I asked Michelle Wolfson, of Wolfson Literary Agency, if she'd chat with "Writer to Writer" about her work as an agent. Below my interview. Writers, take note!
JD: Could you tell us a little about your agency and the kind of material you are actively seeking?
MW: Well of course you should check my website regularly for a complete background and the most up-to-date information on what I’m currently looking for, but here’s a little teaser. I am pleased to say that Wolfson Literary Agency is entering its 3rd year and I’m very excited about my prospects this year. I have some great books coming out this year and some fabulous projects to submit, but I am always looking for new, exciting clients.
I tend to have fairly commercial taste and I am very interested in finding YA projects as well as adult projects that stand out in their genres. I want strong, interesting characters who I can fall in love with and an interesting plot. Oh, and great writing would be nice too. On the nonfiction side, I am open to narrative nonfiction and memoir but I tend to do more practical nonfiction, usually that falls somewhere in the health, lifestyle, relationship, women’s interest categories. And please please build your platform.
JD: What are a couple of books that your clients have published?
MW: Some of my clients’ books that have been published in the last 6 months or so are the following:
NEW JOB, NEW YOU: A Guide to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career by Alexandra Levit
NYT bestseller BUY KETCHUP IN MAY AND FLY AT NOON: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, DoThat, and Go There by Mark Di Vincenzo
CHILL OUT AND GET HEALTHY: Live Clean to Be Strong and Stay Sexy by Aimee Raupp
TEKGRRL Book 2 in AJ Menden’s Elite Hands of Justice superhero romance series
And among the books being published in 2010 are an inspirational child soldier memoir and the first in an exciting new young adult paranormal series. My taste is varied and eclectic; for the most recent list of what I’m looking for regarding submissions, you should always check my website.
JD: What should writers realize before they press send on a query letter to an agent?
MW: The most important thing to realize is that this is a numbers game and you have to be in it to win it. If you don’t send your query out there, and most likely out there to a lot of agents, you will never get published. On the other hand, if you are getting passed on over and over, perhaps your query isn’t doing a good job representing your work and you should make some changes to it. Let it be a marketing tool for you.
You should also realize that you should spend a decent amount of time and energy on the thing (i.e. the query letter) that is going to decide whether or not an agent will look at part or all of the manuscript that you spent the last year working on. Don’t you think that deserves more than an hour of your time? I do.
JD: With all the changes in the publishing industry, what's hardest about your job lately? What's most fascinating?
MW: I think that publishers are being even more cautious and less willing to take chances than before, and that’s made my job more difficult. On the plus side, my love of books, reading, and agenting in general still remains. Despite my frustrations with aspects of the publishing industry, there are so many points along the way that I love and I am always thrilled to be a part of such an exciting time in a writer’s life.
JD: If you could play Dr. Frankenstein for a moment and create your perfect client, what would he/she be like?
MW: I think my perfect client would, first and foremost, be savvy about the publishing industry. I can and do fight for my clients as hard as I can, but there are just some things we are not able to change. It helps to have someone who understands that I’m doing my best to chip away at the old standards but that it may not happen any time soon. On a personal level, I would design a client who is polite, nice, and appreciative of the efforts I put in on his behalf. I don’t need gifts nor do I need to be showered with praise. But I like to be treated with respect and a heartfelt thank you every once in a while is always appreciated.
JD: Who are some of your favorite authors?
MW: Again, my taste is all over the place and I read everything from mysteries and suspense to young adult and romance. Favorite authors is very difficult but some of my all time favorite books are: The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffeneger, The Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy, Doctors and Love Story by Erich Segal, the Harry Potter series—numbers 3,6, and 7 in particular. I also love Janet Evanovich and Jennifer Crusie because their books make me laugh out loud.
For more on Michelle’s agency please visit her website, http://www.wolfsonliterary.com.
For more writerly tips please visit my website, http://bangthekeys.com and check out my new book:
Until next time, thanks Michelle, and readers here's a question for you: How much do you love or hate writing query letters?
All my best, warmly, sincerely, yours truly with fabulosity, Jill
