Literary Agent Focus: Catherine Cho @ Curtis Brown
In the first of an occasional series here on the StreetLib blog we’ll be looking at a very important but often misunderstood element of the publishing world — Literary Agents.
Wait. What? Why would StreetLib be writing about literary agents? If an author gets an agent, why would they need StreetLib’s services anymore?
Well here’s the thing. First off, StreetLib is about all authors and all publishing, not just indie authors and ebooks.
That said, using StreetLib tools like StreetLib Write is a great way to prepare your manuscript not just for distribution but also to present to a literary agent.
And of course if you use our ebook and paperback distribution services to get your book out there and connect with eager readers around the world and can prove your book is popular with readers in a particular country, that’s a big bonus for the agent.
But still, once an author has an agent, why would they need StreetLib?
Well, many agents don’t just rep’ authors to publishers but actually also handle their own publishing and distribution, using aggregators like StreetLib.
Further, when your agent gets you a deal with a publisher there’s every chance that publisher will be using StreetLib to maximise its distribution.
And if by chance we send you to an agent who gets you a deal with a publisher that doesn’t use StreetLib, well, we’re happy to have helped you along your career path, and of course we hope to see you back with us with your next book!
Being represented by a literary agent is something many authors aspire to. It can lead to book deals with publishers, and to deals in other media (audio, film, TV, games, etc), and lots more.
But getting signed up with a literary agent isn’t easy. Many agency websites show that dispiriting notice “Closed To Submissions” and it can seem like new authors aren’t welcome.
It’s not that they hate us. It’s just that they already have more work than they can handle at that time.
Others welcome submissions from new authors. But that doesn’t mean they’ll sign us up. We need to do our homework.
First and foremost we have to be able to write to an acceptable standard. Then we have to have a book or proposal to be submitted that fits in with the agency’s needs. There’s no point submitting your fantasy novel to an agency that only handles non-fiction.
Once we find an agency that handles our type of book we need to study the agents and find out which one to submit to. Just because an agency handles a lot of different genres doesn’t mean any agent will do. One agent may specialise in romance and poetry, another in thrillers and another in historical fiction. Pitch to the right person to be in with a chance.
But the agent who specialises in your genre isn’t going to make an offer to represent you and your book if the writing isn’t up to standard.
Luckily agents can help with that too. No, not by being your personal writing tutor, but through their blogs where they offer helpful advice.
Which brings us neatly to Catherine Cho, who I’ve selected as our first example of an agent and agency that is interested in new writers.
Catherine is an Associate Agent at Curtis Brown in London, UK, representing fiction and non-fiction authors. What follows is from her personal blog, LitSeeker.
I believe in the power of a story — to change lives and open new worlds. Whether it’s in print or digital form, the story is an essential part of the human experience. I started Litseeker as a place for writers. I wanted to give insight on the publishing industry and take some of the mystery away from the querying process. I want Litseeker to give a glimpse into the life of the person on the other side of the screen, the literary agent.
Catherine offers us some great advice on the writing process in a short post on her blog this week.
Something we see with first-time writers is that their manuscript doesn’t have the necessary narrative momentum to draw in a reader. What does that mean? It means that the story doesn’t have the narrative stakes, the conflict, the emotional heart. It’s what makes a story compelling.
Think of … THE BLIND ASSASSIN by Margaret Atwood, which is ultimately about redemption for a lost sister’s memory. Or NEVER LET ME GO by Kazuo Ishiguro, which is not only about the struggle to live in the face of impending death, but also the the love between friends and whether love can save them in an unjust society.
… STAR WARS could easily just be a story of a boy who takes on an evil galactic empire. But there are stakes. There is a boy who has never known his father, who has always been desperate to leave the desert planet of his home, who loses his home when his uncle and aunt, the only family he’s ever known are killed. If they don’t destroy the Death Star, then countless other planets will be destroyed, just as the home planet of Princess Leia’s has been. These may just seem like scenes or more action, but they aren’t, they ramp up the individual stakes of each character, they pull in the reader.
… A strong story highlights and deepens conflict.
… When you’re writing your novel, think about the shades of colour in the narrative, about heightening the stakes. It’s not about adding in more action scenes or more drama, it’s about creating more of an emotional pull to draw in the reader.
Read the full post here.
If you’re in the early stages of your author career, spend some time on Catherine’s blog looking at the archived posts and embrace the guidance she offers to help improve your craft.
For more seasoned writers, who have polished products and are ready for the query-go-round, head over to the Curtis Brown website.
Yes, Curtis Brown is one of the biggest agencies in the UK, now in its 120th year, and employing over 160 people. But that doesn’t mean it’s too big to want to know the likes of us newbie authors with no track record. In fact, Curtis Brown is a great place to start your querying.
The submissions guidelines are here.
Curtis Brown offers some sound advice for authors looking to submit.
Q. I have written a book. Do you accept novels by new writers?
A. We’re one of the few agencies who are happy to take a look at work by new writers. It’s worth remembering that we are looking for not only good writing, but also people who present themselves as credible, professional authors and have a good sense of the kinds of books and writing that actually sell in the marketplace. We all love books, but publishing is a business, and you’ve got to be a great business proposition as well as a great writer if you are going to succeed.
… However much we may personally like your work, what is crucial is that we will be able to convince a publisher that your work is a good commercial risk, that you are a writer with potential for future growth, and that you can also hit the ground running.
You’ll also need to be able to be presented as someone who is very promotable, who can write and talk engagingly and credibly about your work. You’ll need to show that you are comfortable about undertaking your own social media publicity work to seed and support a publisher’s efforts, and that you’re prepared to work with a publisher to maximise every relevant opportunity to support your book’s publication.
Your career as a writer will also benefit enormously if your work is likely to be of interest around the world and that, even if your writing has a very local setting, it features terrific storytelling that transcends international barriers and other media.
Of course Curtis Brown is just one of countless literary agencies you can check out, and Catherine Cho just one of countless friendly agents who will be willing to check out your work if you meet the basic criteria.
Let me wind up this post by stressing that there are a hundred and one reasons why an agent will reject a perfectly good submission, so don’t be disheartened by rejection. The books the first twenty agents turn away might be snapped up by the twenty-first and go onto become the next publishing sensation.
Do remember that you CAN self-publish while you query, and that can be an advantage. But don’t expect an agent to be impressed if you sell ten copies a month at 0.99 or have given away ten thousand ebooks for free.
And don’t expect an agent to be impressed if they visit your blog or Facebook page or twitter feed — which they will! — and all they see is gripes about how unfair the publishing world is, or nasty sniping at authors who are selling better than you, or…
To quote Curtis Brown:
(We want) credible, professional authors (that) have a good sense of the kinds of books and writing that actually sell in the marketplace.
And that’s a great ethos whatever author career path we choose.
