A couple of years ago, I analyzed a six twelve-month set of sales data made available to Publishers Marketplace subscribers and found that editors who acquired literary fiction were doing business with many different agents. The statistics assured me that editors are judging submitted manuscripts on the stories’ and the authors’ merits. They aren’t simply screening out anything that isn’t represented by a big agency, which is fortunate for my clients and me, because my agency is tiny.

The editors with whom I’ve spoken and corresponded, from the largest trade book publisher to the smallest, have been unfailingly courteous. I’ve asked a few whether it matters to them where a literary agency is located, and not one has given any indication that geographical location is of any consequence to them these days. Of course, a Manhattan agency’s address signifies prestige to some authors, and that will continue to influence who approaches me regarding representation. But times are changing.

Over the weekend, I was looking through the Pushcart Prize XXXVI anthology and thinking of Cliff Garstang’s literary magazine rankings, which he bases on where the annual Pushcart prizewinning stories originally appeared. My clients appreciate Garstang’s work sorting out the top literary magazines.

Authors typically submit their short stories, essays, and poetry to literary magazines on their own. I talk to my clients about litmag submissions. I don’t handle the submissions for them, except in rare circumstances. It’s probably safe to say that’s the norm.

Nevertheless, I was curious about which literary agents represent the authors of the most recent Pushcart prizewinning fiction and essays. A list might denote the agents’ taste and choice of clientele, nothing more.

I was able to identify agents for less than a third of the authors whose stories and essays were selected for the anthology, which seems logical. Poetry constitutes a good portion of the winners, and most poets don’t have or require literary agents, unless they also write nonfiction books or novels. Writers sometimes use pseudonyms for their more commercial work, which could make it a challenge to associate the writers with their agents. And some of the authors of the Pushcart prizewinning stories might not have completed a book-length work yet. For a variety of reasons, I wouldn’t expect all of the writers to be represented by agents or for the agents’ identities to be discoverable.

It’s impossible to be certain if the author-agent business relationship is current in each instance, but the list is still interesting to me. I’m pleased to be in such good company. As far as I can tell, these are the agents whose clients’ work appears in the latest Pushcart Prize anthology. The accomplishment belongs entirely to the writers. We’re fortunate to work with such talented clients. (I haven’t listed the authors, just in case any of the information is out of date, but if you want the list, I’ll email it to you.)

Jin Auh & The Wylie Agency (three authors)
Charlie Campbell
Nina Collins
Elaine Devlin
Anthony Goff
Jill Grinberg
Esmond Harmsworth
Ellen Levine
Gloria Loomis
Robin Mizell
Zoe Pagnamenta
Denise Shannon (two authors)
Geri Thoma
Amanda Urban
Stephanie von Hirschberg

If you happen to know of any agents I missed, please let me know, and I’ll add them.

When I read aspiring authors’ blogs and the questions they post on sites devoted to providing step-by-step instructions for getting published, it sometimes seems as though writers view obtaining representation by an agent—rather than connecting readers with their books—as their final goal. Am I mistaken, or is there a widespread assumption that there’s no work left for the writer to do after an agent accepts the job of finding a publisher for the writer’s work?

Maybe this notion originates from the fact that there are dead writers whose titles sell very well, thank you, without any effort from the authors. Or maybe it’s wishful thinking, because completing a manuscript that’s brilliant enough to attract an agent’s attention can require of the writer a decade of hard work. Or maybe it’s human nature to want to kick back and watch someone else take over the job whenever possible.

There’s a species of micromanaging author, however, that recognizes the need to be constantly concerned with the business of his or her career. The word micromanage has the wrong connotation, but I prefer to work with writers who remain closely involved in the process of publishing, marketing, and promoting their books. When authors demonstrate that they care, then publishers, designers, publicists, booksellers, librarians, and readers respond by caring. That makes me happy.

Working with a literary agent involves real effort. Collaboration. Teamwork. It’s not the winning outcome of the writer’s game. It’s more like halftime.

In her debut novel, Mini Nair describes the determination of four women to overcome the religious tensions between Hindus and Muslims that result in rioting and terrorism in India. In a recent review of The Fourth Passenger, John Michael Overman explains, “the soul of this book is not entirely in its gender complexity, but more so in its consuming conflict that threatens the stability of Mumbai.”

On January 25 26, 2012, Mini Nair will talk about her novel at the evening’s Open Door event at Dar Al Adaab (House of Literature), the new home of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in Dubai.

Dar Al Adaab is situated in evocative Bastakiya, the historic center of Dubai. For additional information about the event venue, follow the literature festival’s Facebook page or see the news video coverage of Dar Al Adaab’s grand opening. You’ll want to go.
 

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Simon

The other relevant statistic is the number of contacts with writers that led me to ask for the opportunity to read those 14 full manuscripts. All told, there were 300 contacts—in the form of queries submitted to my agency, pitches at writers’ conferences that inspired me to ask for queries or manuscripts, my inquiries sent to writers whose work I admired, and referrals from authors and publishers.

Let me break it down to make it easier to visualize:

• 300 writers asked me, or were asked if they’d like me, to consider their work
• 14 (4.66%) of those writers were invited to send me their full manuscripts
• 1 (0.33%) then became my client

As it turns out, the numbers change from year to year, because I don’t always solicit queries continuously from January through December, yet the percentages remain roughly the same. In 2009, the bottom line was 0.5%. In 2010, it was 0.36%. In 2011, it was 0.33%. There’s some logic apparent.

There might also be a bit of hidden logic, though I hope I don’t live to regret the suggestion. It appears that after I’ve been working with a client for a year or two, it becomes more profitable to invest my time in that client’s career (licensing subsidiary rights, coaching on marketing and self-promotion, etc.) than it would be for me to spend the same amount of time searching for a new client to add to my agency’s roster. However, there’s a catch. This particular cost-benefit analysis holds true only if the existing clients happen to be as talented and productive as mine are!

Which brings the logic back around, full circle, to the reason my clients are, shall we say, the less than one percent.

(OK, I just couldn’t resist.)

If you’re a creative writer (age 16 or older) who doesn’t belong to a critique group, let me recommend LadiesWhoCritique.com. It’s a straightforward group with a generous attitude, and they have plans to work with gentlemen who critique before long.

 

Obtaining unbiased feedback on their manuscripts is the step aspiring authors skip more often than any other crucial phase of their career development. I’m more likely to encounter a writer with an online platform than one who has obtained forthright criticism and then revised his or her work before contacting me about representation.

This week, and again in January, I’ll be answering a few questions from members of LadiesWhoCritique.com who want to know more about working with a literary agent. Take a look at their blog and add your comments.

If you don’t happen to find the perfect critique partner for your subgenre over in Laura’s forum, then you can always check the list of online critique groups here at Treated & Released. No excuses. It’s a sensible new year’s resolution for a serious writer.

Photograph: National Postal Museum

If you’re all about being in style, just go away. Don’t watch these videos. Don’t click through, and don’t read on.

Invitation to World Literature

“The passionate loves and longings,
hopes and fears of every culture
live on forever in their stories.”

The Epic of Gilgamesh
Sumerian, 2600 BCE and older

My Name Is Red
Turkish, Orhan Pamuk, 1998

The Odyssey
Greek, circa 8th century BCE

The Bacchæ
Greek, Euripides, 405 BCE

The Bhagavad Gita
Sanskrit, 1st century CE

The Tale of Genji
Japanese, Murasaki Shikibu, circa 1014

Journey to the West
Chinese, Wu Ch’êng-ên, circa 1580

Popul Vuh
Quiché-Mayan, circa 1550s

Candide
French, Voltaire, 1759

Things Fall Apart
English, Chinua Achebe, 1959

One Hundred Years of Solitude
Spanish, Gabriel García Márquez, 1967

The God of Small Things
English, Arundhati Roy, 1998

The Thousand and One Nights
Arabic, circa 14th century

Illustration: Kay Nielsen

Invitation to World Literature was funded by Annenberg Media, which offers resources for the professional development of K-12 teachers in the United States. The website is a companion to the television series produced by WGBH Boston.

Thanks to Project Gutenberg’s Facebook page for sharing this and many other links to the best of the web.

To get the free NYC City Guide from iTunes, download the Lonely Planet Travel Guides app, if you don’t already have it. Open the app, find the NYC City Guide in the menu, and install it.

The City Guides from Lonely Planet include maps you can view on your phone while it’s offline. If you’re a foreign visitor to New York, you won’t need to use your international roaming data plan to get un-lost.

Thanks, Lonely Planet!

Guest blogger:
.
Christina Katz
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Attract book buyers

According to author, journalist, and speaker Kevin Smokler, there are only five reasons people buy books. I’ve added a couple more.

The reader is drawn to the subject matter

This means the reader needs the book or wants the book or feels a connection to the book based on the subject matter. If you want to renovate your own home, you purchase a book that breaks it down into manageable steps. If you are a huge baseball fan, you might pick up either a baseball biography or a fictional tale with a baseball story.

The book was recommended to the reader via word of mouth

Whole cultures have been built around reading and readers in the past ten years, and because they are online, they are international. So now you can garner book recommendations, not only from your friends, but also from a wider context of referrals.

The reader heard about the book through major media

Major media is still a major player in influencing the books we buy. Think about it: You may not purchase a book just because a friend recommends it, but if you also see a cover section story on the book in your daily newspaper, you might decide to buy.

The reader is already a fan of the book

If you follow and enjoy a particular author, you are quite likely to buy the next book and the next and the next. It’s possible for readers to lose faith in a favorite author, but assuming he does not let you down, you will continue to buy what he writes.

The book is short

In a digital age where life is increasingly hectic and free time is at a premium, you might read something by an author you never heard of—even if you are not drawn to the subject matter and the book wasn’t recommended to you—if the book is short.

You trust the author/imprint

If you like writing books, and you trust Writer’s Digest, you are more likely to purchase a book by Writer’s Digest than another type of writing book because you expect a certain level of quality and comprehension.

Dirt cheap

Another reason people buy in these tight economic times is price. The risk of buying a book for a buck or two is a lot less than buying a book for ten or twenty bucks. Admit it. You have always loved a bargain and you always will.

What makes you pay hard, cold cash for a book?
 

Over the past decade, Christina Katz has been a gentle taskmaster to hundreds of writers. Her students go from unpublished to published, build professional writing career skills, and increase their creative confidence over time.

Christina’s newest book for writers is The Writer’s Workout (Writer’s Digest, 2011). You can find out more about her at ChristinaKatz.com.

Become memorable

Memorable means you are unforgettable. Memorable means you make an indelible impression on others. Memorable means there is something remarkable about you. Memorable means that you operate from excellence.

When we apply the concept of memorable to writers, what does it look like?

It looks like a writer who cares, not only about herself but about delivering value to others regardless of what kind of value we’re talking about.

It looks like a writer who is nimble, one who can juggle multiple tasks, like writing the next book and the demands of his personal life, with a rigorous appearance or promotion schedule.

It looks like a writer who took the time to write a great book.

In a Writer’s Digest article that I wrote about self-promotion for fiction writers, every single writer I polled said that quality writing was still the most important thing.

It looks like something about you that others want to share. Something makes you a standout. It can be anything, but it has to be something that gets others talking about you.

What do you think makes writers memorable? What makes a writer memorable to you? Think of a writer you admire. Then jot down ten reasons why that writer is so memorable for you. What is that special ingredient? Then ask what it’s going to be for you.

Christina Katz is the author of The Writer’s Workout (Writer’s Digest, 2011). She holds an MFA in creative writing from Columbia College Chicago and a BA in English from Dartmouth College. A popular speaker on creative career growth, Christina presents for writing conferences, literary events, MFA writing programs, and libraries. She is the creator and host of the Northwest Author Series in Wilsonville, Oregon, where she lives with her husband, her daughter, and far too many pets.