Page 1 of 1
Strange Pilgrims Prize — Agent Interviews
Your name
*
Genre(s) you represent
*
Is there a book in recent times you wish you could have agented. If so, why?
Day in the life a literary agent:
When agents get together/hang-out, what do they talk about!?
What's the part of this job that writers/people most consistently misunderstand?
People often talk about how they "fell in love" with a book. When/if this happens to you, what precisely goes on?
How "editorial" are you? Do you work on a manuscript before it goes out, and how much?
How often is a no actually about the writing, versus timing, market, or what's already on your list?
Can a story or essay collection get agented and ultimately, sell. What has to be true for this to work?
Do agents ever read lit mags to discover talent, or is that a myth writers tell themselves?
Where's the line between "unclassifiable" as the thing that excites you, and "unclassifiable" as the thing that makes a book impossible to sell?
What's the strangest thing you've ever taken on?
Editors often say they like risk-taking work. Do they really? Also, what the heck is "risk-taking?"
You read an enormous number of openings (lines/paragraphs/pages). What do you know or rather, what do you want to know, by the end of the first paragraph/page?
What makes you stop reading?
"Voice" is the word everyone uses and nobody defines. Can you define it in terms of how you see it?
Is there a book you loved but couldn't sell? Would you share?
What should a writer ask an agent before signing — and what's a red flag on the agent's side that writers don't know to look for?
What does the first six months of a new client relationship look like, and how do you know it's working?
Are you seeing loads more AI submissions these days? Is it easy to tell right off the bat or do you find yourself on the fence? How much does it matter to you personally?
What are you hoping to find in the shortlisted writers you'll be reading for the Strange Pilgrims Prize?
What advice do you give over and over that you feel not enough writers take to heart?
What are you reading right now purely for pleasure?
Anything we didn't ask that you wish we had?
Complete Interview
