Ive been in publishing for over a decade. To me it is the gold standard for a picture book that makes the reader feel. They told me they were going to focus on getting me into the industry I love: childrens books. Since it was published as Boats for Papa by Neal Porter Books in 2015, I have read it and cried again and again and again. Author/Illustrators: email a brief synopsis of your manuscript, along with several accompanying illustrations or samples of your artwork. May 2010 - Feb 20143 years 10 months. Scroll below now to learn more about Literary Agent Kirsten Hall andget free instant access to our BookAgents Directory. Manuscripts sent to them will be discarded unread. Childrens/Pic Book M. Leshem-Pelly 2023 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved. But I dont generally find myself doing much differently with regards to my clients when co-agenting other than have hard conversations on their behalf with my my co-agent up front. Scroll below now to view the email and postal addressfor Kirsten HallFREE in our BookAgents Directory. Pairing up directly with clients from other agencies is a great way to be proactive in making new projects happen. Book Agent Kirsten Hall previously worked as an editorial assistant at Random House (1996-1997). Otherwise, please consider submitting to one of my wonderful colleagues at ABLA. Corvisiero Literary Agency (Agents) (Submissions), Curtis Brown LTD (Agents)(Submissions). Practice professional patience and persistence. I still remember the first time I read Jessixa Bagleys dummy submission. Theyre meeting. "Mark helped me get five different offers for representation from top literary agents. Ive seen really exciting work come out of it. Well try to get back to you as quickly as possible. Don't miss our ebook deals starting at $0.99! Want more information about Kirsten Hall? The Number of Queries Sent and Their Replies. Nonfiction/Diversity S. Peer Due to the volume of submissions we receive, we are unable toguarantee feedback or advice in our rejections. Nonfiction/Diversity S. Peer By the end of this post, you may finally have the answer to: "Do I need an agent?" Nonfiction/Self-Help A. Goddard Do not query multiple agents at Fuse simultaneously. Keep your correspondence professional. Submit to Susan Hawk Any agents not listed above are CLOSED to submissions. I sent them some dummies, some promotional pieces. Theyre negotiating. How Much Do Authors Make? Shes one of my favorite people in the entire industry. . You didnt receive a rejection letter. You received a critique letter. It sounds so much better, doesnt it? I always advise illustrators who are just starting out to identify what they can and/or want to do, and outsource the rest. Unfortunately, due to the overwhelming number of submissions received, personal responses are only very rarely possible. Why do I (acting as an author or illustrator) need an agent?The answer to this is clear to me: because it plays to strengths. Memoir/Family/Identity S. Foti LK Literary Agency is a boutique children's literature agency, so while we are open to general submissions, we kindly ask that you review our guidelines carefully ahead of sending in your submission to be sure we're a good fit for the wonderful work you do.. We are only open to electronic submissions, which means that unless someone from LKLA has specifically requested you send . Editors should be salivating by the time they get to the chapter outline. Working with Mark was completely worth it." An agent will intuit which clients are going to respond well to the artists work, and this becomes the first port of call for an illustration agent when initially pitching, sharing, and presenting the portfolio to commissioning clients. Flannery Literary (Agent) (Submissions), Foundry Literary + Media (Agents & Submissions), Full Circle Literary (Agents) (Submissions), Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency (Agents) (Submissions), Golden Wheat Literary (Agents)(Submissions), Greenhouse Literary Agency (Agents) (Submissions), Howard Morhaim Literary Agency (Agents) (Submissions). Childrens/YA C. Plum-Ucci (Maybe: Is publishing dead or not? Its not dead, but I digress.). 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! Learn More. 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. So how will you know the bad from the good? Once a book is sold, authors and illustrators will be presenting themselves to publishers, booksellers, librarians, and others as a professional. Making sure Im advocating well and clearly for my client from the get-go is even more critical than usual when there are two times the number of voices in the mix. She had been in my session and introduced herself at the end and mentioned that she was sending me her dummy. Getfree access to the Directory of Literary Agents with detailed agent profiles. When I signed, it was very exciting. If you do not receive a reply from Chad in 2 weeks, please assume its a pass. QueryTracker will not function correctly without javascript. On the reverse, sometimes our authors are looking for new inspiration and an illustration can be a great way to get those wheels turning. Read their interviews. Bios, interests, and submission instructions can be found here. * A link to the Catbird Productionswebsite Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. 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? Literary Agent Kirsten Hall Catbird Productions, Author Success Story: Nonfiction/Narrative Nonfiction, [Click here to see all Mark Malatesta reviews]. Honest and open communication is key. 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. Childrens/Chapter Book J. Agee But I dont generally find myself doing much differently with regards to my clients when co-agenting other than have hard conversations on their behalf with my my co-agent up front. Theyre the coach. All rights reserved. Kirsten opened Catbird's wings in March 2014. Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency (Agents & Submissions)NOTE: This is aUKagency. Boutique kidlit author/illustrator agency & producer of books for all ages Catbird Agency | New York NY No, its not. 1. For middle grade and YA: She is actively seeking fresh young adult and middle grade fiction across all genres. Hall is the author of the picture books. The Cat Agency Inc. (Agents) (Submissions) Open to illustrator & author-illustrator submissions. Copyright 2023 D. B. Righi. How to Find a Literary Agent for Your BookAdvice from writing professional Jane Friedman. For more specifics on what Susan is looking for, including information about genres and categories, please see here and here. DO NOT QUERY THIS AGENT AT THIS TIME: Cherry is not currently accepting unsolicited submissions. Sense of place mattersprecise, expressive settings delight her. Managing Agent, USA for a London-based children's illustration agency representing 150+ incredibly talented artists. If you still dont hear from them, move on. Notes/Tips: Our agency does not represent poetry or screenplays. Kirsten:Its true, I love to co-agent, and I do it regularly with agents at several different agencies. Before working in publishing, Erica was a teacher and dean. How did you come to collaborate on books together? Co-agenting, or doing that process together, makes it even more fun and is a great way to learn from one another. Aliza R. Hoover: represents illustrators and author-illustrators. You dont have their undivided attention. The cycle of creating successful titles is like putting on a playeveryone must work to the best of their abilities. Wait for a response. QueryTracker Members can view the data gathered by all other members, organized into reports showing 2007-2023 QueryTracker. Bright Agency (Agents)(Submissions)A UK / USA agency. Listen to podcasts. It may not. This enables us to put a plan in place before the first portfolio sheet is made. The North American catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), of the family Mimidae (order Passeriformes), is 23 cm (9 inches) long and is gray, with a black cap. Congratulations! Either way, I hope this post helps you move forward with your career. Were allies, strategists, friends, supervisors, listeners, managers, organizers, brainstorming partners. Thank you for submitting your work! Kirsten:Thats exactly right. 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. Sign up for our Children's Bookshelf newsletter! Hear what they have to say. Find out whos working in the field. Your parents, who arent quite sure what you do, certainly know what agents doand that will make them happy. Read industry magazines and blogs. The irony is that by doing it yourself, by finding some amount of success on your own, you become more attractive to . Erica:We have to make sure that the risk and expectations are clear for all involved. They lead the cheer for you. Let me give you examples from two of your colleagues: I signed with an agent thinking that they would get me work right away. The black catbird (Melanoptila glabrirostris) is found in coastal Yucatn. Azantian Literary Agency (Agents)(Submissions), Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises (Submissions), Bookends Jr.: A Literary Agency (Agents & Submissions), The Book Group (Agents click Our Staff tab for a drop-down list) (Submissions). While were waiting on the agents response, can I ask you why you want an agent? * A map to the office ofCatbird Productions Scroll below to see a sample. She started her career at Liza Dawson Associates in Manhattan, and in 2014 launched her own literary agency, Olswanger Literary LLC, where she represents a wide variety of genres, but is currently focused on illustrated books (picture books and graphic novels). However, if you would like to get your work in front of her for now or the future, please submit - she reviews ALL submissions! The Bright Agency. But its good to be pushed outside our comfort zones once in a while. In this way we made a really exciting match for a to-be-announced Jory John and K-Fai Steele project. Childrens/YA D. Bester "Actor seeking representation" is a bore. But Im really thrilled to be co-agenting with Erica. Literary agent Kirsten Hall is launching a new company, Catbird Productions, which will package books for publishers, as well as operate as a boutique literary agency for childrens book author/illustrators, with an emphasis on previously unpublished authors/ illustrators. If youre creating work that could be described as generous, nuanced, and at ease with complexity, shed love to read it. Christy Ewers: is mostly closed to submissions for the time being. After about a year, and no work, I asked to break our agreement. Your friends will congratulate you. In a way, you still need to be your own agent. Each agent, even within the same agency, has their own ideas of what defines good writing and good illustration. It can make me uneasy because it takes time and sometimes doesnt work. Where do I sign? Read their agreement. PW site license members have access to PWs subscriber-only website content. catbird, any of five bird species named for their mewing calls, which are used in addition to song.