Autumn News...

Bonjour Tout le Monde,

This summer was brutal - New York publishing seemed to be paralyzed, but we worked hard and persevered... Liz and I made the editorial rounds in September - we had 45 meetings in four days - yes, it's true! I'm proud of her for keeping up with me :-) The good news is that publishing seems to be full steam ahead after the results that ebook sales are increasing and the industry has breathed a major sigh of relief. Editors are looking for great books and we are trying to find them. Just heard Tatiana de Rosnay speak at the American Library in Paris to a standing room only crowd - if you haven't read SARAH'S KEY - you should, and no, she's not my personal client, but I'm looking for her clone. I'm attempting to read her new tome, ROSE, en français. Do keep sending good, polished manuscripts our way and we'll do our best to get back to you in a timely fashion. We ask for your patience and if you don't hear from us after six weeks, please send a gentle "nudge" and we'll make sure we get back to you immediately. We receive about five hundred queries per week - and we take each one seriously. Happy fall to all, and keep the faith! A special congratulations to my client Kelli Stanley for winning the Macavity Award for the Sue Feder Best Historical Novel. If you also haven't read CITY OF DRAGONS, you should...

Agent Interview

Lorena Hughes, co-founder of the blog Divine Secrets of the Writing Sisterhood, approached Kimberley Cameron & Associates for an interview and asked us if we'd check back on Friday, July 29th from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for Q&A. We were happy and excited to participate.

To read the interview and/or participate in the Q&A, click here.

Divine Secrets of the Writing Sisterhood is a young blog dedicated to the craft of writing. Lorena said last month the website received 2,162 page views. We wish them and their author-readers much success in their literary pursuits!

Categorical Not-So-Imperative?

Recently, I’ve had several prospective clients pitch me books that fall into categories I don’t represent. In response to my “I’m sorry but I don’t represent that genre,” I’m often faced with a look of disappointment or a counter-argument like, “But it’s really well-written!” or “But you said you like compelling characters and timely themes, and my book has both!” I thought it might be time to dissect the reasons why agents choose specific categories of books to represent and also why they tend to stick with them.

If you’ve read my bio on this website or at a conference I’ve attended, the categories I’ve chosen may seem random. What does a contemporary YA novel have to do with a nonfiction guide to food safety? How does a commercial thriller fit in with literary memoir? To some extent, I made these choices based on personal preference – they are the kinds of books that I am interested in reading, the kinds of books I was reading long before I became an agent. However, they are also based on business decisions.

As an advocate for my clients, I need to know the market that their books fit into and the editors who are publishing books within that market (just like agents, editors have particular categories that they publish). If I’m going to sell a historical novel, I need to (1) cultivate relationships with the editors who publish historical fiction and (2) know the historical fiction market – what’s out there and what’s coming out in the near future. Knowing the editors helps me decide who to pitch the novel to, and knowing the market helps me convince editors that the book has something new to offer to historical fiction readers.

Once a book comes out, knowing the communities that support certain categories of writing helps all of us (client, editor, and agent) find ways to promote the book most effectively. For example, mystery readers might attend a mystery conference to meet their favorite authors or follow mystery review blogs; whereas, literary fiction readers tend to give weight to reviews by prestigious publications or consider awards that the book has won. There’s a great deal of variety in the way that different kinds of books find their audiences, so agents need to know as much as possible about each category they work within to advise their client on how to reach their audience. And that’s also why – once we know an area of the market – we tend to stay there.

The good news is, if a writer hears “I’m sorry but I don’t represent that genre,” there’s no reason to take it personally. It’s better to find an agent who works on the right category than to convince one who doesn’t. Ultimately, an agent who’s tuned into the right area of the market will be able to do much more for your book!

THE NEW YEAR MARKS A TIME OF CHANGE....

Dear Writers and Readers,

It is my hope that your holidays were filled with much love and hope for the future. Our industry may be uncertain, but we are all committed to the written word and how it can change lives. Transition is an inevitable part of life, and it is in this spirit that I announce that our colleague April Eberhardt will be striking out on her own.

April Eberhardt Literary will focus primarily on high-quality women's fiction, and will offer representation to authors in traditional ways, along with assistance in assessing and accessing alternative publishing channels. She can be reached at april@aprileberhardt.com. We wish her well.

Amy Burkhardt and I continue to live up to the traditions we have always felt important as agents. Nurturing writers and doing everything we can to promote their careers as the publishing industry reshapes and refines itself. IT ALWAYS HAS. I believe that books will continue to be read and treasured, along with other forms of electronic communication. We wish you the best in 2011, and know that we will be reading your work!

Warmly,

Kimberley

Tell Me About It!

I just attended my final pitch event of the year, and between conferences and one-day local events, I’ve met hundreds of writers (and heard hundreds of pitches) in 2010. From this side of the desk, I can tell you that it’s a harrowing experience to sort out the pitches I heard and the flood of requested submissions that fills my inbox in the days and weeks following a conference. (And if you’re still waiting to hear from me, rest assured that you will. I’m bailing my way out!)

Sometimes, that submission that I was anxiously awaiting turns out to be exactly what the writer pitched and exactly what I’m looking for. Most often, what I receive is quite different from what I was expecting, and this can be a disappointment or a pleasant surprise.

If there’s one thing that I could share – which I’ve repeated to the numerous writers I’ve met this year – it’s that pitching your book and writing your book are two very different skills. Some writers embrace this and approach the pitch with energy and optimism. Others feel that it’s a form of torture, which we sadistic publishing industry folk enjoy putting them through. Whether you view it as fun or evil, you should think of it as necessary.

While I would never sign a client on a pitch alone, being able to pitch your work is vital for several reasons. For one, it shows that you can sell your book – to agents, to publishers, and most importantly, to readers. In the current publishing climate, where much of the publicity and promotion falls to the writer, it’s important to know that a client can promote their own book, whether it’s in front of a crowd at a book signing, in an informal chat with friends, or in a tweet to your followers. For another, being able to talk about your work successfully shows that you know your book. You’ve finished the manuscript or proposal, and you’ve done your research on the market to find out where and how it fits into the big picture.

Regardless of whether you plan to attend a conference or pitch event, you should still learn to talk about your writing. What I recommend: Start by writing a one-page synopsis (F) or overview for a proposal (NF); then write a query letter; then a paragraph; then a three- or four-sentence blurb. You should have multiple versions of the pitch for your book because you never know when you might have a ten-minute face-to-face meeting or a 30-second opportunity at the lunch buffet. If you’re prepared, you’ll be able to take advantage of those magic words: “So, tell me about your book…”

Summer Reading...

This summer has been a busy one for Kimberley Cameron & Associates, as you can see from our last blog, by Amy Burkhardt. I'm off to the Book Passage Travel and Food Conference today - besides attending conferences, we are reading, reading, reading as you are sending us lots of good material. We are confident that the book publishing industry will continue to prosper, as reading devices develop in new ways to make books more accessible. New deals are being made everyday, as you can read on Publisher's Marketplace, and we are confident that we will be selling your work for many, many years to come. We thank you for your patience, for your polite and professional emails, and hope everyday to find that voice that astonishes us. Keep it coming!

Warmly,

Kimberley

Presenters and Pitchfests and Panels, Oh my!

Those of you following me on Twitter (@AmyKCA…bear with me, I’m a newbie to the Twittersphere) may already know, but I’m packing my bags for Albuquerque this weekend to attend a writers conference co-sponsored by Southwest Writers and UNM Continuing Education. I’ve also recently returned from Houston, where I attended the Houston Writers Guild Conference, and I’m just getting warmed up…

From now through October, I’ll be spending my weekends in places as far afield as Orlando (Florida Writers Association Conference) and as close to home as Corte Madera (Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference). I’ll be appearing at one or more conferences each month from April through October, and my fellow agents at Kimberley Cameron & Associates will be doing the same. Why do we do it?

Yes, conferences can be overwhelming for agents. Picture yourself walking into a room of 100+ people, almost all of whom want five minutes of your time, and you can probably understand how that “AGENT” name tag feels like a target on your chest! It’s also true that we sometimes huddle together and scurry down the halls between sessions, fearing that if we break from the pack we may never be heard from again. And sure, it’s difficult to think straight after we’ve spent hours of back-to-back ten-minute appointments tracking all manner of plot twists and turns – from the unexpected to the totally bizarre.

But I have to admit that I find conferences to be a welcome change of pace in what can be a very quiet job. Now that we communicate with clients and editors mostly through email, a busy day at the office can be a silent one, and the opportunity to meet potential clients face-to-face and to talk about writing is downright refreshing. Unlike email, conferences are a great way to connect with writers and have a dialogue about their work. It’s also a great place to meet other agents and editors and to hear what kinds of books they are working on or looking for. (We also do that on whirlwind trips to New York… Kimberley and April just wrapped one up last week!)

If you’re planning to attend a conference sometime soon, here are some do’s and don’ts about approaching agents:

Do be brave and introduce yourself. We don’t bite.

Don’t be nervous. We’re just people…who want to talk about your book.

Do pitch us your book. That’s what we’re there for, and we expect it!

Don’t apologize for doing so. No need to open with, “I’m sorry, you must be so tired of hearing this…” We signed up to come to the conference, and (again) we expect it.

Do ask questions about the industry, the process, what we look for in a client, etc.. That’s what you’re there for!

Don’t assume that there is only one right answer. Agents often have different opinions, methods, and advice.

Do be polite and respectful. A potential client’s demeanor can determine whether I want to work with him or her...and whether I want to present them to an editor or send them off on a book tour.

Don’t follow us into the bathroom to pitch/ask questions. The bathroom is a safe zone. (I’ve never personally experienced this, but I know agents who have!)

Do be professional. We are professionals, and you should be too!

So, if you want to meet us, come to one of the following conferences in 2010. Either Kimberley, April, or I will be there. And we’ll be ready to talk about your book.

Fisherman’s Wharf Writers Conference (San Francisco, CA)

Backspace Writers Conference (New York City)

Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference (Homer, AK)

Whidbey Island Writers Conference (Whidbey Island, WA)

Aspen Summer Words (Aspen, CO)

Antioch Writers’ Workshop (Yellow Springs, OH)

Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference (Corte Madera, CA)

Pacific Northwest Writers Association Conference (Seattle, WA)

Mendocino Coast Writers Conference (Fort Bragg, CA)

Willamette Writers Conference (Portland, OR)

Book Passage Travel, Food, & Photography Conference (Corte Madera, CA)

Killer Nashville (Nashville, TN)

East of Eden Writers Conference (Salinas, CA)

Bouchercon By the Bay (San Francisco, CA)

SEAK Fiction Writing for Physicians Conference (Hyannis, MA)

Florida Writers Association Conference (Lake Mary, FL)