How did you become a literary agent?
I didn’t even know such a thing as a literary agent existed until I met Sam Hiyate.
Having worked in the service industry (restaurants and event venues) for upwards of ten years, I’d encountered more than my share of publishing people. Their exuberance for books, booze, and storytelling sparked a renewed interest in using my languishing English Literature and Linguistics degree from Glendon College. When asked what I might want to do in publishing, I stated the obvious: publish books. Charmed by my naiveté, several young professionals kindly suggested I get the lay of the publishing land and take an overview course on trade through Ryerson’s Chang School. There I learned publishing was a business as well as an art from my instructor and The Rights Factory president Sam Hiyate. When Sam offered an internship during the first class, I applied with no experience. Turned out, the service industry was the perfect training ground for any sales position, and the level of attention to detail was key to getting me in the door as an administrative assistant. After several months, I became Sam’s personal assistant, mostly helping him host lavish parties while learning the ropes of the business. A few months later, I finally got to use that arts degree my parents paid so much money for and was promoted to editorial associate, working on Sam’s clients’ adult manuscripts.
As to how I became a children’s agent? Sam came to see me make a fool of myself in a publishing cabaret. Over laughs and drinks afterward we were talking about the success of his two young adult properties, Mariko and Jillian Tamaki’s SKIM and Christine Walde’s The Candy Darlings. Wanting to fully capitalize on the market, Sam was talking about importing a specialist from New York or London. The conversation veered off into my own passion for kidlit—including my embarrassingly large children’s book collection—at which point Sam suggested he’d rather groom me for the position than bring in someone new. It was the perfect congruence of variables. I took the job and I’ve never looked back.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to be a literary agent?
For those aspiring lit agents out there: read everything, take a course in publishing, apply for internships, go out to the parties, the launches, the festivals and other events, meet and talk to people, and reach out to the people whose job you want. Someone always helped them get where they are and I’m sure they are more than willing to return the favour.
How many submissions do you get in a year?
Hmmm. Hard to say. There are peaks and valleys. Consider that I receive several in an average day, that’s approximately 15 a week and 780 per year. This number, which is likely understated, might explain why agents aren’t always able to get back to queriers.
How do you get an agent’s attention then?
The most direct way to get your query, sample or manuscript read is by creating a personal connection with the agent. For me, this has meant following up with writers I’ve met at conferences and workshops where I’ve been a guest speaker or otherwise participated. It’s guilt-driven. I’m more likely to respond to someone I’ve met, having looked into their hopeful writer eyes and heard their story.
Other forums for connection could be social media, especially Twitter where you can build up a friendly rapport with book banter, or, for the more adventurous, literary events, where agents have a drink in their hand and a lowered guard. Many of my clients came to me on recommendation through their already represented friends.
Wherever you are, it’s important to promote yourself as a writer. Tell everyone. That person standing next to you at the supermarket check-out may be your ticket to success.
How many new authors do you sign in a year?
At this point in my career, very few, I’m afraid. Maybe two or three, depending on my evolving personal tastes and market interest.
What factors influence your decision to make an offer of representation?
First and foremost, the work. If it’s brilliant, I’m not going to let it go. I’ll make sacrifices. The second most influential factor is time commitment. How long is the manuscript and how much editing does it require? Where does it fit in my submission schedule? Thirdly, the working relationship. Much like a marriage, shared values are at the heart of every successful agent-author collaboration. And trust is paramount, necessitating an honest discussion about expectations.
Unfortunately, there are factors that can override this standard checklist, no matter how promising the writer and their work. For example, if I already have something on my list that is too close, comparable in genre, theme, or narrative, there’s nothing to be done but pass for fear of one project cannibalizing the other (and curse the lucky agent who snaps it up). There’s only room for one werewolf book on my list and that’s Emily Pohl-Weary’s Not Your Ordinary Wolf Girl, publishing with Penguin Canada and Skyscape (Amazon Children’s Books) this fall. Another example would be a pass based on the current market landscape. I’d have a difficult time presenting a vampire series to my editors at the moment, but they are still selling to readers like gangbusters, and the cyclical nature of popular trends will find them in the limelight again in a few years, no doubt.
What is the best way for an author to approach you?
Half or more of my current client list has been mined from my slush pile. Send me your query via our online form (www.therightsfactory.com) or direct email: alison@therightsfactory.com.
Can you describe your typical day?
My secret life as an agent can be divided into two categories: development and sales. Development involves finding talent, cultivating projects, and managing my list. Sales is a lot of writing, meetings and events. Regular business hours are largely focused on social tasks like pitching, deal negotiation, and client correspondence. My evenings and weekends tend to include more solitary exercises such as editing, pitch writing and administration.
Once a week, all the staff in our office get together, drink Prosecco and toast to our successes. Every few weeks, I head down to New York for sales meetings starting with 8:30 AM breakfasts and spanning well past what most consider a decent hour. In the spring and fall, I travel to Europe for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and the Frankfurt Book Fair respectively. These are whirlwind trips with back-to-back meetings every half hour followed by publishing cocktails, dinners, and parties. It’s a good life.
My schedule can get very intense, but writers and editors are my people, and I get to spend all day talking about and being involved in something I love deeply and feel passionately about: children’s books. Best. Job. Ever.
What kind of writing are you passionate about?
I want to be transported, whether to fantastic, futuristic, or realistic worlds within our own. Sometimes that means story, sometimes that means voice, and ideally, it means both. I’m drawn to the dark and sinister as well as the fun and humorous. As long as a kid would think it’s totally awesome, I likely will too. In terms of recent reads, I’m a huge fan of Kenneth Oppel’s The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein series, where alchemy is possible and monsters lurk both without and within; Patrick Ness is an all-time favourite with his Chaos Walking series, a white-knuckled action/adventure that challenges political and social ideas; Frank Cottrell Boyce’s Cosmic is one of the funniest books I’ve ever read; and client Laura Nowlin’s debut If He Had Been With Me is exquisite and agonizing in its rendering of first and lasting love (pubbing April 1, 2013; Sourcebooks).
Can you describe the qualities of a dream author to work with?
Oh, fun! My Dream Author is unpublished with a dynamite debut manuscript. We connect on both a personal and professional level, our tastes and interests perfectly aligned. They’ve done their research, educated themselves on the industry, understand the business and value the role of the agent. They do not believe everything they read on the internet. Dream Author is a chameleon, capable of writing across genres and audiences. Their optimism and confidence inspire others. Dream Author is fearless with their ideas, their writing, editing and self-promotion. They read everything and recommend great books. We have lengthy meetings involving alcohol to discuss them and brainstorm new and exciting ways to engage young readers. We build our careers and grow together.
And now describe an author from heck.
The opposite.
What advice do you have for a first time author?
Arm yourself with knowledge. Learn as much as possible about the publishing industry so that you can make informed decisions about your career, like what kind of agent you want: big name or boutique firm; veteran or up-and-comer; generalist or specialist? So much of your career depends on doing what’s right for you. Solicit advice from others, but trust your instincts. Get online and establish a presence. Follow the major industry news publications, your favourite book blogs, and people of interest on Twitter. Reach out to the writing community through online forums and in-person workshops, conferences and events. And read as much as humanly possible, in every format, in every genre.
Peer into your crystal ball and tell me what you see in the future of children’s publishing…
If you want to know about the future of publishing, check out the tech websites for both their discussion of the changing business model and the application of new technologies. I mean, we are living in the future! Apple is magic. For some kids, reading on devices such as tablets and smart phones might be their first memorable book experience. And with new technology comes new readers. Artistically, authors have more formats to work in; commercially, one intellectual property can be sold across many platforms. Storytelling is being rethought and it’s the visionaries who will rise to the top.
