Corvisiero Literary Agency (Agents) (Submissions) Curtis Brown LTD (Agents) (Submissions) David Higham Associates (Agents) (Submissions) A UK agency. Kirsten Hall is President of Catbird, a boutique childrens literary and illustration agency. She is particularly interested in illustrators from diverse backgrounds and portfolios that depict diverse characters and experiences. We spend a good amount of time bouncing ideas off of each other and sharing good and bad news. We spend a good amount of time bouncing ideas off of each other and sharing good and bad news. In some cases the text and art may be developing simultaneously off of one another. Kirsten opened Catbirds wings in March 2014. Even if you get the book deal on your own, a complicated contract is sure to follow, and hopefully an ongoing business relationship has only just begun. Ive learned how important it is to review our individual clients wants and needs. Youre about to sign with an agent. Susan's submission email is: susanhawk.submission@gmail.com. This is probably less often the case once a project reaches the publisher. . A Montreal-based boutique production company, we specialize in award-winning, beautifully-crafted and enduring POV documentaries for Canadian and international audiences. Listen to podcasts. Repeat. Its all right. Before we see illustration samples or book pitches, we know that the agent has worked hard to make sure their clients best foot is forward. As soon as you register youll get instant access to the following: * Agent bios for all agents atCatbird Productions Nonfiction/Business D. Hamme Before you submit: Read their guidelines. Simply click this linkand complete the subscription form. Contact US The CAT Agency Manuscripts sent to them will be discarded unread. Catbird Agency Website: catbirdagency.com/ Twitter: HallWaysKirsten AAR/AALA Member: No Accepts Queries Via. Book Agent Submissions Layered, flawed, completely human characters. Dont send your work to all of them at once. Once a book is sold, authors and illustrators will be presenting themselves to publishers, booksellers, librarians, and others as a professional. Fiction/Christian K. Sargent Do your clients have more contact with one another than they would if this were set up by a publisher? You dont have their undivided attention. Childrens/YA C. Plum-Ucci Its so truein the past month alone weve had some particularly exciting pairings between Stimola and Catbird! Regardless,I like to seek out three main strengths any time I review a portfolio: storytelling ability, consistency, and confidence. Read comments by other authors who have queried the same agents you have. I signed with Stephanie Tade who got me a 6-figure book deal with Penguin Books, which published my book in hardcover! Your work has been submitted! *Personal email addresses They told me they were going to focus on getting me into the industry I love: childrens books. The Bright Agency. An agent once said to me, If you think having an agent doesnt give you a distinct advantage, youre crazy. It depends on the agent and the artist, but I tend to agree with her. Rest assured, there are far,far fewer of these agents out there. Kirsten:Its true, I love to co-agent, and I do it regularly with agents at several different agencies. Erica Rand Silverman is a Senior Agent at Stimola Literary Studio, a full service literary agency devoted to representing authors and author/illustrators who bring unique and substantive contributions to the childrens book industry. Hall is Catbird Productions' sole proprietor. AAR members must meet the highest standards and canon of ethics. The irony is that by doing it yourself, by finding some amount of success on your own, you become more attractive to . If your submission is received by our system, an automated response will be emailed to you. Copyright 2023 D. B. Righi. She currently has around 45 clients with little room for more, as she thinks 50 clients is the ideal number. Theyre the coach. Aliza R. Hoover: represents illustrators and author-illustrators. She likens her agency, which specializes in picture books, to a creative playground. In this way we made a really exciting match for a to-be-announced Jory John and K-Fai Steele project. Some of her favorite non-client books in this category are: A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti, Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai, Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, Chime by Franny Billingsley, Swing by Kwame Alexander, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly, Still Life With Tornado by A.S.King, The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor, When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. Ask questions. For off-site access, click here. Warning: This site requires javascript, but it appears that your browser David Higham Associates (Agents)(Submissions)A UK agency. If you rely on those directories to find literary agents at Catbird Productions, youre going to hurt your chances of getting an agent to represent you. Notes/Tips: Our agency does not represent poetry or screenplays. Kirsten HallLiterary Agent represents the followingbook genres: Scroll below now to view representative titlesand a complete profile for Kirsten HallFREE in ourBookAgents Directory. Deborah Harris Agency (Agents) (Submissions), D4EO Literary Agency (Agents & Submissions), Dunham Literary, Inc. (Jennie Dunham)(Submissions), Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency (Agents) (Submissions), Dystel, Goderich, & Bourrett LLC (Agents) (Submissions)(Nonfiction Submission Guidelines), Einstein Literary Management (Agents) (Submissions), Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency (Agents) (Submissions). LiteraryAgents.com An online list of agents who represent all genres (not just picture books). How to Find a Book Agent Nonfiction/Self-Help A. Goddard When looking for the first time at an artists portfolio, I like to see a cross section of their work. All rights reserved. Were a tight-knit community! You submit all this via email. Most of the time, Im working with my clients to develop their own dummies or texts to sell directly to a publisher or Ro and I are looking within the studio for an illustrator match to a pre-existing text. No, its not. All agents should share the ability to reasonably negotiate contracts. Join thousands of other subscribers today by enteringyour first name and email address. Submit to five. Right now, Brenda is not accepting picture book manuscript submissions, but she is looking for adult historical fiction. Ive been in publishing for over a decade. Other times, well sell texts to publishers first and then when it comes time for illustrators, if there isnt someone on our list who we think is right to recommend, our next step will be to look at each others lists, or those of other agent friends. Kirsten Hall | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster They will try to respond within a month. Im reminded of my father-in-law, who spends three hours fixing a leak instead of calling a plumber who could do it in one. Theyre traveling. You can unsubscribe easily at any time we dont spam. To set up immediate access, click here. For adult fiction, Danielle is seeking upmarket commercial fiction and literary fiction. For middle grade and YA: She is actively seeking fresh young adult and middle grade fiction across all genres. Co-agenting is Ericas and my way of trying to be as proactive as we can for our clients. Each provides exact submission information (an email address or an online submission portal). We share with one another,we lean on each other. Catbird | bird | Britannica Danielle is actively seeking projects in a variety of categories. Anna Olswanger has been a literary agent since 2005. Books that tell the stories of people, places, and cultures that have been overlooked and ignored for too long are at the top of her list. And sometime between crying, I offered Jessixa representation. Memoir/Inspirational L. Subramani Follow agents on social media. But the absolute wrong thing to do is blindly sign an agreement. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Memoir/Family/Identity S. Foti Need an author or illustrator? She has incredible vision and is very brave. Today, the tools that art directors use to find illustrators are too numerous to list. Again, I digress.). I work alone and basically love knocking on other agents doors and asking them to come out and play! Author/illustrators: NBPlease include a link to your online portfolio and/or to your downloadable dummy. Provide URLs to your author website and social media that supports your efforts to brand yourself. . Home Book Agents Literary Agent Kirsten Hall Catbird Productions. Get free access to the Directory of Literary Agents with detailed agent listings to get a traditional publisher, Copyright 2011-23 The Bestselling Author, LLC. Maybe the hardest method, but people do talk . You still need to work hard, improve your craft, increase your self-awareness. Once you sign with an agent, you dont just sit back and wait for the jobs to roll in. Nonfiction/Environment J. Biemer Authors pen manuscripts, artists are creators, agents have insight and continued relationships, editors and art directors have the vision. Its important to get a sense that a potential client will take that approach. (Her rst bookBunny, Bunnywas published when she was in 7th grade. Theyre defending. It was after the 2013 SCBWI NY conference. Ive learned how important it is to review our individual clients wants and needs before offers start to come in. Do not submit a full-length manuscript or proposal unless requested. Yes, you pay agents a fee, and that fee could be fairly substantial, depending on the agent. Look at the length of the agreement. They open doors to opportunities. Finding a literary agent for children's books is easy using our literary agency database. He also co-owned Cooke International, an . Submission Guidelines: Hello! Experience. Thank you for submitting your work! 38.4k Followers, 0 Following, 1,895 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Catbird Agency (@catbirdagencypix) Publishers really enjoy being in control when it comes to matching a text to an illustrator (its an extremely fun (!) Otherwise, please consider submitting to one of my wonderful colleagues at ABLA. These cookies do not store any personal information. Read their interviews. ), etc. Sts ID Perm Fac. Well navigate the waters together. I always advise illustrators who are just starting out to identify what they can and/or want to do, and outsource the rest. Literary Agents for Children's Books 2023-2024 - Use our free List of Literary Agents to find children's literary agents accepting submissions for fiction and nonfiction: young adult book agents (YA), middle grade book agents (MG), picture book agents, and chapter book agents. By the end of this post, you may finally have the answer to: Do I need an agent?. Having someone on your side who can not only advocate for better terms (and knows what the industry standards are) but also navigate all the legalese with you is key, especially if youre not well-versed. Memoir/Multicultural N. Aronheim We dont take any pleasure in having to pass on your work or give you difficult news. We have similar agenting styles, and even more importantly both value our relationship. In each case, they pointed out issues in my work that I knew were there but refused to recognize. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. When Should You Get An Agent? Only looking for author/illustrators (one individual). But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. But were also different from one another; we shine in different ways. They are the busiest bees in the hive. They're Skyping. She is not considering the following adult categories: romance, political thriller, science fiction, horror, or erotica. Erica:We have to make sure that the risk and expectations are clear for all involved. Once that commission has been accepted, the ball is then in motion. Bright Agency (Agents)(Submissions)A UK / USA agency. Fiction/Mystery B. Harper catbird seat. These letters are just steps on the path. And then submit your picture book query letter and manuscript. I sent them some dummies, some promotional pieces. Your parents, who arent quite sure what you do, certainly know what agents doand that will make them happy. Erica:Its all about matchmaking matching up talent to work together, matching up talent to editors and publishers. Author/Illustrators: email a brief synopsis of your manuscript, along with several accompanying illustrations or samples of your artwork. Queries about books that dont conform, but rather provoke, excite me. "Referred to you by [insert casting director's name]". Literary Agents for Children's Books 2023-2024 | Kids' Book Agents Do you need an agent? (Should you want to learn more first, our Writer's Toolbox has a handful of useful links for writers wanting to improve their craft before seeking publication.). An agent delivers. Memoir/Family/Identity S. Foti I can tell you why I need an agent. But, when it feels right and exciting on our end, we hope that it will be received that way by the publishers. Work is more fun when youre doing it with people you like and respect. Maybe its the prospective client that we missed out on. Susan's submission email is: susanhawk.submission@gmail.com. Twitter. It's what's happening / Twitter Subscribe to The Illustration Department Newsletter, Do I Need An Agent? Others are big box stores. Book Agent Kirsten Hall previously worked as an editorial assistant at Random House (1996-1997). Picture books (as a format) seem simple at first blush, but they are often in fact quite layered and even poetic, displaying an elegant interplay between text and art . The cycle of creating successful titles is like putting on a playeveryone must work to the best of their abilities. And Im stirred by pitches that elicit feelings of sympathy or empathy. If you dont hear from them after a month or so, gently check in. Some of her favorite illustrators include Mike Boldt, Amber Ren, Vashti Harrison, and Eliza Wheeler. I still remember the first time I read Jessixa Bagleys dummy submission. She wants to be surprisedtheres nothing like the feeling that youre reading something entirely new. (Maybe: Is publishing dead or not? Its not dead, but I digress.). If you can, find a contract professional to read it. Maybe not. Playing with each others client lists is a way to stay true to that, to not overcommit in order to see more potentially exciting matching possibilities. In childrens fiction, they primarily accept early readers and chapter books, and perhaps the very rare, exceptional picture book. CookeMcDermid Kirsten:Lets be real, Im always looking for an excuse to hop on the phone or grab lunch with Ericaso working together gives me the perfect excuse! Also send five pages from your manuscript. Theres already much greater access to the publishing house in the illustration world (versus for writers, who often are barred by company policy from submitting their work directly). Maybe its the book that we havent placed yet, but still so strongly believe has a place in the world. How Long to Get An Agent? Writers can search posts for agents compatible with their work. The Catbird Seat Inc - Travelers A word of warning: There is such a thing as a bad agent. This is why its so important to make sure theres a termination clause in your contract. It is my belief that it comes from the onboarding process. When our illustrators arent working up a project of their own, were pitching them to get matched up by publishers. An agent delivers. For an author or illustrator, most of the benefits of having an agent are fairly obvious. Let me give you examples from two of your colleagues: I signed with an agent thinking that they would get me work right away. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Why do I (acting as an author or illustrator) need an agent?Agents wear many important hats. Follow each agents instructions, but remember that they may be different. Your friends will congratulate you. She has incredible vision and is very brave. Catbird Lit | Duotrope It all depends on who you are, and what you want. Her dream project for young readers is one that challenges and inspires, with a compelling voice that will make her stay up all night reading. Submissions & Newsletter | Fuse Literary 2. Kirsten works intimately with her clients to conceive and develop original story pitches. 1) Those that reflect soulfulness and deep consideration. After You Get A Book Agent. For more specifics on what Susan is looking for, including information about genres and categories, please see here and here. Literary Agent List Step 3: Send Out A Lot Of Submissions Before you start using our list of literary agents, it's important you understand that you should approach the process of trying to find and get a literary agent the way agents approach the process of trying to get a publisher. Hall is Catbird Productions sole proprietor. Cherry Weiner Literary Agent - Cherry Weiner Literary Agency What I know when co-agenting with Erica is that no matter what happens well always be good. [Click here to see all Mark Malatesta reviews], Fiction/General J. Jago Fuse Literary never charges reading or submission fees, nor is there a retainer fee for our services. The Chudney Agency (Submissions) Only looking for author/illustrators (one individual). I dont know. Most things are negotiable. Catbird Productions, which will package books for publishers, as well as operate as a boutique literary agency for childrens book author/illustrators, with an emphasis on previously unpublished authors/ illustrators. Kirsten Hall is a former preschool and elementary school teacher who has authored more than a hundred learn-to-read stories for emergent readers. Narrative Nonfiction D. Cohen Prentis Literary (Childrens Fiction) (Agents) (Submissions) In childrens fiction, they primarily accept early readers and chapter books, and perhaps the very rare, exceptional picture book. Tools to help you stay organized and error free. We only get paid when the author gets paid after we sell an authors work. NOTE: If you had a previous PW subscription, click here to reactivate your immediate access. Please put your query and sample in the body of the email. My approach with each client is different based on what they particularly need. Theyre negotiating. Home Book Agencies USA Literary Agencies and Literary Agents Catbird Productions. To submit directly without an agent you need to send them a query letter with a description of your manuscript, how close it is to completion (if it is not yet finished), and a little bit about your writing background.