Trying to get your work published can feel like wandering in a maze. becoming familiar with ways to spot and avoid bad agents. Fiction/Christian K. Sargent For self-published books, I don't know that it takes an immediate platform, but what it takes is a lot of engagement, especially community engagement. All rights reserved. She wrote a new novel and hired a freelance editor for it, and that editor contacted me and suggested I read it. While the range of inquiries has been broad, common themes have emerged over time. Find Michelle Brower online at Aevitas's "Our Team" page aevitascreative.com/agents and on Twitter @michellebrower. Alternatively, if a book has 200 reviews and only 10,000 sales, it's going to be so much more challenging to present them and say, "You should invest money in this author.". When we asked what Poets & Writers could do to support their writing practice, time and again writers expressed a desire for a more tangible connection to other writers. She reached out to Swyler. Keep in mind that readers buy the successor books for one of two reasons. Nonfiction/Business D. Hamme Let the world know about your work by posting your events on our literary events calendar, apply to be included in our directory of writers, and more. So, we came up with a living, breathing version of what Poets & Writers already offers: Poets & Writers Live. She reads science-fiction crossovers. Childrens/YA D. Bester Find a writers group to join or create your own with Poets & Writers Groups. Because of these factors, we find the e-book market to be very price sensitive. Memoir/Multicultural N. Aronheim Write like Elena Ferrante, with all the romance beats and a happy ending.#MSWL, Since the political atmosphere is most likely going to get me retreating to a cozy book cave any minute now, I have a request #MSWL, Wanted: literary sci fi novel. What are the qualities of a new voice? Fiction/Mystery B. Harper Bookmark. Lincoln Michel In our next Beginning to End we'll talk with Swyler and Beresford about the editing process. Simone Gorrindo Now available: The Poets & Writers Guide to Publicity and Promotion, The Poets & Writers Guide to the Book Deal, The Poets & Writers Guide to Literary Agents, The Poets & Writers Guide to MFA Programs, and The Poets & Writers Guide to Writing Contests. Tyrell Johnson She really was a blind submission. Finally an agent for crime!! Success Story Interview - Heather Young . from shady practices. Michelle received her Masters degree in British and American Literature from New York University. Something went wrong while submitting the form. Editors Note: The title of this novel has been renamed Light from Other Stars since the original publication of this article. 304 Park Avenue South, 11th Floor. Literary Agent Interview: Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management If you need to flag this entry as abusive. For all non-submissions and press inquiries, please contact hello@trellisliterary.com. Back in 2012, her intern delivered up Erika Swyler. Memoir/Women L. Lehr I read it. She talks about books with the affection of someone who could spend all day reading, but most of Brower's daylight hours are devoted to the full stable of authors she represents. Allison Devereux Michelle Brower defies genre, as a reader and a literary agent. We are not here to keep them out. The novel is author Erika Swyler's second, following her much-lauded 2015 debut, The Book of Speculation. She loves reading books, she loves editing books, she loves the people who write them. Health and Psychology. Memoir/Christian S. LeRette Founder and Creative Director of PathBinder Publishing and Land and Seascape Photographer. Believe me, we notice. Also on my #mswl, I want some really good commercial fiction. Her authors have received recognition from MacDowell, the Whiting Awards, the Rona Jaffe Foundation, the Steinbeck Fellow Program, the Sewanee Writers Conference as well as from many other organizations. Michelle Brower will be closed to queries until May 8th, 2023. What began as an interview with literary agents Jeff Kleinman, Founding Partner, and Michelle Brower, Senior Vice President, of Folio Literary Management turned into enough material for a three part Q&A series on what agents really want from authors. Michelle Brower of Aevitas represents Swyler; Bloomsbury . Research more than one hundred agents who represent poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers, plus details about the kinds of books theyre interested in representing, their clients, and the best way to contact them. Michelle Brower (@michellebrower) / Twitter Erika Swyler Here's my #mswl for the year: obv, your transcendent literary works. If a reader likes an author, they are more likely to go back and purchase something else or wait for the next release. #mswl horses, baking, private schools, murders, nature (particularly magical nature) in combo and sep, adult and kid. Poets & Writers lists readings, workshops, and other literary events held in cities across the country. She didn't seek long; Bloomsbury showed interest, early and strong. Heather Young Success Story Interview | QueryTracker Rebecca Romney Jack Reacher is a great example. Rickey Fayne It's actually the author who is the brand. Michelle Brower | Poets & Writers But, about halfway through it disintegrated. The stigma of bringing your undead son home to . I hope to be the person who helps get them out there into the world. New York, NY 10010. AgentQuery :: Find the Agent Who Will Find You a Publisher Jon Hickey I think that at 100 reviews, a book doesn't have the sales yet to necessarily translate into traditional publishing. All Rights Reserved. Practically speaking, I'm opening up to queries again in mid-January, exact date TBD, so watch this space. Fashion and Design. Kathy Wang So, it's not going to be just about the author. She reads commercial fiction in its many iterations, from mysteries to histories to horror. Grounded, character driven, exquisitely written. A good place to start is Writers Beware, a watch group that helps inform and protect authors Part of HuffPost News. Michelle Brower @michellebrower. 50,000 sales at $6.99 is entirely another. It's really important to actually connect with a reading community, and for self-published authors that's pretty much the best and only way they can get the word out about their book. #mswl Some really, really grounded science fiction would be nice, with a literary bent. Heather Young: THE LAKE CHILDREN is literary women's fiction. Online, you can find her at susannabaird.com and on Twitter @SusannaBaird. Part of HuffPost News. Search for jobs in education, publishing, the arts, and more within our free, frequently updated job listings for writers and poets. Erin Crosby-Eckstine Please use the submission form via theagencys website. She also enjoys contemporary retellings of classic works, particularly by authors from underrepresented and marginalized groups. #MSWL I also want a locked room mystery! Allison Malecha Director of Foreign Rights Literary Agent. Business and Politics. She co-founded Trellis Literary Management in 2021 in order to better serve and support her authors and create an agency with a lasting positive impact in the world of publishing. Swyler shared first-draft pages of Little Twitch, and the two discussed where the book was going, and where else it might go. For more information about her wishlist and the submission process, please visit trellisliterary.com. Also, if this exists, tell me so I can read it. report a missed issue; contact us. Michelle is honored to work with books that have received a variety of accolades, including NY Times Bestsellers, National Book Award finalists, and Read with Jenna, Target, and Barnes and Noble book club selections. Michelle Witte - Mansion Street Literary Management | QueryTracker QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? Jeff Kleinman: Photo Courtesy of Folio Literary Management. In the Literary Magazines database youll find editorial policies, submission guidelines, contact informationeverything you need to know before submitting your work to the publications that share your vision for your work. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. I think that that's something in publishing that's not really considered the brand. ): Maggie Shipstead, Lily King, Louise Erdrich, Deesha Philyaw, Kiley Reid, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Kazuo Ishiguro, Yaa Gyasi, Celeste Ng, Jennifer Egan, Shirley Jackson, Ann Patchett, Sarah Waters. Some of those "other reviews" have made a big difference for authors. Research newspapers, magazines, websites, and other publications that consistently publish book reviews using the Review Outlets database, which includes information about publishing schedules, submission guidelines, fees, and more. An agent listing on QueryTracker is not an endorsement or recommendation of that agent by QueryTracker. If an author is doing well, readers will come back whether they are sci-fi, fantasy, or romance. Trellis Literary Management is a boutique agency dedicated to collaboration, creativity, and excellence in literature. Michelle Brower Founding Partner Literary Agent. For example, Darcie Chan had a Kirkus Review that ended up really launching her. Andrew Roe Reviews are intensely important for visibility. #mswl and as always, underrepresented voices. Michelle Brower: Photo Courtesy of Folio Literary Management. DO NOT QUERY THIS AGENT AT THIS TIME: Michelle is not currently accepting unsolicited submissions. What Compels an Agent to Sign an Author? Q&A With Literary Agents Jeff Get the Word Out is a new publicity incubator for debut fiction writers and poets. Founder and Creative Director of PathBinder Publishing and Land and Seascape Photographer, "If a book has 250 reviews with 4 and 5 stars, and 70,000 in sales, this author has a lot of promise." Big ideas wanted! I was able to speak with literary agents from top agencies such as Janklow & Nesbit, Trident Media, Anderson Lit, and Folio. She has a career, but being a novelist is what she always wanted to do, and now we are making it happen. Find a home for your poems, stories, essays, and reviews by researching the publications vetted by our editorial staff. Im less interested in historical fiction, short story collections, YA, and memoir, but will of course consider these genres for particularly compelling and dynamic work. I always look at the relationship between the author and their readers. So, although we are willing to work with people, we want to work with people who are ready to be worked with. Find information about venues that host readings and author events, including bookstores, bars, cafes, libraries, literary arts centers, and more. Always verify agent's information before sending your query, and review the agent's website(s) for more up-to-date information. The House Girl by Tara Conklin (William Morrow), Perfect Birds by Michele Young-Stone (Simon & Schuster), The Crows of Kusaka Town by JP Romney (Farrar, Straus Childrens), Helen of Sparta by Amalia Carosella (Amazon Publishing), Trails of the Earth by Mary Mann Hamilton (Little, Brown), The Homing Pigeons by Alex Brunkhorst (Mira), The Atomic Weight of Love by Elizabeth Church (Algonquin), The Home Place by Carrie LaSeur (William Morrow), Things Half In Shadow by Alan Finn (Gallery), The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor (William Morrow), Bourbon Empire: Whiskey and the Story of America by Reid Mitenbuler (Viking). She is looking for book club novels (a commercial idea with a literary execution), literary fiction, literary suspense, genre fiction for a non-genre audience, and upmarket womens fiction. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests database, the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere. Beginning to End is a new series from Spine following a book idea from acquisition to bookshelf. Ultimately, when presenting to a publisher, I provide a cross-section. Heather Webb Stephanie Delman Founding Partner Literary Agent . This literary agent profile is part of a series from ourLiterary Agents Listof the most searched literary agents online. Simply enter your first name and email address in the form to the right and get instant access. Michael Poore Id like to see more underrepresented writers published in all of these spaces, particularly in the crime sector. The other example, which is a very different way of going about landing an agent, occurred while I was working with an author who published her first novel with a major publisher 10 years ago. Elizabeth represents numerous New York Times bestsellers, and both Agatha and Edgar Award winners and nominees. So rock me with your crime fiction and suspense, your genre bending reads, and your love stories. Find details about every creative writing competitionincluding poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and morethat weve published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. View the contents and read select essays, articles, interviews, and profiles from the current issue of the award-winning Poets & Writers Magazine. Facebook gives people the power. Memoir/Inspirational L. Subramani What stands out in a new novel? Danya Kukafka, Agent, Trellis Literary Management. It didn't do very well and her agent has since left the industry. Michelle Brower. View the complete profile for Michelle Brower Literary Agentand every other book agent in our, Author Success Story: Nonfiction/Narrative Nonfiction, Literary Agents List Most Searched Book Agents, [Click here to see all Mark Malatesta reviews]. Her writing has appeared in a variety of publications, including Boston Magazine, BANG!, Failbetter, and Publishers Weekly. she/her. The original title was Little Twitch. Michelle Brower Literary Agent Book Agents List. Jamey Bradbury Little Twitch will be published in Spring 2019. 2022 Aevitas Creative Management. Reviews are important because they affect visibility in the Amazon system. ", As Little Twitch neared its final form, Brower set to work seeking publishers. Or "I hoped you wouldn't notice." Michelle Brower has spent over fifteen years as an agent, first at Wendy Sherman Associates and most recently as a partner at Aevitas Creative Management. Successful Queries: Agent Michelle Brower and 'Breathers' If you are running into one dead end after another, not sure which way to turn, Poets & Writers can demystify the process and help you reach your destinationpublication. Agent Interview with Michelle Brower: On Pitch Sessions, Her Dream I actually think they are really important if you want to grab the attention of an agent because that's mostly how someone would see a book when it pops up higher in rankings. Please enable Cookies and reload the page. "I just gave her my feedback about things I thought were interesting, working or not working. History and Narrative Nonfiction. If the intern likes something, they tell Brower. All of those pieces came together and made me pull it out of the slush pile, read it and decide to offer on it. Michelle Brower, Aevitas Creative Management New York, USA . Q: What compelled you to make offers to the last authors you signed? She approaches every novelher own and her clients with a determination to elevate the technical aspects of the story, to edit thoughtfully and carefully until each book shines. My list has been trending literary over the years and . Obviously, I and others want this right now (also, I'll take your reading recs if you have them!). Jessica George That is something any author should be thinking about as they write because in order to have a loyal fan base, you need to make a character who is strong, quirky, and interesting enough to support multiple books. If you thought the worst a penguin could do is make you feel guilty about global warning, think again. Then I read their book, and I can see where I can actually be of help to that author. I would want to hear from them when they are ready to show something.". Ill be in touch with information about my new book, event appearances, and more. Aline Ohanesian One author I signed earlier this year came through my slush pile. 50,000 sales at $3.99 is another. Working with her has Thank you! By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Often she'll reach out to a writer and they're not ready with a manuscript. #mswl is on! Stay informed with reports from the world of writing contests, including news of extended deadlines, recent winners of notable awards, new contest announcements, interviews with winners, and more. My list has been trending literary over the years and I'd like to bring in a little balance. Vanessa Chan For our first "season," we're honing in on Light from Other Stars, about a young astronaut hopeful and an invention that alters time.The novel is author Erika Swyler's second, following her much-lauded 2015 debut, The Book of Speculation. She is now a founding partner of Trellis Literary Management, which was established in 2021. Interviews with this agent from across the web. I want it rich and dark and deep, definitely not a cozy, but maybe a cozy dressed up for a really special occasion. Ultimately, an author needs to submit the best manuscript they can possibly deliver. Zeyn Joukhadar For our first "season," we're honing in on Light from Other Stars, about a young astronaut hopeful and an invention that alters time. Read select articles from the award-winning magazine and consult the most comprehensive listing of literary grants and awards, deadlines, and prizewinners available in print. Why? Here are a few of the books I wish I could represent: My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, Department of Speculation by Jenny Offill, Into the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado, Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, The Third Rainbow Girl by Emma Copley Eisenberg, The Fact of a Body by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich. 50,000 sales at $.99 is one thing. Join Facebook to connect with Michelle Brower and others you may know. Childrens/YA L. Moe. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Book signed, Brower is stepping back so editor Beresford and Swyler can finesse the manuscript. Michelle Brower Literary Agent Biography. Michele Young-Stone Erin Swan Her primary interests include literary fiction, women's fiction, historical fiction, romance, mystery/suspense, and memoir, along with narrative non-fiction, history and current affairs. Something about it drew me to it," Brower said. Jamila Gleason Colleen McKeegan Manuel Aragon Whether youre pursuing the publication of your first book or your fifth, use the Small Presses database to research potential publishers, including submission guidelines, tips from the editors, contact information, and more. She co-founded Trellis Literary Management in 2021 in order to better serve and support her authors and create an agency with a lasting positive impact in the world of publishing. In this Part III of the series from my interview with literary agents Jeff Kleinman and Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management; they continue to shed light on the industry by discussing what compels them to sign an author and how willing they are to edit. In addition to posting the actual query letter, we will also get to hear thoughts from the agent as to why the letter worked. Author: Elia Anie. In this Part III of the series from my interview with literary agents Jeff Kleinman and Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management; they continue to shed light on the industry by discussing what compels them to sign an author and how willing they are to edit. Zaina Arafat Working out of Aevitas Creative Management's New York office, Brower handles every aspect of the business track of a book's journey, from contract negotiations with domestic publishers to foreign and film sales. Completing the CAPTCHA proves you are a human and gives you temporary access to this website. Poets & Writers Live is an initiative developed in response to interviews and discussions with writers from all over the country. She reads literary fiction. Tsering Lama Read interviews with authors who have signed with this agent. She's tackling things such as foreign sales and film sales. At Trellis Literary Management, she works closely alongside Michelle Brower. View the profiles of people named Michelle Brower. Jason Mott Keziah Weir I would love, LOVE, to work with a female veteran who is writing the Great American War Novel, where women and their lives are centered instead of on the periphery. I find books in different ways, by different avenues.". #agentdreams #pubtip. The Agent Danya Kukafka David Heska Wanbli Weiden Related: Spine Podcast, Interview with Erika Swyler. Also on my #mswl, I want some really good commercial fiction. She is particularly drawn to accessible voices with a literary sensibility, in the vein of Ann Patchett and Zadie Smith, especially when they let her in on a subculture or historical truth she's never encountered before. . Find a home for your work by consulting our searchable databases of writing contests, literary magazines, small presses, literary agents, and more. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. It's so strange. So rock me with your crime fiction and suspense, your genre bending reads, and your love stories. Whether you are looking to meet up with fellow writers, agents, and editors, or trying to find the perfect environment to fuel your writing practice, the Conferences & Residencies is the essential resource for information about well over three hundred writing conferences, writers residencies, and literary festivals around the world. Michelle picked my novel out of the slush pile one snowy afternoon, and changed the course of my life. Her authors have received recognition from the Whiting Awards, the Rona Jaffe Foundation, MacDowell, the Steinbeck Fellow Program, the Sewanee Writers Conference as well as from many other organizations. "Berkley Books recently published my book in hardcover after Mark helped me get multiple agents interested in my work. Ultimately, the ranking for us is really not what we are looking at though. Allison Hunter Founding Partner Literary Agent. Michelle Brower Literary Agent is honored to work with authors who have received a variety of accolades, including: National Book Award finalists, NY Times Bestsellers, and Read with Jenna, Target, and Barnes and Noble book club selections. Learn more about this program, our special events, projects, and supporters, and how to contact us. Originally from New Jersey, she now lives in Seattle with her family. For example, I was reading a revised version of a novel, and while reading it I got lightheaded, my fingers went numb, and I was hyperventilating! Establish new connections and enjoy the company of your peers using our searchable databases of MFA programs and writers retreats, apply to be included in our directory of writers, and more. This series, in the words of the agents themselves, seeks to find out. Dominica Phetteplace Brower doesn't believe pressuring them will yield the best result, and so she simply stays in touch. Natalie Lima Soon, Swyler signed on with Brower, and the book sold. Michelle Brower of Aevitas represents Swyler; Bloomsbury will publish Little Twitch next year. Meet the agents and team members who make our work possible. Since our founding in 1970, Poets & Writers has served as an information clearinghouse of all matters related to writing. This new series is called "Successful Queries" and I'm posting actual query letters that succeeded in getting writers signed with agents. We offered two kinds of services to potential clients: LITERARY REPRESENTATION. Find information about how Poets & Writers provides support to hundreds of writers participating in literary readings and conducting writing workshops. Michelle: I have two very different examples of authors who came to me, and they are both really great in their own ways. Start, renew, or give a subscription to Poets & Writers Magazine; change your address; check your account; pay your bill; By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Michelle Brower, Literary Agent | Duotrope By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. I know, I know, "literary" and "happy ending" don't seem like they go together, but hey, that's the challenge here! Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter. Michelle: It definitely depends on genre because an author would need more romance sales to actually impress an editor in that market; whereas in women's fiction, historical fiction, or literary fiction, an author doesn't need quite as many sales. "I only want to look at material a writer feels strongly about, feels proud of," she said. 1. Another #MSWL: something generally uplifting, that makes me believe that humans can sometimes be good. View the covers and contents of every issue of Poets & Writers Magazine, from the current edition all the way back to the first black-and-white issue in 1987. Scroll below to learn more and see how you can submit your book to Michelle Brower for representation. Why do I have to complete a CAPTCHA? Before contacting an agent, authors should verify and assess the agent's requirements and suitability by visiting the agent's website (s), and becoming familiar with ways to spot and avoid bad agents. Michelle Brower has spent over fifteen years as an agent, first at Wendy Sherman Associates and most recently as a partner at Aevitas Creative Management. Having connections is better than a platform because, honestly, when one of my authors recommends a friend who's in their writing group, I pay attention, even if they're not always for me. Heather Young. Themes of parents/children and the passage of time more than usual, I think, given changes in my personal life. @michellebrower. There are a lot of Indie authors who want to stay Indie. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Michelle Brower on Twitter She loves reading books, she loves editing books, she loves the people who write them. Michelle is honored to work with books that have received a . Diane Les Becquets I am fortunate to be working with Michelle Brower, formerly of Folio Literary Management but now at Zachary Shuster Harmsworth. Elise Hooper Michelle Brower Literary Agent began her agenting career at Wendy Sherman Associates, and was with the agency for 15 years, after graduating from New York University with a MA in American and British Literature. Brittany Bronson I cross-reference those two numbers to calculate about how many sales a publisher would be able to reasonably expect.
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michelle brower agent interview 2023