shouldnt frighten you off! Thank you for submitting your work! Were not afraid of this. Its not easy to do it yourself, but it is possible. Humor is important, even in a narrative thats dark or sad or edgy. 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. OrderID Agency OrderID Date Class Rate Patient Name Area Shift Start End Meal Order Reason O 7138574 08/28/22 to 11/05/22 CNA|T . These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Layered, flawed, completely human characters. Having Mark on your side is incredibly valuable." Corvisiero Literary Agency (Agents) (Submissions), Curtis Brown LTD (Agents)(Submissions). They agreed almost immediately. Erica is mostly interested in adding author-illustrators to her list andis looking for a diverse array of voices and styles. 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. Ask the Agent Informative site ofJennifer Laughran, senior agent at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, who represents authors and illustrators of childrens and YA books. Youll get free access tothe Directory of BookAgents with detailed profiles for allbookagents,including Kirsten HallLiterary Agent. Its the most comprehensive (and accurate) list of literary agencies in the world, with detailed profiles for more than 1,100 literary agents. Please send her: childrens illustration portfolios, picture book dummies, picture book manuscripts, childrens graphic novel pitches, and the select chapter book project. Remember, you are a business person seeking a business partner. get work . Halls client list at Bright includes Benji Davis, Elly Mackay, Clive McFarland, and Connah Brecon. An agent delivers. Familiarize yourself with their accomplishments. Writing thats confident, vivid, addictive; work thats both ambitious and wise. Thank you for trying us, and all good luck! In this way we made a really exciting match for a to-be-announced Jory John and K-Fai Steele project. 8. Were allies, strategists, friends, supervisors, listeners, managers, organizers, brainstorming partners. Even a Twitter or Instagram account can satisfy these questions, but if I look someone up and find nothing, it leaves me looking for more, and often, looking elsewhere. The agent then dedicates energy and resources to get that first commission. We are Catbird Lit, an American journal of humorous writings and visual arts based in Austin, Texas. She is drawn toward gorgeous writing and strong, flawed characters. Kirsten Hall is President of Catbird, a boutique childrens literary and illustration agency. Many of us are friends. Good agents know which parts of the contract are flexible (and which shouldnt be). They step out when not needed. When looking for an agent, its important to do your homework. Practice professional patience and persistence. Co-agenting is Ericas and my way of trying to be as proactive as we can for our clients. Shes one of my favorite people in the entire industry. 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. But its good to be pushed outside our comfort zones once in a while. I thought if I signed with an agent, I could just focus on making art., Me: How many jobs did they get for you over the past year?. Don't miss our ebook deals starting at $0.99! Each provides exact submission information (an email address or an online submission portal). Otherwise, please consider submitting to one of my wonderful colleagues at ABLA. But Im really thrilled to be co-agenting with Erica. Show an agent you are serious about writing as a career. It can make me uneasy because it takes time and sometimes doesnt work. Memoir/Women L. Lehr Each have their advantages and disadvantages. Some of her favorite illustrators include Mike Boldt, Amber Ren, Vashti Harrison, and Eliza Wheeler. 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. No agency can guarantee that a particular project will sell, but we sign clients because we love their writing and want them to succeed. They say theyre not good at that stuff. You still need to be good at that stuffor at least have an informed understanding of it. Or familiar content has been made unrecognizable. Before you submit: Read their guidelines. In a way, you still need to be your own agent. For nonfiction: she is looking for compelling, voice-driven projects that shed a humorous or thought-provoking light on a previously unknown topic in the areas of narrative nonfiction/memoir, lifestyle, relationships, humor, current events, food, wine, and cooking. While were waiting on the agents response, can I ask you why you want an agent? SCBWI Statement of Intent on Equity and Inclusion, The Essential Guide to Publishing for Children, Co-Agenting with Kirsten Hall and Erica Rand Silverman. an enviable position; having the upper hand or greater advantage Also send five pages from your manuscript. Its true, I love to co-agent, and I do it regularly with agents at several different agencies. Please put your query and sample in the body of the email. It is my belief that it comes from the onboarding process. Catbird Press is no longer publishing. 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. What do you look for in a submission?I like two kinds of submissions. She currently has around 45 clients with little room for more, as she thinks 50 clients is the ideal number. Author/Illustrators: email a brief synopsis of your manuscript, along with several accompanying illustrations or samples of your artwork. Due to the volume of submissions we receive, we are unable toguarantee feedback or advice in our rejections. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. A coin is flipped on its head. Olswanger Literary LLC. Feeling hurt inflates our ego, which clouds self-awareness, which stunts creative improvement. Were not afraid of this. 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. and strategic process), so its not something we do all the time. But if we are interested, we will request your full manuscript. Kirsten:Not necessarily. PW KidsCast: A Conversation with Dan Santat, click here to reactivate your immediate access. However, there are differences in our tastes and our particular areas of proficiency, e.g., editorial, genre, licensing, promotion, etc. I was able to speak with literary agents from top agencies such as Janklow & Nesbit, Trident Media, Anderson Lit, and Folio. Why do I (acting as an author or illustrator need an agent? Click here to retrieve reset your password. 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. Literary Agent Kirsten Hall Catbird Productions, Author Success Story: Nonfiction/Narrative Nonfiction, [Click here to see all Mark Malatesta reviews]. However, if you would like to get your work in front of her for now or the future, please submit - she reviews ALL submissions! Enter your information in the form to the right for FREE INSTANT ACCESS to the Directory of Literary Agents. What is one misconception about agents? 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). "Actor seeking representation" is a bore. Your submission to agents isnt an Instagram post thats totes gonna get likes. Writers can search posts for agents compatible with their work. Fiction/Mystery B. Harper . For adult fiction, Danielle is seeking upmarket commercial fiction and literary fiction. Maybe its the prospective client that we missed out on. Bookmark Literary (Submissions) Open to illustrator submissions. Lets tap into that knowledge. Why do I (acting as an author or illustrator) need an agent?Agents wear many important hats. 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. But were also different from one another; we shine in different ways. Memoir/Multicultural N. Aronheim She prefers books that explore deep emotional relationships in an interesting or unusual way. Aliza R. Hoover: represents illustrators and author-illustrators. Today, she is the founder and owner of a boutique childrens book illustration and literary agency, Catbird Productions. (Should you want to learn more first, our Writer's Toolbox has a handful of useful links for writers wanting to improve their craft before seeking publication.). 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. Open to illustrator & author-illustrator submissions. I hear the comparison that the agent-client relationship is like a marriage. Send her your high-concept and hooky; your award-winners; the books that will become backlist gold. Submit a QUERY and TWENTY PAGES of your manuscript to one of the agents listed below. 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. There may come a time where it makes sense for the artist and author to collaborate more directly. Be professional in your communication with an agent. Childrens/YA D. Bester You heard it here first! Is it consistent? These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. She has incredible vision and is very brave. Is there a five-word sentence in the childrens book industry more capable of sparking a debate than Do I need an agent? Here is the: AAR Agent Databaseand the list of AAR members who represent picture books. Any agent worth their weight is in a position of privilege given that we see a birds-eye view of the industry, have a fantastic understanding of the publishing houses (in particular what the editors and art directors are looking for), and a deep understanding of imprint listswhich may not be obvious from looking online or at backlist titles.