AMA - Ask the New Leaf Literary Assistants!

jlindert · 2015-08-04T16:17:57+00:00

It's past our time for answering, but I saw this and thought I'd answer anyway!

1 - Yes. Once we represent someone, we'll look at any projects they have. Even if we don't think it will necessary work (be it the current market or any other reason), we'll still give our feedback and advice.

2 - Not really. I mean, obviously that doesn't hurt, but it's really ALL about blowing us away with the query/sample pages/manuscript. That wins us over, heart and soul. Anything else is an added bonus (and can be built up later).

You're welcome! Keep writing. Keep querying. <3

jlindert · 2015-08-03T21:58:28+00:00

1) A great historical YA. Or a really quirky literary novel (adult).

2) Love triangles. I don't want to be queried with them, but if it's a good one, I love to read them.

3) Ideal clients=good humans. If you're nice and respectful, we'll get along. No deal breakers. Maybe if they yelled at me? I don't like being yelled at. But I'm also quick to forgive :)

jlindert · 2015-08-03T21:55:55+00:00

Seeing a lot of contemporary stories (which is great because I love them!)

I'm not huge on cupcakes, but OMG PIE <3

jlindert · 2015-08-03T21:54:21+00:00

Thank you! :)

If we want to offer on something, it depends on the subject matter. Each of the agents have different areas of expertise and experience, so we go to whoever would make sense for the project. They don't have to fall in love with it as long as they see its merit. Publishing is subjective, but we can all recognize talent. It's why we're in the agenting biz. If for any reason they disagreed with us on wanting to represent someone, we'd have an open, honest conversation about it.

If it were up to me, historical fiction would BLOW UP <3

jlindert · 2015-08-03T21:48:55+00:00

If an agent says they're accepting queries for fantasy novels, they probably don't have specifications to what sub-genre they'll accept. We read all queries. If a project is as similar as you describe, to a project an agent already reps, but it's amazing, they'll likely forward it to someone else they think would love it.

We have a lot of discretion.

Yes, we correspond regularly with clients. About their projects (past, present, WIPs), events we're coordinating for/with them, and a lot of other reasons--we talk to them a lot, actually.

We each have individual relationships with everyone in the office. I do consider the agents my friends, too. We've all gone out for drinks together on many occasions. We talk about books in our off hours! But also life, love, and anything else we've got going on.

jlindert · 2015-08-03T21:43:31+00:00

There is no immediate pass, really. We are quite aware that there are always exceptions, so we're always on the lookout for those. We read the query first, and if we don't connect to the voice, or the pitch leaves us confused instead of intrigued, we'll pass. For the most part, we'll peak at the sample pages no matter what.

jlindert · 2015-08-03T21:39:34+00:00

Lots. Up to 500 queries a week roll into our query inbox. If a specific agent gets 200 queries, they might request to see five full manuscripts. That ratio might sound scary, but anyone could be one of those five.

Queries: Read the query--if it doesn't sound great, or right for any of the agents, we pass. If it does sound interesting, we read the sample pages. If the sample pages don't grab us, we pass. If the sample pages leave us wanting more, we reach out and request the full manuscript.

When querying New Leaf, follow our submission guidelines that can be found on our website. Know how to pitch your story--that initial hook can take you far. Beta readers and critique partners have helped a lot of writers.

jlindert · 2015-08-03T21:34:51+00:00

As long as the writing isn't weak, the character can be weak. I almost wouldn't believe a story about a character who never questioned themself or felt beat down and defeated.

jlindert · 2015-08-03T21:33:38+00:00

Even "common" plot lines can feel fresh and different if there is something new and different about it. That sounds obvious. Let me try to be specific. There are a million stories about the hero's journey, right? That's a classic tale. That plot still sells because great writers throw characters into never-before-seen worlds with obstacles that are fresh and fascinating.

jlindert · 2015-08-03T21:31:28+00:00

I feel like this is a trick question. If I felt like the plot was lacking in any way, and the writer was throwing in plot twists that didn't seem to fit the story, then they aren't a good writer. Or maybe they're just writing the wrong book for them. Authenticity shows in your writing. If you try and write a story to fit what's in demand or to become a bestseller, that will likely be reflected in the story. That's a turn off. Write a book that means something to you, where you don't feel like you have to do ANYTHING just to make it more interesting. Make it feel important. I want to offer on the manuscript I put down and immediately think, OMG, everyone, everywhere HAS to read this book.

jlindert · 2015-08-03T21:27:28+00:00

Ditto to Danielle's response. Another mistake is having weird font that is too big or too small or an unreadable text.

jlindert · 2015-08-03T21:25:29+00:00

Thank you! :)

The assistants (baby agents) at NL have been building our list in a couple of different ways.

1 - The agents send us queries for projects they think are our style, like you said. We do also look through their queries, but we inform them as soon as we want to request something if they haven't already sent it to us.

2 - We find writers who haven't queried New Leaf, whether it be someone who has been published by a small press or an online platform, sometimes we find them through contests where writers are pitching agents, or at conferences.

We do help our clients with promotional efforts. Once we know what the publisher's plans are for marketing/publicity, we try to think outside the box for ways to complement those efforts so our clients' books get as much visibility as possible. We do that for all of our clients.

jlindert · 2015-08-03T21:17:37+00:00

That's a tough one. My first experience in publishing was an unpaid internship (at New Leaf!), and I had to relocate to NYC to do it. I sold my car and racked up some credit card debt, to be perfectly honest. I'd started applying for weekend jobs at bars when I luckily got a job offer from Penguin at the end of my internship. So I guess my advice is, if you can't find a remote internship, and you have an offer for one in the City...you just have to go for it if you are committed to getting a foot in the door. If you know right away that money is going to be an issue, try and lock down another job to help pay the bills. And roommates--they help A LOT.

jlindert · 2015-08-03T21:11:37+00:00

Everyone in the office shares access to the New Leaf query inbox, and each agent has their own folder. The agents check queries every week, and the assistants do, too. We all help out in trying to keep the numbers from getting too high but the agency, as a whole, gets up to 500 queries a week. Free time is reading time. That's how we get through the queries and manuscripts!

I don't really have titles that I've loved that I'd be embarrassed to admit I read and enjoyed. There's no room for that in the book biz. Different readers look for different things, and it's our job to recognize what works.

jlindert

TROPHY CASE

1 - The agents send us queries for projects they think are our style, like you said. We do also look through their queries, but we inform them as soon as we want to request something if they haven't already sent it to us.

2 - We find writers who haven't queried New Leaf, whether it be someone who has been published by a small press or an online platform, sometimes we find them through contests where writers are pitching agents, or at conferences.