HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Before becoming a literary agent, you worked in a library. What about working in a library made you want to work as a literary agent?  How easy/difficult was the transition to being an agent? 

KATIE GRIMM: It was great exposure to the current marketplace.  There’s something special about seeing the physical manifestation of the “marketplace” in a library or bookstore.  And you realize “audience” isn’t something abstract, it’s a patron staring you in the face, searching for something good, new, different.  It was wonderful training for entering the business, and I keep this perspective of the market in mind when I’m choosing projects.   

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What advice would you give to someone close to graduating from college who wants to become a literary agent? 

KATIE GRIMM: The most logical step is to get an internship or assistant position at an agency to see if you have the office skills and editorial eye to guide writers.  Remember there are two sides of agenting: the business and the editorial.  Agents must be extremely organized and have the business savvy to juggle submissions, negotiate contracts, and manage the individual careers of their clients.  They also must be well-read in new titles to know what’s selling now and to whom, as well as what makes a good story.  To work on these skills, I suggest getting a job at any type of office, working at a bookstore or library, reading slush at a literary magazine, and keeping an eye on the blogs and websites that speak to others in the business. 

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What are you most interested in representing? 

KATIE GRIMM: I want to read and represent books that push my emotional boundaries and teach me something about the world beyond, or even better, myself.  I’m looking for fiction that is both of the moment – speaking to this particular period of time – yet timeless in its emotional truths.  I’m also searching for non-fiction with voice and authority.  Keeping that in mind, I want strong literary fiction, up-market women’s fiction, thrillers with bite, cohesive short story collections, and narrative non-fiction from qualified authors.  In young adult and middle grade, I look for high-concept with emotional honesty – they can be contemporary or more fantastical, but they have to have relatable characters.  There are certain genres like high fantasy, sci-fi, or romance that I don’t represent, but I think a touch of these elements in both adult and children’s keep things interesting.     

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: How much editing do you do with your clients before pitching a book to editors? 

KATIE GRIMM: I am an editorial agent, so I’ve been known to go several rounds of edits with a project if it warrants it.  In this marketplace, editorial board meetings are especially competitive, so you have to arm editors with a manuscript that is polished.  The bar is high, and we should strive to pass it, not just submit something that is “good enough.”  

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What is the secret to an excellent pitch letter from agents to editors? What goes into that pitch letter? 

KATIE GRIMM: I base my pitch on the hook that originally lead me to request the novel, which I will often pull from the query letter or synopsis.  I’m looking for something that is short and zippy that showcases how the book is both intriguingly unique and pleasantly familiar.  A clone of another book is going to be a difficult sell, but on the other hand, something too unusual is difficult to market, so you have to toe this line.  A good pitch letter also tells the editor why I love the project – authors might get frustrated by the standard line “I didn’t fall in love” with a project, but do you want an agent who isn’t head-over heels?  The pitch is where we can showcase that enthusiasm.  

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Do you ever pitch manuscripts to editors you don’t know? 

KATIE GRIMM: Of course!  I know some editors better than others, but if there is an editor who I don’t know whose sensibility seems match a new project I’m submitting, I will introduce myself.  

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: How important is it for agents to take editors out to eat and travel in the same social circles? 

KATIE GRIMM: It’s important to get to know editors personally – it can happen deliberately through one-on-one lunches or agent-editor cocktail parties, but industry friendships are also just a natural outgrowth of having similar interests.  While editors can tell you they bought this book or adore that book, I will be better at predicting what they will want in the future if I know where they come from as a people and what excites them outside of publishing.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What is the best way for prospective clients to contact you regarding representation?

KATIE GRIMM: Query letter and first chapter in the body of an email – no frills and gimmicks – I want to see that you can pitch your book and that you’re an amazing writer.    

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What is the best query letter you’ve ever read? 

KATIE GRIMM: I can’t point to “the best” query letter I’ve ever read, but a great query letter speaks to me out of the slush pile with a fresh concept that is conveyed professionally.  While I don’t have a favorite, there is a certain satisfaction in looking at an old query from a bestselling author and noting that the query isn’t that different from the jacket copy or book trailer – I urge writers to strive for that sort of longevity. 

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: A handful of small publishers have gone out of business in the past year or two. Borders is on the verge of financial collapse. How much of this is the result of eBooks, and what are your thoughts regarding whether traditional publishing can thrive in an increasingly digitized reading world? 

KATIE GRIMM: E-books are not solely responsible for the failings of certain publishers or booksellers.  E-books just represent a new stage of publishing, and I think they’re making reading books “new” again.  Everyone wants the latest gadget, and thankfully, people want to fill up those gadgets with books.  Developers are looking at books for ways to make apps or enhanced e-books, backlist authors are seeing a revival in their electronic editions, and people with kindles buy more books than they did before.  Of course people are afraid of change, and a lot of the old models need to be updated – especially pricing and royalty rates for authors – but I see this as a new era where we can exploit rights in completely new ways and reach new audiences.  Borders did more harm to itself than e-books did, and there will be casualties – we must learn to “innovate or die.”  I think the key factor for us is that content is still king, and authors aren’t going anywhere. 

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: If you could fix one thing about how traditional publishing works, what would it be?

KATIE GRIMM: I still don’t understand why a bookstore can order a book, fail to sell it, and return it for a full refund.  I remember being shocked when I found out many returned books get pulped.  Ending returns might have some unforeseen consequences, but I’d love to get rid of the “returns” section on royalty statements.   

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: At the end of the day, what is the most satisfying thing about working in publishing?

KATIE GRIMM: I get to discover my new favorite authors and books – who isn’t looking for the next “life-changing” read?  I was already a book evangelist long before I came to publishing, but now I am on the front lines – nurturing authors and creating a space for their voices to be heard.  I learn and grow through books, and it is so satisfying to share these experiences with those who are just as passionate.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Thanks so much for speaking with us, Katie!  

Dear Readers,

Thanks so much for visiting us at How to Publish a Book. We are grateful for your interest and support.

This week's literary agent interview features Saritza Hernandez of the L. Perkins Agency. Enjoy, and thanks for visiting.

Stacey

SARITZA HERNANDEZ 

E-Pub Agent extraordinaire and avid coffee-drinker, Saritza is as short and simple as this paragraph. Give her a good paranormal or fantasy romance, a giant mug of steaming Cuban coffee and a corner to put her feet up to read, and she's one happy camper!

Saritza represents both new and established authors and is currently looking for strong erotic romance in the following sub-genres: Paranormal, sci-fi, steampunk, cyberpunk, fantasy, BDSM, historical (emphasis on Ancient Egypt, Caribbean/MesoAmerican), intercultural and all GLBT-themed erotica for the digital marketplace. 

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: How would you describe the L. Perkins Agency’s mission?

SARITZA HERNANDEZ: We believe in making things happen for our authors in both the traditional and electronic publishing markets while being their biggest advocates and supporters.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: How did you first get started at the agency?

SARITZA HERNANDEZ: I reached out to Lori Perkins after she made a post on Twitter asking for those interested in an opportunity to learn more about representing authors in the new digital era. After helping several of my friends draft their query letters, research publishers for their submission list and edit their manuscripts, I realized I have always enjoyed being an advocate for authors. Learning from Lori Perkins, Louise Fury and Marisa Corvisiero about contract negotiation, foreign rights and the transition between traditional and digital publishing has been really exciting! I couldn't have asked for a better opportunity.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What was your background prior to joining the agency?

SARITZA HERNANDEZ: I suppose I'm a publishing jack-of-all-trades! My career in publishing started in college where I managed the weekly newspaper and annual arts magazines as Editor-In-Chief of the newspaper and metro editor of the magazine. After college I worked at Harcourt in the technical production department in their digital content conversion group then moved into technical support while doing freelance editorial work for a local small business newsletter.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: You are the agency’s digital rights specialist. What are you most interested in representing?

SARITZA HERNANDEZ: Anyone who knows me will tell you I have rather eclectic tastes in everything from music to food and what I love to read is no different. I'm currently representing mostly erotic romance and am a big advocate of GLBT rights. I love strong, well-defined erotic romance with GLBT themes and characters; paranormal/urban fantasy romance, steampunk/cyberpunk romance and romantic suspense.

In digital publishing, the romance genre has done very well and continues to grow. In fact, one of Samhain Publishing's titles, Maya Banks' Colter's Daughter recently made the NYT Bestseller list! I'm looking to represent the next Bestselling romance author!

I'm also interested in representing more urban fantasy/paranormal, dark fantasy and gothic horror.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: A handful of smaller publishers have gone out of business in the past year, and Borders seems on the verge of financial collapse. How much of this is the result of eBooks, and what are your thoughts on whether traditional publishing can thrive in an increasingly digitized reading world?

SARITZA HERNANDEZ: The publishing industry is evolving. As its content delivery has evolved from the days of papyrus to bound books, the digital era has introduced another point in its evolution timeline. The digital product, to me is another format of content delivery and the publishers who see and embrace this new content delivery method will be the ones who survive the Big Bang of ePub's emergence. I don't believe eBooks are to blame for Borders' demise any more than I believe the Guttenberg Press to be responsible for the death of papyrus scrolls. If anything, the new method of content delivery has expanded the opportunity for increased readership.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: A number of writers and commentators on the blogosphere who are doing well with self-published eBooks have turned their rhetoric toward traditional publishing in an angry, chip-on-their-shoulder way. What are your feelings about self-published authors who do extremely well and seem to want to badmouth traditional publishing and steer aspiring writers away from New York?

SARITZA HERNANDEZ: First, let me clarify that self-publishing and ePublishing are not the same thing. Yes, those who self-publish do so through some of the ePublishing tool sets available to digital publishers but they do so on their own without any quality control methods in place. An ePublished author is one whose work has been accepted by a digital publisher who provides editorial, design, marketing and financial backing to produce a high-quality product in a very similar way the traditional publisher would. I find it very off-putting when I read authors badmouth anyone in the publishing industry (traditional or otherwise) and I steer clear of those authors both as an agent and a consumer.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: How much editing work do you do with your clients?

SARITZA HERNANDEZ: I believe in providing the best work my clients have to offer to the editors I submit the work to, so I proofread everything they send me. I would love to have the time to edit their work as well but doing so would take time away from selling their work so I prefer to be another "set of eyes" on the work, not the only ones.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What advantages does an author get signing with an agent if he/she only wants to publish his/her books as eBooks?

SARITZA HERNANDEZ: The same advantages a traditional published author has: An advocate who will not only fight for the rights of the author to obtain and retain the best deal for their talent as well as a guide in the evolving market. ePublishers have editors who are looking to fill their lines, agents research these publishers and get to know the editors and what they like. We negotiate the best terms for the author and help guide the author's career path to success while allowing the author to do what they do best: write! My clients know they have someone in their corner when they need to address concerns with their publishers and someone they can call when they just need someone to "talk them down". An ePub Agent's role is not any different than your traditional literary agent and as the industry continues to change, agents are learning more about digital rights management than ever before.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What is the single kindest thing anyone in our business has done for you?

SARITZA HERNANDEZ: Hmm… I don't know that I can isolate just one thing but I suppose the one that stands out the most was having Literary Attorney Elaine English (whom I've secretly fangirled for YEARS) seek me out at a conference recently to introduce herself, shake my hand (which I hope was not as clammy as I feared it was) and offer to be available for questions and advice any time. When she handed me her card and wished me well, I swear I thought I was going to faint. I couldn't stop grinning the rest of the day!

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: How should prospective clients contact you regarding representation?

SARITZA HERNANDEZ: Prospective clients should send me a query, detailed synopsis of their completed and edited work as well as the first three chapters to my email: sh@lperkinsagency.com.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: At the end of the day, what is the most satisfying thing about working in publishing as a literary agent?

SARITZA HERNANDEZ: Calling a client to let them know they will now be known as a published author is the greatest feeling in the world and one of the most satisfying things about the job. Sending out royalty checks comes in at a close second!

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Thanks so much, Saritza!

____

Our next interview will be with Katie Grimm of the Don Congdon Agency. Look for it published here in the next couple of weeks.