Today I’m thrilled to have agent Pam Gruber here. She is a literary agent at Irene Goodman Literary Agency.
Update on 7/6/2023: Pam has left Irene Goodman Literary Agency and is now an agent at High Line Literary Collective. She is open to submissions. Check the agency website for her submission guidelines. Update on 12/12/2025: Pam is currently closed to queries. Check the agency website to find out when she reopens to submissions.
Hi Pam! Thanks so much for joining us.
About Pam:
1. Tell us how you became an agent, how long you’ve been one, and what you’ve been doing as an agent.
I joined IGLA as a
literary agent in May of 2020, because there’s nothing like a pandemic to make
you reexamine your priorities! I realized that my favorite part of the
publishing business is working directly with authors and artists, helping them
to shape not only their stories, but also their careers. Since then, I’ve been
eagerly building my list of clients and revising their manuscripts to submit later
this year, as well as connecting with editors to ensure I can get each project
into the right hands when the time comes. Before becoming an agent, I worked in
editorial for over 12 years, most recently as the Editorial Director at Rebel
Girls, and as a Senior Editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
About the Agency:
2. Share a bit about your agency and what it offers to its authors.
I chose to join IGLA
because of its incredible collaborative spirit. Any author working with one
agent gets the brainpower and support of the entire team when it comes to
making the right editorial contacts, devising submission lists, and strategizing
the best deal terms. We have strong relationships in subrights and film as well,
and always think about an author’s career holistically, not just one book at a
time.
More formally, the
IGLA list includes all kinds of fiction — both commercial and literary —
topical nonfiction, social issues, pop culture, cookbooks, design, middle grade
and young adult books, and anything that captures our interest. We have more
bestselling authors than ever before, both in the U.S. and abroad, and the
numbers continue to climb.
At the end of the day,
our agency relies on one simple and timeless fact: a great story always sells.
Good writing never gets old. The technology may change, but we're ready to
embrace all emerging formats, as long as it contains a story that stops us in
our tracks. That is why we are thriving, and that's why we find new and
delightful success in a sea of changes.
We have a unique
perspective, because we're just a tiny bit unorthodox. We all work like mad,
because we love what we do. You won't find anyone punching a clock or adhering
to fancy dress codes here, but you will find consummate professionalism that
stems from true respect and unrelenting drive.
What She’s Looking For:
3. What age groups do you represent—picture books, MG, and/or YA? What
genres do you represent and what are you looking for in submissions for these
genres?
In these categories, I’m
primarily looking for young adult and middle grade fiction with literary voices
that explore deeper themes within the package of a more commercial hook. I like
authors who know that what a book is “about” is different from a book’s plot. Genre-wise,
I’m particularly interested in light fantasy, speculative fiction, books with a
touch of horror, magical realism, rom-coms, and coming-of-age stories with a
twist. I would also love to see more realistic middle grade and YA graphic
novels (think The Plain Janes, Spinning, or This One Summer).
And I’m always looking out for fresh perspectives and representation that
reflects the diversity of our world.
4. Is there anything you would
be especially excited to seeing in the genres you are interested in?
I look for voices that
are gripping from page one, whether they make me break out in a smile or give me
goosebumps (from the evocative writing, not fear). I love messy female
protagonists, innovative twists on old tropes, and getting swept away by fully
realized worlds—be they portraits of the next town over or an imagined universe
unlike our own.
What She Isn’t Looking For:
5. What types of submissions are you not interested in?
Although I would
represent picture book projects from a client who also works in other
categories, I’m not actively seeking authors who exclusively write picture book
texts.
I’m also not the best
fit for prescriptive non-fiction, anthologies, poetry, potty humor, paranormal,
hard sci-fi or high fantasy, or Christian fiction.
Agent Philosophy:
6. What is your philosophy as an agent both in terms of the authors
you want to work with and the books you want to represent?
I look for authors who
are passionate about what they do, with a strong sense of their own narrative
voice and clear grasp of what it is they want to say with their work. I also
love when writers have a lot of ideas and the wherewithal to carry those ideas
to completion. I’m not just in it for one book -- my goal is to build long-term
relationships that will grow along with an author’s career. In terms of working
style, I’ve always found open and honest communication is key, and I strive for
that sort of back-and-forth with both clients and publishers to ensure the best
collaborations for everyone.
Editorial Agent:
7. Are you an editorial agent? If so, what is your process like when
you’re working with your authors before submitting to editors?
Absolutely. Because of
my background as an editor, I know first-hand what it takes to get through a
publisher’s acquisitions meeting. I typically provide editorial feedback to
clients before we go on submission, and while I try to stay out of the way once
an author has an editor, I’m there as a resource in case a client needs help
understanding any editorial notes or publisher feedback once a book is in
process.
Query Methods and Submission Guidelines: (Always verify before
submitting)
8. How should authors query you and what do you want to see with the
query letter?
Authors can query me by sending their query letter and the first ten
pages of their manuscript in the body of an email to pam.queries@irenegoodman.com. Query letters would ideally include a short description of the book, a
couple of comp titles (similar books in the category based on the subject,
tone, or voice), and a brief author bio.
9. Do you have any specific
dislikes in query letters or the first pages submitted to you?
I strongly prefer when
all text is included as part of the body of the email, not as attachments. There is one exception – for graphic novel
queries that include illustrations, sample pages can be sent as an attachment
or link.
Response Time:
10. What’s your response time to queries and requests for more pages
of a manuscript?
I try to respond
within four to six weeks, although it can take longer when I’m really
overloaded with queries.
Self-Published and Small Press Authors:
11. Are you open to
representing authors who have self-published or been published by smaller
presses? What advice do you have for them if they want to try to find an agent
to represent them?
I am open to representing previously self-published or small press
authors, particularly for new work that may have more mainstream appeal. The
key thing for these authors to know, however, is that the traditional
publishing process is a lot more collaborative than they may be used to. The
writer needs to be willing to trust the professionals at these bigger houses
and relinquish a bit of control over the packaging of their work. Keep in mind
that everyone has the same goal – to get your book into the hands of as many
readers as possible!
12. With all the changes in publishing—self-publishing, hybrid
authors, more small publishers—do you see the role of agents changing at all?
Why?
With so many new
avenues for publishing, having an agent is more important than ever. Authors deserve
to have an experienced and reputable advocate to help them navigate the
ever-evolving publishing ecosystem, to protect their rights to their work, and
ensure they get the best deal possible in any given offer situation.
Clients:
13. Who are some of the authors you represent?
I’m thrilled to
represent Tracy Banghart, Emily C. Bernstein, Kitty Curran, Monica Sanz, and
Katy Upperman. As an editor, I was lucky enough to work with folks such as
Christiane M. Andrews, Jen Calonita, Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg, Emily
Lloyd-Jones, Kass Morgan, and Sarah Watson, among others.
Interviews and Guest Posts:
14. Please share the links to any interviews and guest posts you think
would be helpful to writers interested in querying you.
Links and Contact Info:
15. Please share how writers should contact you to submit a query and
your links on the Web.
Please send queries to pam.queries@irenegoodman.com
For additional info, writers can visit irenegoodman.com/pam-gruber and manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/pam-gruber/
Update on 2/11/2023
Additional Advice:
16. Is there any other advice you’d like to share with aspiring
authors that we haven’t covered?
Don’t worry too much about what’s trendy in a certain category. For one
thing, by the time your manuscript is acquired and published, years will have
gone by and trends change quickly. Instead, write the story that you’re most
passionate about! That passion and personal connection is timeless, and it’s what
will resonate with readers above all else.
Thanks for sharing all your advice, Pam.
Pam is generously offering a query
critique to one lucky winner. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (via
the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a
comment through March 6th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, you
must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. If you do not want to
enter the contest, that's okay. Just let me know in the comments.
If you mention this contest on
Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you
an extra entry. This is an international giveaway.
Profile Details:
Last updated: 2/11/2023.
Agent Contacted for Review? Yes
Last Reviewed By Agent: 2/17/2021
Have any experience with this agent?
See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at natalieiaguirre7@gmail.com
Note: These agent profiles and
interviews presently focus on agents who accept children's fiction. Please take
the time to verify anything you might use here before querying an agent. The
information found here is subject to change.
