Agent Scam Alert: How to Protect Yourself From People Pretending to Be Agents

 

Happy Monday Everyone! One of my projects this year is to update the agent spotlights. One thing I have noticed is that there is a warning on many agency websites informing writers that people are impersonating agents at their literary agency. Then Caitlin Blasdell at Liza Dawson Associates Literary Agency mentioned that she and another agent at her agency had been impersonated when she reviewed her agent spotlight for me. She recommended that I warn my followers about this scam. Here’s what you should know not to be scammed.

Warning Signs That You Are the Victim of an Agent Scam

Writers seeking an agent and self-published authors are often the targets of individuals pretending to be a real literary agent. Another scam is pretending to be a literary agent at a fake agency. Here are some warning signs to watch for: 

·       Charging you fees. Some fake literary agents offer to help you obtain a publishing contract but will charge you reading, editing, or other fees before they get you a contract. A legitimate agent will not charge these fees and will only charge a commission, which is paid only if you sign a publishing contract.

·       Contacting you out of the blue. Individuals impersonating agents will contact you out of the blue. The reality is that legitimate literary agents do not have the time or need to search for clients because they are overwhelmed by queries from writers. One way to know the person contacting you is a fake is to check their email address to see if it is a personal rather than an agency email address or research the agency they claim to be from.

·       Claiming a publisher is interested. Some fake agents claim that a publisher is interested in your manuscript and that they will negotiate your contract for an upfront fee.

·       Marketing your book. Scam agents may also promise to get your book into bookstores, get you a spot on a radio or television show, or launch a press release campaign for an expensive fee. Many of their marketing methods may not be effective and are overpriced. In addition, these scammers don’t fulfill their promises.

·       Offering to get you reviews. Another scam that fake agents are promoting is to promise an author that they can get them reviews of their book—for a few hundred dollars each. Legitimate agents would never charge this type of fee.

·       Making unrealistic promises. If an agent’s promises seem too good to be true, they probably are, and it’s a red flag that the person is a scammer.

Five Ways to Protect Yourself From Scammers

You can protect yourself from a fake agent and other publishing scams. Here are five tips you should follow: 

1.     Educate yourself on how the publishing industry works and how literary agents are paid.

2.     Be very skeptical if you are contacted by an agent out of the blue unless an author you know has referred you to an agent.

3.     Do not pay any upfront fees to obtain representation or other services from an agent.

4.     If you are unsure of the identity of the person contacting you, research them thoroughly. Also, do not click on any links in their email.

5.     Keep up-to-date about potential scams by reading Victoria Strauss’ Writer Beware blog and other trusted blogs or other publishing industry publications.

Additional Resources on Agent Scams

Here are the links to articles I read when writing this post and some helpful-looking podcasts on this issue:

https://annerallen.com/2022/08/bogus-agents-scam-warnings-for-writers/

https://writerbeware.blog/2022/07/29/metamorphosis-and-impersonation-a-new-front-for-an-old-scam/

https://writerunboxed.com/2022/02/25/out-of-the-blue-too-good-to-be-true-beware-soliciation-scams/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvQEwEmoCdw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDg0Kt1xIzc

Have been contacted by someone pretending to be an agent? Do you have other tips on how to avoid being scammed? Share your advice in the comments.

Upcoming Interviews and Guest Posts

Saturday, April 1 I’m participating in the Honey Bunny Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, April 5 I have an interview with debut author Lauren Thoman with a giveaway of her YA mystery I’ll Stop the World and my IWSG post

Thursday, April 6 I’m participating in the Dancing in the Rain Giveaway Hop

Monday, April 10 I have an interview with debut author Meg Eden Kuyatt and a giveaway of her MG contemporary Good Different

Wednesday, April 12 I have an agent spotlight interview with Roma Panganiban and a query critique giveaway

Monday, April 17 I have a guest post by debut author Justine Pucella Winans and a giveaway of her YA thriller Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything

Monday, April 24 I have an agent spotlight interview with Jennifer Chen Tran and a query critique giveaway

Hope to see you on Saturday!

 

BIG AGENT SPOTLIGHT NEWS!

Happy Wednesday Everyone! It's my birthday today! And I'm very happy to celebrate by announcing that all agent spotlights and interviews have been updated for the first time in Literary Rambles' history. I'm SO excited!

I've wanted to update the agent spotlights for years. One of the silver linings of having to stay home due to the pandemic is that I started updating all the agent spotlights and agent spotlight interviews in April and recently finished updating all 175 of  them. It's made me feel good to do something to help writers in the safety of my home.

Many agents reviewed and corrected their information. You will be able to tell which agents reviewed theirs in the Profile Details at the bottom of the spotlights and interviews.

Going forward, I'm planning to try to update the spotlights for agents that switch agencies or start their own agency when this happens. I'm going to review and update all of the spotlights on a three-year schedule, which means they will be updated again in 2023.

Three Ways You Can Help Me

I'm hoping that everyone who uses these spotlights will find them more helpful now that they are up-to-date. Here's three ways you can help me:

• Share on your social media sites that these agent spotlights have been updated so other writers know that they will helpful in their agent search and ask your followers to spread the word.
• Be sure to let me know of any changes to the agent spotlights by leaving a comment on their post or emailing me at natalieiaguirre7@gmail.com.
• Support the debut authors that I feature by reading their posts, leaving a comment, and spreading the word about their book or ARC giveaway contest. In these challenging times, debut authors need our help more than ever to spread the word about their book releases. 

Thanks so much for helping me! I really appreciate it.

And you can see all the agent spotlight interviews and author/agent guest posts that are scheduled at the top of the blog. These are great opportunities for you to have direct contact with an agent and get feedback on your query letter. You don't have to want to query the agent or have a submission in the genres that they are looking for to enter the contest.

Here's what's coming up:

Monday, July 20th, I have an interview with Jess Redman and a giveaway of her MG contemporary Quintessence

Wednesday, July 22nd, Angela Ackerman of Writers Helping Writers will be here to celebrate the release of THE OCCUPATION THESAURUS written by Becca Puglisi and her with a big giveaway  

Monday, July 27th I have an interview with Olivia Wildenstein and a giveaway of her YA romance Not Another Love Song

Wednesday, August 6th I have an interview with debut author Sasha Laurens and a giveaway of her YA fantasy A Wicked Magic and my IWSG post

Monday, August 10th I have an interview with debut author Chris Negron and a giveaway of his MG contemporary Unmasked

Monday, August 17th I have an interview with debut author KayLynn Flanders and a giveaway of her YA fantasy Shielded

Monday,  August 24th I have an agent spotlight interview with Veronica Park and a query critique giveaway

Hope to see you on Monday!

AGENT ALERT: SEE WHAT EMILY VAN BEEK IS ACTIVELY SEEKING NOW!

Happy Wednesday Everyone! I want to let you know about a great opportunity to submit to Emily van Beek at Folio Jr. Here is what she has to say about what she is actively looking for right now:

"*I need your help. If you know me, you know I'm not great at taking breaks. I'm ACTIVELY building my list right now. If you have stellar, fun, expansive, bright, fantastical, joyful, adventurous middle grade hiding somewhere, PLEASE query me. Tell your friends! Crow it from the rooftops! I'm standing by with my reading glasses on! The time is now! emily@foliolitmanagement.com* (via email)

You can find out what else Emily is looking for by reading her updated agent spotlight. And help her out by sharing this post on your social media sites. Thanks so much! Emily and I appreciate it.

 Here's what's coming up:

Monday, June 15th I have a guest post by MG and picture book author Elaine Kaye and a giveaway of three of her picture books

Wednesday, June 17th I have an agent spotlight interview with Kristina Perez and a query critique giveaway

Monday, June 22nd I have an interview with author Niki Lenz and a giveaway of her MG humorous contemporary THE STEPMOM SHAKEUP

Wednesday, July 1st I have Chrys Fey here with a guest post and an e-book giveaway of one of her books

Hope to see you on Monday!

UPDATE ON MOLLY O'NEILL AGENT SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW

Happy Monday Everyone! I'm sorry not to have an agent spotlight interview with Molly O'Neill today. But I do have an update on her status. She recently left Waxman Literary as of October 1, 2017 and is now at Root Literary. She is not open to submissions for a bit while she gets her clients settled into her new agency. We have reset her interview for January 22, 2018 when she should be open to submissions again.

I am also working hard to update the agent spotlights and have updated them through Laura Bradford. Many of the agents have reviewed and made corrections to their spotlights. I know that I have a lot more to update, and I am trying to make more of an effort to get to them.

Here's what's coming up:

Monday, October 30th I have an agent spotlight interview and query critique giveaway with agent Quressa Robinson

Wednesday, November 1st I have a guest post by author Dusti Bowling and a giveaway of her MG contemporary INSIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF A CACTUS, and my IWSG post

Monday, November 6th I have an interview with debut author Jodi Kendall and a giveaway of her MG contemporary THE UNLIKELY STORY OF A PIG IN THE CITY

Monday, November 13th I have an interview with debut author Heather Kaczynski and a giveaway of her YA science fiction DARE MIGHTY THINGS

Tuesday, November 14th I am participating in the Gratitude Giveaway Hop

Hope to see you on Monday!

JILL CORCORAN ON A PATH TO PUBLISHING INTERACTION ONLINE WORKSHOPS AND GIVEAWAY

Today I’m thrilled to have Jill Corcoran here to share about her new A Path to Publishing online interactive workshops. Jill is an agent at Herman Agency and represents primarily middle grade and YA authors as well as select chapter book and picture book authors.

She is also the anthologist of DARE TO DREAM…CHANGE THE WORLD, Kane Miller Books, winner of the 2013 International Reading Association 2013 Notable Books for a Global Society Award as well as a 2013 California Reading Association’s Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Honor.

Hi Jill. Thanks so much for joining us.

1. Tell us about your new A Path to Publishing online interactive workshops and why you started this.

I started A Path to Publishing to give authors the ability to talk directly to editors, literary agents, film/tv agents, art directors, sales, marketing and publicity directors, and more.

A Path to Publishing is powered by an innovative interactive video chat platform that allows participants to not only watch presentations but also participate with faculty directly--as though everyone is in the same room. (think Skype on steroids!) Plus, ALL WORKSHOPS ARE LIMITED TO 20-23 PARTICIPANTS.

Participants can use a phone, ipad, tablet or computer with a camera and microphone if they would like to participate. If they do not have a camera or microphone, they can still watch and hear the workshop, but we can't see or hear them.

With A Path to Publishing, participants ask questions of the faculty live ... from the comfort of their own home. It's an efficient, affordable way to learn, make connections, and progress down the path to publication.


2. That sounds like a fantastic idea for those of us who can’t afford to go to conferences to meet these agents and publishers. What are some of the workshops you have planned over the next few months and who will be the presenters?

1. Friday April 19, 2013 2-3:30 EST Agent Sarah Davies: How to Write a Great Thriller (Or Any Exciting Story)
2. Friday, April 19th 8-9:30 EST POETRY FRIDAY FIESTA with Ellen Hopkins, Jill Corcoran & Joyce Lee Wong
3. April 24, 2013 8:30-10:30 EST THE AGENTS OF THE ERIN MURPHY LITERARY AGENCY
4. May 8, 2013 8:30-10:30 pm EST EDITORS TURNED AGENTS-How I approach a new ms to ready for market with Sarah Davies/Greenhouse Literary + Alexandra Penfold/Upstart Crow Literary
5. June 19, 2013 8:30-10:30 pm EST A RARE VIEW INTO 3 TOP PUBLISHERS' PERSONAL IMPRINTS
Penguin/Nancy Paulsen + Macmillan/Christy Ottaviano + Random House/Wendy Lamb
6. May 6, 13 & 20 8:30-10:30pm EST or May 7, 14 & 21 12-2pm EST
JILL CORCORAN'S HOW TO SERIES + 1 HOUR PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS
You can do 1, 2 or all 3!
1-HOW TO WRITE A QUERY INCLUDES CRITIQUE OF YOUR QUERY
2- HOW TO CREATE A MUST READ CONCEPT INCLUDES CRITIQUE OF 2 OF YOUR BOOK CONCEPTS
3- HOW TO MAKE YOUR FIRST PAGES STAND OUT INCLUDES CRITIQUE OF YOUR FIRST CHAPTER
OR---1 + 2 + 3 + ONE HOUR PRIVATE CONSULTATION-HOW TO WRITE A QUERY LETTER, HOW TO CREATE A CONCEPT, HOW TO MAKE YOUR FIRST PAGES STAND OUT, EACH WITH CRITIQUES OF YOUR WORK1 HR PRIVATE + 3 WORKSHOPS: HOW TO WRITE A QUERY LETTER, HOW TO CREATE A CONCEPT, HOW TO MAKE YOUR FIRST PAGES STAND OUT, EACH WITH CRITIQUES OF YOUR WORK


3. Your workshops sound fantastic. And one of our followers attended two of your prior workshops and told me they were really helpful. Share a bit about the faculty for A Path to Publishing and how you picked them.

A PATH TO PUBLISHING faculty have so far included editors and marketers from Hyperion-Disney, HarperCollins, Penguin, Random House, and Macmillan as well as Agents from the best children’s agencies. I chose editors and agents that are at the top of the profession, are good teachers and who are generous in spirit.

4. Who do you think can benefit from these workshops and why?

No matter where someone is in their publishing career, this program provides them access to top industry professionals. They get immediate insight and answers to all their questions, plus reliable advice they can act on immediately to take their career to the next level.

5. Your website says that the workshops will be interactive and that attendees will be able to submit to the presenters after the workshop. How does that work?

I have purchased an amazing technology that allows allows 25 people to video chat with no lag time in picture nor audio. It is like we are all in the same room! This is an intimate workshop where everyone has the chance, if they would like, to ask questions, get clarification, and really get to know the faculty.

For publishers that are allowed to receive unsolicited ms (some publishers are simply not allowed to receive any subs except from agents), attending an A PATH TO PUBLISHING workshops is like a free pass that gets you in the door.

6. That would be amazing to attend an online workshop and feel you’re in the same room as the presenters. I want to ask you a few questions about your role as an agent. You represent picture book, middle grade, and YA authors. What genres do you represent and what are you looking for in submissions?

I rep Picture Books, Chapter Books, Middle Grade, Young Adult and Crossover Young Adult (New Adult)

I want books, actually characters, that have legs. If you haven't heard the term "has legs" that is marketing shorthand to mean the characters can live outside the confines of your book. They can spark a series, be transformed to the big or small screen (Herman Agency is based in NYC but I live in LA and have close ties to the Film and TV industry.), possibly go outside the library/bookstore market to gift stores, grocery stores, etc, become a genre leader rather than just another book competing in a market where discoverability is becoming the most challenging obstacle to sales and sadly some of the best writing is not rising to the top of readers' buy lists.

All books must have excellent commercial plus literary writing. What I mean by this is an utter command of the language that is accessible to most readers--not just the brainy kids. The concept must be fresh, organic, break-through. Just another one is not going to cut it. Yes, lots of copycat books make the hit list, but I am an agent, a talent scout. I am not looking to sell copycats. I am looking to discover the next big thing.

I want complexity of character, multi-level plot and theme, believability even in the fantastic, and pacing that blinds me to time and space.

I am a fan of the underdog, but the underdog doesn't always need to be the nerd, the foster kid, the kid from the broken home. It is irritating when the popular kids are bad and the outcasts are heros. I think most kids are average. Some are more popular than others but being popular often takes a lot of work and that work spurs a host of insecurity. Many kids define popular in different ways. Some cherish their inner and outer geek. I want "normal" teens in extraordinary circumstances (I leave the definition of normal to you:) ).

Regarding romance, I want authentic vulnerability and innocence as well as hot, steamy yearning, and in some cases, more than yearning. I want to love your characters so I understand why your characters love each other. I want to be so enmeshed with your character that when his/her heart breaks, so does mine. When your characters are kissing, or doing more than kissing, I want to feel that pull in my body too.

To query me please send queries + the first 10 pages of your manuscript pasted into your email to queryjillcorcoran@gmail.com

7. Thanks for sharing so specifically what you’re looking for. That’s really helpful for those of us querying. What genres don’t you represent?

I do not represent poetry, screenplays, short story collections, academic or educational work, adult fiction (except New Adult).

8. I know some writers who will be glad you’re open to New Adult. What queries are you seeing too much of?

Dull concepts that do not stand out and make me jump up and want to read the manuscript. There are still too many dystopians coming in and other ‘trend’ books where the trend has already passed.

9. I’ve heard that it’s harder to sell dystopians. But as a reader, I still really like reading them so hope there are a few unique ones still out there. What’s a common mistake you see authors make in the querying process?

Most people that query me seem to do their homework, so I am lucky. It could be because I have a number of posts on my blog that explain how to write a query, how to look up comp books, how to research agents, etc. Here is a link to a post that has many of those posts: THE HOW’S AND WHY’S OF GETTING PUBLISHED http://www.jillcorcoran.blogspot.com/2012/02/what-makes-book-sell.html

Common mistakes are queries that talk more about why someone wrote the book than about the book itself, queries that do not have a clear pitch or indicate to me that the author is out of touch with what kids today are reading.

Thanks Jill for sharing about A Path to Publishing. It sounds fantastic.

You can find A Path to Publishing and Jill at:

www.HermanAgencyInc.com

www.jillcorcoran.blogspot.com

www.daretodreamchangetheworld.com

http://apathtopublishing.com/

Jill has generously offered a one-half off coupon to one of her Path to Publishing workshops to one lucky winner. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment by midnight on April 27th. I’ll announce the winner on April 29th.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 or older to enter. International entries are welcome.

Here’s what’s coming up:

Next Monday I’m interviewing Lisa Rojany Buccieri and giving away a copy of WRITING CHILDREN’S BOOKS FOR DUMMIES. I worried a bit that this book might be too basic for many of you, but one of the things I liked about this book was that Lisa hit the key elements of each subject she presented, for example, developing engaging characters, plotting, and revising. And she had a few great tips I hadn’t thought about for many of these subjects. Lisa has a lot of editorial experience so I know you’ll enjoy her interview. And once you read this, you might want to pass it on to a newer writer to help them out.

Next Tuesday, I have a Tuesday tip by Judith Roth and a giveaway of SERENDIPITY AND ME, a middle grade contemporary novel.

Wednesday next week, I’m participating in the Shower of Books Book Giveaway Blog Hop. I’ve got a great choice of new YA books to choose from.

And don't forget our Tuesday Tips and Casey's Thursday agent spotlights.

Hope to see you Monday!

Agent Spotlight Update

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to let you know that Stephen Barbara's profile is back up and he's looking for some great new talent.  You can view the updated profile by clicking here or on his link in the sidebar. 

Best to all who query!

Agent News: Susan Hawk Joins The Bent Agency

From the Bent on Books blog:

"Susan Hawk is joining the Bent Agency. She will represent authors of young adult and middle grade fiction. For the past 15 years, she worked in Children’s Book Marketing, most recently as the Marketing Director at Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, and previous to that as the Library Marketing Director at Penguin Young Readers Group. She is actively acquiring young adult and middle grade books; non-fiction and fiction (especially literary fiction), as well as fantasy, science-fiction, historical fiction and mystery."

For a more in depth bio on Ms. Hawk, and submission guidelines, see The Bent Agency website.

Such exciting news. Not only is The Bent Agency growing, but so is the number of agents repping MG and YA. Yay!

Best to the agency and all who query.

Agent News: Gwendolyn Heasley

Slightly old news, but in case you missed it...

Gwendolyn Heasley, author of the upcoming YA novel CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE RECESSIONISTA, joins Artists and Artisans as an agent, focusing on young adult.

"She's actively seeking authors of Young Adult manuscripts of all genres, specifically manuscripts that have a sharp voice and vivid settings."

Check her out on the Artists and Artisans web site, and the Guide to Literary Agent blog.

Best to all who query!

Agent News! Lisa Gallagher & Michael Bourret

From Publisher's Lunch Deluxe:

"Former publisher of William Morrow Lisa Gallagher is joining Sanford Greenburger Associates as an agent. She notes, 'I want to apply my extensive marketing experience to help bring writers and their work to the widest possible audience across various media and formats.' Heide Lange at SJGA adds, 'Lisa is that rare publishing professional whose talents include strong editorial insight, marketing expertise, and keen business sense.'

"In other agency news, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management is opening a second office in Los Angeles in December, to be run by agency vp Michael Bourret, who has been at DGLM for 10 years. He will continue to grow his own list of author clients while also 'aggressively pursuing new film and TV opportunities for the agency.'"

On Twitter, Michael says there will be more info up on the blog and web site soon.

Best to Lisa and Michael!

I'm Back, YA News, and Question Box Revival

I'm back! And I have to say, it feels good knowing things should be back to normal this week. I'm looking forward to getting caught up and reading all the replies you left in various posts while I was gone, especially the blog party post.

First up, Happy Release Day to PJ Hoover whose second book, THE NAVEL OF THE WORLD, comes out today! If you haven't read book one, THE EMERALD TABLET, in PJ's THE FORGOTTEN WORLDS trilogy, you're missing out! And while you're busy reading book one or book two, you can look forward to my interview with PJ, which should go up in the next couple weeks.

Next, some agent news that came out while I was away...

Elaine English Literary Agency is now accepting young adult lit. You can read about the wide range of genres they're now accepting YA submissions for and some of Naomi's and Elaine's preferences on the agency blog.

ETA: Sara Crowe is back from her maternity leave and put up a call for submissions on the Crowe's Nest. In her post, she also talks about some of her YA authors and why she took them on.

In other YA news, Sourcebooks has added a new teen imprint called Sourcebooks Fire and will publish seven titles in its debut season. You can read all about it on Publisher's Weekly.

Any other news I missed while I was gone?

Finally I'd like to revive The Question Box and invite everyone to leave me some questions, if you have them. I think a healthy batch of questions would give us some great discussion material and it would let me know what kinds of posts you'd like to see here on Lit Rambles!

Try to have a great Monday!

Agent News: Teresa Kietlinski

Head on over to the Guide to Literary Agents blog and check out Teresa Kietlinksi with Prospect Agency. It sounds like she'll be representing all areas of children's fiction, but she is particularly interested in writers who also illustrate.

Best to all who query.

Agent News: Ted Malawer Joins Upstart Crow

Ted Malawer has joined former Firebrand colleagues at Upstart Crow and will be specializing in children's fiction. The web site should be updated soon, but until then, the fabulous Guide to Literary Agents Blog has the latest details. Check it out:

YA: "I am really looking for books that walk the line between commercial and literary. I like high concept novels with great 'hooks,' unique premises, and great humor. I also enjoy lyrical fiction, as long as it has an authentic and compelling voice.  I'm a huge fan of mysteries, smart historicals, and urban fantasy about original topics (no vampires, please). I'm not so much into the snarky 'chick lit' voice, but great writing trumps everything...

MG: "I am drawn to unique coming-of-age stories.  I like stories that make me laugh, but if you can make me cry, even better. I like projects with fantastical/supernatural elements, too, and action/adventure plots.  I love fun and exciting chapter books, especially with multicultural characters."

Click over the Guide to Literary Agents Blog for this and contact info. I'll try to get Ted's Spotlight updated later today as well. Best to all who query.

Agent News - Myrsini Stephanides, Erica Silverman, and Adam Korn

Announced via Publisher's Lunch yesterday, 09/10.

"Myrsini Stephanides joins the Carol Mann Agency, focusing on pop culture, music, humor, popular science, narrative nonfiction, and memoir, as well as offbeat literary, graphic, and YA fiction. She has spent ten years as a nonfiction editor and book packager of illustrated books."

The following were also announced, but I am yet unsure what they'll be representing.

"Erica Silverman, formerly a Senior VP at William Morris and ICM, has joined Trident Media Group as a literary agent.

"Adam Korn has joined DeFiore and Company as an agent after a short stint at Vigliano Associates. He had been an editor at Harper, Crown and Random House."

There was one other but the agency doesn't rep children's or YA.  I'll update this post as more information becomes available. 

Agent News: Mary Kole - Associate Agent @ Andrea Brown

Head on over to the Andrea Brown web site and read up on their newest associate agent, Mary Kole (scroll down to the bottom).

Here's a snippet of what she's looking for:

"At this time, Mary is only considering young adult and middle grade novels and truly exceptional picturebooks. She's seeking fresh, unique voices and idiosyncratic characters who, by book's end, she knows like a friend. Her favorite stories are character-driven but well-plotted... a mix of fast pacing, emotional resonance and beautiful writing. Boy books, girl books, first person, third person, it doesn't matter... she's looking for a literary spark with commercial appeal. While she's not interested in high fantasy, science fiction, thrillers or horror, she would love to consider realistic/contemporary, urban fantasy and fantasy/adventure, historical, paranormal and mystery manuscripts. One of her favorite genres is magical realism: a story set firmly in our world, only with a twist—magic, danger or something that turns "reality" on its ear—to make things more interesting."

Click over for more!

Agent News: Adriana Dominguez Joins Full Circle Literary

Adriana Dominguez, former HarperCollins Children's Books executive editor, has joined Full Circle Literary as a literary agent, effective immediately.

Most recently, Ms. Dominguez managed the children's division of the Latino imprint, Rayo, at HarperCollins, and served as a Children's Reviews Editor at Criticas magazine before that. Previously, she also served as a professional translator for children's books.

Here's the announcement from Publisher's Lunch:

"Adriana Dominguez has joined Full Circle Literary as an agent, based in New York and serving as the agency's East coast representative. Most recently she was executive editor at Harper Children's, where she managed the children's division of Rayo. Dominguez will continue working on children's picture books, middle grade novels, and literary YA novels, as well as representing literary fiction, women's fiction, historical fiction, women's interest, multicultural, pop culture, and how-to books."

You can read the full press release on Adriana Dominguez's blog, Voces.

Agent News: Colleen Lindsay Reopening to Subs

Colleen Lindsay of FinePrint Literary announced today on her blog, The Swivet, that she is temporarily reopening to submissions. However, she's only looking for adult urban fantasy/paranormal romance, YA urban fantasy/paranormal, and realistic YA between now and the end of August.

For more details, stipulations, and submission guidelines, see the original post.

(With thanks to Corey Schwartz for prompting me to put this up!)

Agent News: Emily Keyes - L. Perkins Agency

Junior agent Emily Keyes of the L. Perkins Agency is now "avidly seeking middle grade and YA" and "aggressively" seeking new clients.

As per their Agent in the Middle blog, here is what she is looking for:

"I’m tired of getting queries from authors who don’t currently read YA, never read YA, say books published today are terrible, but they heard that Harry Potter lady made more than the Queen, and hey, they can do that! Writing for kids is easy, right?

"I love YA books. I loved them when I was a kid and I still love them now. I want to see manuscripts from people who love it as much as I do. I want to find the books that kids are going to remember with fondness. I inhaled Lois Duncan, LJ Smith, Babysitter’s Club, Sweet Valley, etc, etc. These days I’m excited by the writing done by Suzanne Collins, Kristin Cashore, Claudia Gray. I’m also into the teen novels by people like Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, Barry Lyga and others. I’m looking for smart middle grade and teen novels. (No picture books, please.) I like fantasy and paranormal, and other odd things. Zombies are pretty big at the moment, and I’d also like to see witches, psychics, time travel and superheroes. As far as non-genre, I like strong, female heroines and books with fresh voices and a quirky sense of humor. I’m really sick of knock-off 'Harry Potters’ and Twilights.'"

A list of Ms. Keyes favorite TV shows and her e-mail is available on the original post.

Great opportunity. Best to those who query!

Agent News: Upstart Crow Literary

Firebrand agent Michael Sterns is leaving to start his own agency, Upstart Crow Literary, which will represent both children's books and adult (see the comments). He is joined by colleagues Chris Richman and Danielle Chiotti. They'll be accepting submissions as soon as next week. The web site should be live the week following.

Alice Pope has the deets here. Best to all who query.

Update 08/11/09: The web site is live, the agency is on twitter and facebook, and they have a blog. Enjoy!

Agent News: Evan Goldfried joins Jill Grinberg Lit

Here is the announcement that was in Publisher's Lunch:

Evan Goldfried has joined Jill Grinberg Literary Management as an agent after five years at William Morris. He is representing genre fiction and graphic novels for all ages, as well as nonfiction including food, health, humor and pop culture.

The Jill Grinberg Lit Management web site still isn't up, but Mr. Goldfried's Query Tracker, Lit Match, and Agent Query profiles have been updated to reflect the change.

Special interests on AQ include:

Smart spy thrillers (Charles McCarry). Huge sff series, Dark Tower, Sword of Truth, etc. Upmarket genre fiction, something with a unique and fantastical twist a la REPLAY by Ken Grimwood (one of my favorites). YA for boys, like Percy Jackson or Artemis Fowl. Anything with series potential, because I love revisiting characters. Anything set in Asia (or abroad), particularly Japan. Jewish literature. Mythology. And graphic novels, which I've been reading since I was a kid.

Good luck!

Agent News: Brenda Bowen to join Sanford J. Greenburger Associates

Brenda Bowen, who has 28 fabulous years of industry experience, is joining Sanford J. Greenburger Associates July 6th as a literary agent. Her focus will be on the kidlit market.

"Bowen will represent authors and illustrators of children’s books for all ages (preschool to teen) as well as, in her words, "graphic novelists, animators and maybe a surprise element or two." She says her client list will "start fairly small and dedicated, and then we’ll see."

Check out the full article here. Also, visit Brenda Bowen's blog, Bunny Eat Bunny.

ETA: The Guide to Literary Agents blog has the latest on Brenda Bowen's submission requirements.

Good luck!