Literary Rambles: Storm Literary Agency

Showing posts with label Storm Literary Agency. Show all posts

Literary Agent Interview: Sheila Fernley Interview and SPECIAL Agent Critique Giveaway

Today I’m thrilled to have agent Sheila Fernley here. She’s an associate literary agent at Storm Literary Agency. You can find out details about her special agent critique giveaway at the end of her interview. Should the winner be for a picture book, the critique would be for the full manuscript, and should the winner be a MG or YA novel, the critique would be for the first three chapters.

Hi Sheila! Thanks so much for joining us.

Sheila: Thank you, Natalie, for inviting me to be interviewed by Literary Rambles. I’m thrilled to share with your subscribers about Storm Literary Agency and me.

About Sheila:

1. Tell us how you became an agent, how long you’ve been one, and what you’ve been doing as an agent.

As an agented picture book writer and former editor, I learned long ago that writing great stories isn’t easy. Neither is querying and landing the right agent. I’ve always loved helping other writers on their journeys, so just over a year ago I decided to pursue a career as a literary agent. I completed an internship with Belcastro Agency, where I learned so much about what it takes to be a great agent. While seeking my next internship, I was honored to be offered an agent-in-training position with Storm Literary Agency. After extensive training, on March 26, 2024, the Agency officially introduced me as its newest Associate Literary Agent. My inbox opened on April 2nd and within 10 days I received nearly 500 queries. I started reading queries every day, actively building my client list. Right now, my days are spent reading client projects and providing feedback, as well as preparing sub lists, packages, and pitching projects to editors. I feel very fortunate to represent Storm Literary Agency and my very talented clients.

About the Agency:

2. Share a bit about your agency and what it offers to its authors.

Storm Literary Agency represents quality literature from exceptional authors and illustrators. What most people who research our Agency don’t see is the passion and heart of our leadership, agents, and staff. We work tirelessly as a team to champion our clients and their projects, across most genres. Storm is fortunate to have a talented marketing coordinator, editorial assistant, and partnerships in film, television, stage, foreign, translation, and audio rights.

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?

I represent authors and author illustrators. The genres that I represent include picture books (fiction, informational fiction, nonfiction biographies, fractured fairy tales, and folktale retelling with a cultural twist), MG (contemporary fiction and fantasy), and YA (also, contemporary fiction and fantasy). Currently, I am seeking mostly picture books and middle grade novels.

4. Is there anything you would be especially excited to see in the genres you are interested in?

I am not looking for the next version of a classic. I want fresh ideas, with great openings that grab the reader and don’t let go until the end. I love heartfelt stories, humor, and unique or quirky characters. I’m drawn to lyrical writing, but the character and story arc are a must, as are voice and emotional connection.

What She Isn’t Looking For:

5. What types of submissions are you not interested in?

That’s easy. I am not a fan of dark themes, horror, violent content, dragons, science fiction, rhyming picture books, or board books. Otherwise, in the genres that I represent, surprise me!

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?

First, let’s talk about authors that I want to work with. As a Mexican American writer and former special education teacher I like to champion underrepresented voices, but the stories must be stellar. I want to work with authors who study their craft and have a critique group that can help them hone a story before we work to polish the manuscript and send it out on submission.

When I make an offer, it is to work with an author’s body of work and not one book. I must be as passionate about the author’s projects as they are. And I must be just as passionate about working with that person.

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?

Because of my editorial background, those skills stay with me. I know that I can help make a good story great, and a great story even better, so I want to work with authors who are open to feedback. However, I am an agent and not an editorial coach.

When a client and I decide on a project for submission, I read the manuscript with both my agent and editorial hats. I make suggestions and discuss them with my client. The final decision on changes to the manuscript is made by my client.

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 who are interested in Storm Literary Agency and me for representation can learn more about my submission guidelines at https://www.stormliteraryagency.com/submission-guidelines. I only accept queries through QueryManager. The link can be found at the end of my submission guidelines. I do not accept submissions via snail mail or email. Following my submission guidelines speaks volumes to me. Sometimes I receive queries where the author fails to upload their manuscript (full manuscript for picture books and the first three chapters for MG and YA). Always check and double check all fields in QueryManager before pressing the submit button.

Query letters are important to me. Although an author doesn’t need to be formal, using a greeting and salutation tells me something about the author’s professionalism. Some queries include neither. Feel free to remind me if we met at a recent event. First, I look for a strong, concise pitch that tells me who, when, what happens, and why in one to two brief sentences. In the marketing paragraph I look for a sentence or two that tells what the story is about and why the audience should connect with the story. I should be able to tell from the pitch and premise if the story idea is fresh, if it will connect with readers, and if it will likely sell in today’s market. In the bio, I look for the person’s current or former profession and writing credentials, writing honors, published work (not a list of memberships and courses). I do like the author to briefly explain why they are the person to tell this story, and it never hurts to add something personal (i.e., family or interests other than writing). A query letter also tells me something about the person’s writing, although I never judge a book by its cover.

9. Do you have any specific dislikes in query letters or the first pages submitted to you?

I’m not fond of schmoozing. These sentences are best replaced with information about your story or you.

Openings need to grab the reader's attention and compel them to read the story. The first page tells me so much about the story and the author’s writing. It should set the voice of the main character and create a connection with the reader, establish the setting, hooks, and draw the reader into the story. For picture books, the first spread or two should show what the protagonist wants, and the problem that is relatable to young children.

Response Time:

10. What’s your response time to queries and requests for more pages of a manuscript?

I post a 2-3 month response time to queries but try to get back sooner than that, whenever possible. An author who is querying an agent should have at least three polished projects ready to submit if more work is requested. However, I am open to fewer polished projects, along with works in progress, and pitches for future story ideas. It could take a few months to read the additional projects and respond to the author, but I always try to get back as quickly as possible.

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 certainly open to representing any author or author/illustrator seeking traditional publishing or who is published. This includes authors who have self-published books, or who have been published by a small press. However, I don’t represent previously published works. Any unpublished projects or future projects would certainly be considered. Although I want to know if an author has been previously represented, I don’t see this as a negative thing. I recognize that agent/client relationships may end for many different reasons.

Clients:

12. Who are some of the authors you represent?

Erin Cleary

Kimberlee Gard

J.J. Howard

Christina Rogriguez-Unalt

To learn more about my clients, refer to https://www.stormliteraryagency.com/ourauthors.

Interviews and Guest Posts:

13. Please share the links to any interviews, guest posts, and podcasts you think would be helpful to writers interested in querying you.

Manuscript Wish List – https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/sheila-fernley/

Children’s Book Insider: Agent Spotlight Interview (August 2024) – https://cbiclubhouse.com/

Links and Contact Info:

14. Please share how writers should contact you to submit a query and your links on the Web.

Please submit all queries to me through QueryManager. The best and most up-to-date location to learn about my current interests, submission guidelines, and when I am open to submissions, visit https://www.stormliteraryagency.com/aboutus.

X: https://x.com/home/SheilaFernley

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sheila.Fernley.2024

Additional Advice:

15. Is there any other advice you’d like to share with aspiring authors that we haven’t covered?

Although revisions are only finished with an editor determines they are, please avoid querying an agent with a manuscript that is still being reviewed by a critique group or professional critiquer. Make sure the manuscript is polished and you feel strongly that it is ready for submission. Also have at least two to three other projects that are in the same state. Focus on other projects and ideas that you can work on next. Always continue to learn how to improve your writing and read books in the similar genres in which you write. Apply what you learn, be patient, and never give up!

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Sheila.

Special Agent Critique Giveaway Details

Sheila is very generously offering one lucky winner an agent critique and a one-hour Zoom call to discuss any questions about the project. Should the winner be for a picture book, the critique would be for the full manuscript, and should the winner be a MG or YA novel, the critique would be for the first three chapters. 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 August 10th. If your email 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 follow me on Twitter or mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments, and I'll give you an extra entry. I hope you will shout out about this contest on your social media sites to spread the word about Sheila’s incredibly generous giveaway contest. This is an international giveaway.

Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or email 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.

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

Thursday, August 1st I’m participating in the Apple a Day Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, August 7th I have an interview with co-authors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows and a giveaway of their YA My Salty Mary

Monday, August 12th I have an agent spotlight interview with Erica McGrath and a query critique giveaway

Friday, August 16th I’m participating in the Old School Giveaway Hop

Monday, August 19th I have an interview with author Julie Abe and a giveaway of her MG Tessa Miyata Is So Unlucky

I hope to see you on Thursday!

Literary Agent Interview: Jenna Satterthwaite Interview and Query Critique Giveaway

Today I’m thrilled to have agent Jenna Satterthwaite here. She’s an associate literary agent at Storm Literary Agency.

Hi Jenna! Thanks so much for joining us.

About Jenna:

1. Tell us how you became an agent, how long you’ve been one, and what you’ve been doing as an agent.

Hi Natalie, and thanks for having me! I joined Storm in January 2024, and I opened to queries in February. Since then, I’ve been going through a windfall of incredible queries and trying to find those manuscripts that make my heart go pitter-pat. I have signed my first clients and feeling very lucky that I’m in the middle of negotiating my first contract for a client (not announced yet but hopefully soon)!

My journey to becoming an agent came from the authoring side. I’ve been writing for close to ten years, and I signed with an agent (Lauren Bieker from FinePrint) after about 4 years in the query trenches. After working with Lauren over many manuscripts and many years, we finally signed my debut thriller, Made for You, in a 2-book deal with Mira/HarperCollins (yay!), and shortly after, sold another thriller, Beach Bodies, to Transworld/PRH UK (double yay!). It was through working with Lauren, writing book after book, researching editors, watching the market, fine-tuning our pitches, etc. that I realized—I actually think I might love the agenting side of things as well as the authoring side! Not to mention, I’ve been in sales through my various day jobs for 20 years, so I am all about crafting the perfect pitch, targeting the right people, and doing all the nitty gritty work of contracts. It was when I was contemplating my 40^th birthday and evaluating my life (as one does) that I realized, “I should go for this.” I found an internship, then another internship, and was very lucky to land a position as Associate Literary Agent with Storm this year. For anyone interested, the longer version of the story is on my Substack newsletter, which you can subscribe to for free (http://jennasatterthwaite.substack.com)!

About the Agency:

2. Share a bit about your agency and what it offers to its authors.

Storm is one of those incredible agencies that offers more than what I’ve seen is standard out there. We have a lovely marketing person, Heidi Vance, who we offer as a (free) additional resource to our authors. We have an amazing foreign rights team and are bringing on someone who specializes in merchandising rights as well. We work as a team, so authors are getting not only the expertise of one agent, but multiple agents with decades of collective experience. We also have a contracts lawyer who is an extra set of eyes on our contracts as we go through all the negotiation steps. We like to be thorough!

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?

All age groups, and most genres! It’s honestly easier to say what I’m not looking for—erotica, hardcore gory horror, and military SFF. I’m looking for nearly all commercial genres. I’m an omnivorous reader, and I would love to represent authors across a broad swath of ages and genres. For picture books, my experience is much more limited though, so at this time I’m only accepting queries from author/illustrators in a narrow range of focuses. My complete submission wish list is on the Storm website:

That said, I’m looking for projects that make me feel. If you make me cry, or give me goosebumps, whether it’s through an epic fantasy battle scene, a lover’s reunion in a romance, or a dark twist in a thriller, we are onto something. I’m also looking to sign authors who are willing to revise and are simultaneously passionate about what they’ve created and not precious about their words; authors who know that perseverance and tenacity through rejection is the name of the game. It’s just the reality of publishing.

4. Is there anything you would be especially excited to seeing in the genres you are interested in?

Within the adult nonfiction space, I’d love to find a book by a death doula or hospice nurse. After losing my sister to cancer, my eyes really opened in terms of what’s possible in the dying process, and alternative ways families can either celebrate or grieve. I’d love to represent that project.

What She Isn’t Looking For:

5. What types of submissions are you not interested in?

Erotica, hardcore horror and gore, and military SFF. Alternately, if your book has already been self-published, it would be very hard to pitch to editors unless it’s been a runaway success. However, I’d love to represent self-published authors on their new work!

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 see the author-agent relationship as a partnership. There has to be mutual respect, and willingness to listen to each other. I would never force an author, for example, to make a change in their manuscript that they don’t want to make. However, I would be honest with them about elements that might make it harder to sell. I’m excited to collaborate with authors during revisions, and be their advocate during the submission process and beyond!

I want to represent authors over the course of their careers, not just for a single book. I want to put books on the shelves that introduce new viewpoints, highlight marginalized perspectives; books that instruct, and books that entertain, and everything in between.

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?

Yes! I would say I follow the progression an editor would: first, a big-picture developmental edit. Rinse and repeat until any pacing or plot of other issues are resolved and everything flows. The final step would be a line edit. Revisions are my jam, both as an author and as an agent; I love helping shape the ‘raw material’ of a first draft into its best possible shape.

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?

In your query letter, tell me up front the age group, genre, and word count of your project, and ideally (not required, though) give me at least 2 comps that were published in the last 5 or so years (though I do also love getting a book comp and a movie or show comp!).

The pitch for your manuscript should read like a book jacket; in fact, you can study book jackets to help you write a better query! I love it when a pitch starts with a log line—that’s always an attention grabber (though also not required!), and then proceeds into the protagonist/setting/antagonist/stakes.

9. Do you have any specific dislikes in query letters or the first pages submitted to you?

I’d just say, keep your query letter professional and confident! First pages should be super polished, and if you’re the only one who has ever set eyes on them, I highly encourage you to find a beta reader or critique partner. There are always things we simply can’t see ourselves.

Response Time:

10. What’s your response time to queries and requests for more pages of a manuscript?

I try to respond to queries within 3 months. Ditto for full manuscripts—if you haven’t heard after 12 weeks (from the full requests), please nudge! I strive to be as fast as possible but there is SO much talent out there, and I receive SO many queries, that it’s just not realistic to answer everything as speedily as I’d like!

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?

Absolutely! Just share what you’ve previously done in your bio, and make sure you’re querying a “fresh” (previously unpublished) manuscript!

Clients:

12. Who are some of the authors you represent?

Kalla Harris, Ashley Tropea, Anna Carew, Colleen Alles, Kate Stapleton, and Taylor Leamey! My list is growing though, so stay tuned…

Interviews and Guest Posts:

13. Please share the links to any interviews, guest posts, and podcasts you think would be helpful to writers interested in querying you.

You can subscribe to my Substack (http://jennasatterthwaite.substack.com), and check out my full wishlist here:

https://www.stormliteraryagency.com/submission-guidelines

https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/jenna-satterthwaite/

I’m also pretty active on Twitter and Instagram, so come find me!

Links and Contact Info:

14. Please share how writers should contact you to submit a query and your links on the Web.

Query me on QueryManager: https://querymanager.com/query/Jenna_S

Twitter: @jennaschmenna

Insta: @jenna.satterthwaite.author

Facebook: jenna.satterthwaite.author

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenna-satterthwaite-61136710a/

TikTok: @jennaschmenna

Additional Advice:

15. Is there any other advice you’d like to share with aspiring authors that we haven’t covered?

Honestly, try to enjoy writing for your own sake. Publishing is a brutal industry. It’s okay to feel beaten up by it, but if you can find joy and satisfaction in the work and the process (while still having those publishing ambitions!) that will help you in the long term. Promise! (From someone who’s been through it!)

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Jenna.

Giveaway Details

Jenna 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 June 22nd. If your email 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 follow me on Twitter or 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.

Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or email me at natalieiaguirre7@gmail.com

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

Sunday, June 16th I’m participating in the Dad-o-mite Giveaway Hop

Monday, June 17th I have an interview with debut author Leah Stecher and a giveaway of her MG magical realism The Things We Miss

Monday, June 22nd I have a guest post by author M.R. Fournet and a giveaway of her MG fantasy Darkness & Demon Song

Wednesday, June 24th I have an agent spotlight interview and query critique giveaway with Bethany Weaver

Monday, July 1st I’m participating in the Sparkle Time Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, July 3rd I have an interview with debut author Amber Chen and a giveaway of her YA mystery fantasy Of Jade and Dragons and my IWSG post

Monday, July 8th I have an agent spotlight interview with Rebecca Williamson and a query critique giveaway

I hope to see you on Sunday!

Literary Agent Interview: Heather Cashman Interview and Query Critique Giveaway

Today I’m thrilled to have agent Heather Cashman here. She is a literary agent at Storm Literary Agency.

Update on 9/14/2024: Heather is currently open to submissions.

Hi Heather! Thanks so much for joining us.

About Heather:

1. Tell us how you became an agent, how long you’ve been one, and what you’ve been doing as an agent.

What seems like a lifetime ago, I was an agent intern at The Bent Agency and working as an editor while also helping the amazing Brenda Drake run Pitch Wars. About five or six years ago, I was at a conference giving a presentation about pitching when I met Victoria Selvaggio, owner of Storm Literary Agency. She said she was expanding into middle grade and young adult fiction and was looking at bringing on another agent. I told her at dinner that I would love to be considered, and in January of 2019 I became an agent.

About the Agency:

2. Share a bit about your agency and what it offers to its authors.

Storm is a boutique agency that has grown from primarily picture books to now representing all age categories and genres, both in fiction and nonfiction. We have a client-only facebook group with the wealth of accomplished authors helping one another. We have foreign rights and film agents we work with, as well as a marketing specialist who guides our authors to find strategies that are right for them. We’re very collaborative and family oriented, and work to create a positive environment that will be nurturing and conducive to creativity, including offering free workshops to our clients.

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?

I’ve been described by my colleagues as a literary omnivore because I represent all age categories and all genres, in both fiction and nonfiction. I’ve considered everything you can imagine. While I do have commercial taste in premise, I love literary-leaning line writing, unique twists, and timeless themes. I look for the things that are different, that should be out there and aren’t. And I love learning about new people and places and perspectives.

4. Is there anything you would be especially excited to see in the genres you are interested in?

Anything that fills a hole in published works. Anything that brings a new and fresh perspective. I love to find new formats and writers who are pushing against norms in form.

What She Isn’t Looking For:

5. What types of submissions are you not interested in?

Generally, I’m not a good fit for talking animals, circuses, non-humanish creatures, and sad elephants. Yes, those might sell, but I generally can’t get through them (or can’t get through them the seven or ten times it takes to get a book published—I’ll just bury my head in the sand).

Please, nothing misogynistic or prejudiced.

I’m usually not a good fit for memoir, military SF, or books where animals are killed.

Also, I don’t appreciate gore or anything gruesome on the page, anything gratuitous, or slasher-esque. I also don’t like graphic sex on the page, and I’m starting to shy away from issue books. I don’t mean to say that you can’t have problems, and I believe that’s a true part of any character. However, the books I lean toward balance this with levity and other emotions rather than just darkness.

I’m also not interested in seeing a book that’s been subbed to me multiple times or withdrawn multiple times because you want to sub and then do edits and then sub and do more edits.

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?

In one word: uplifting.

My general philosophy is that I want books that uplift us as individuals, as a society, as a nation, as citizens of the world.

As for my clients, I try to lift them up in every way: elevate their writing, elevate their creative mood, elevate their careers. I want to support their hopes and dreams.

And I want them to always be reaching as well. I love it when my clients take continuing education workshops or get edits from experts to elevate their work. I love it when they look for opportunities, when they search out awards, when they work to market themselves, when they are actively studying the market and finding a way to break into it with their own unique ideas and perspectives to share.

The agent/author relationship is a creative team, and it only works when both are giving their all.

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?

I’m very editorial. I generally do the traditional three-step edits. Developmental—any big-picture issues with theme, character, world-building, and plot. Consistency—anything having to do with being consistent such as character behavior and arc, rolling plot on a more action/decision oriented scale, and world rules. Line—word choice, sentence order, paragraph and chapter issues.

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?

I take queries through Query Manager (link on Storm submission page). I prefer my queries with a ‘Hi Heather,’ opening, personalized title paragraph with comps and logline, the pitch, and a biography paragraph about the author’s writing credits and anything that would influence the project being submitted, and a full-name signature.

9. Do you have any specific dislikes in query letters or the first pages submitted to you?

I don’t appreciate arrogance or condescension. Big surprise, but I see it too often. Your pitch and premise should speak for themselves. In other words, I should need convincing.

Response Time:

10. What’s your response time to queries and requests for more pages of a manuscript?

Here is where I have to apologize. I am very slow!

Because I love so much, it’s very difficult to decide what I should take on. I give a lot of thought to every query, and when I get 200+ per week, it takes a long time to process them and give each one individual attention.

So unfortunately, it takes me three to four months for a query, and then another three to six months for a full read. I know—it’s terrible. But during the day I have a fairly full schedule with current clients, and so I have to do queries on nights and weekends, and that’s also when I edit client manuscripts. I love looking through my query submissions, but it’s hard to find time as well.

All this said, I know that queries are the life-blood of the publishing industry. This is where I find the unique, the wonderfully creative, and amazing books that I want to champion!

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?

Absolutely.

They need to know their numbers, meaning the number of sales, the price points of those sales, and the timeframe of those sales. Because that’s what an editor I’m submitting to will want to see. They are not really a debut author and so, might not be billed as such. Of course, there are a lot of exceptions and considerations for this that can’t be covered here. But previous sales will be something that’s discussed.

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?

Yes. I think as authors need to adapt to keep their careers healthy, agents also need to be flexible and willing to discuss options. For instance, a hybrid author needs an agent to sell their traditional books, but they might also be able to sell audio, film, foreign rights, etc. to their client’s self-published works. There are opportunities everywhere if authors and agents are willing to work together.

Clients:

13. Who are some of the authors you represent?

Mariely Lares, author of the gender-swapped Zorro retelling Sun of Blood and Ruin (HarperVoyager, Feb 2024) and it’s sequel (2025)

Matthew Broberg-Moffit, author of the food-aversion cookbook Color, Taste, Texture (Penguin Avery, Aug 2023)

Nathalie Alonso, author of Call Me Roberto (Calkins Creek, 2024) and

Interviews and Guest Posts:

14. Please share the links to any interviews, guest posts, and podcasts you think would be helpful to writers interested in querying you.

Manuscript Wishlist Post & Podcast Link (at the bottom)

https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/heather-cashman/

Storm Literary Agency About Us Page

https://www.stormliteraryagency.com/aboutus

Publisher’s Marketplace Page

https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/HeatherCashman/

Links and Contact Info:

15. Please share how writers should contact you to submit a query and your links on the Web.

Query Manager

http://QueryMe.Online/HeatherCashman

Personal Website

http://heathercashman.com/home/

Storm Literary Agency | Way-Word Writer | Twitter

LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Publisher's Marketplace

Additional Advice:

16. Is there any other advice you’d like to share with aspiring authors that we haven’t covered?

There is so much advice I could give, but my condensed version would be to decide what you want to do with writing and publishing, then stick with it as long as it’s worth it to you. There are different paths now, and I think people should do what makes them happy. I’ve had wonderful writer friends who loved writing and then went on to decide they were happier doing weaving or theater. And we should all give ourselves permission to do whatever we love.

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Heather.

Heather 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 September 23rd. If your email 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 follow me on Twitter or 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.

Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or email me at natalieiaguirre7@gmail.com

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

Monday, September 18 I have an interview with Emi Pinot and a giveaway of her MG modern fairytale retelling Bee Bakshi and the Gingerbread Sisters

Monday, September 25 I have an agent spotlight interview with Jen Newens and a query critique giveaway

Wednesday, October 4 I have an interview with debut author Kellie Parker and a giveaway of her YA thriller Thin Air

Thursday, October 5 I’m participating in the Howl-O-Ween Giveaway Hop

Monday, October 9 I have an interview with debut author Sean O’Brien and a giveaway of his MG historical White House Clubhouse

Wednesday, October 11 I have an agent spotlight interview with Lane Clarke and a query critique giveaway

Monday, October 16 I have an agent spotlight interview with Jane Chun and a query critique giveaway

Monday, October 23 I have an interview with debut author Elisa Stone Leahy and a giveaway of her MG contemporary Tethered to Other Stars

Hope to see you on Monday!

Agent Spotlight: Michelle Hauck Interview and Query Critique Giveaway

Today I’m thrilled to have agent Michelle Hauck here. She is an associate literary agent at Storm Literary Agency.

Status: Open to submissions

Hi Michelle! Thanks so much for joining us.

About Michelle:

1. Tell us how you became an agent, how long you’ve been one, and what you’ve been doing as an agent.

I think it’s safe to blame my transition to agenting partly on the pandemic. It gave me the final push that I needed to get out of my comfort zone and go for a dream. I’ve been intrigued by the idea of being an agent for a long time. I did an internship at an agency several years ago and even applied for an open position. It didn’t work out, and I didn’t pursue it at the time. But then during the pandemic I saw Storm was looking for new interns, I knew Heather Cashman from Pitch Wars, and she agreed to take me on. I interned with her for the better part of a year—quitting my job in the process—and here I am: Ready to help writers achieve their dreams. I started taking queries at the end of January 2021.

About the Agency:

2. Share a bit about your agency and what it offers to its authors.

Storm is a boutique agency that specializes in children’s literature, especially picture books, and has just recently branched out into the adult market. We are a small agency that is in the process of growing and expanding, with several new agents added recently. All the agents are close and we freely share information and queries, like a big family. So, though I’m pretty new to the business, I have a huge support system actively mentoring me.

Storm has a social media group for its clients and also offers private seminars by the agents on different writer topics. We want clients to have all the resources available to them to further their journey, because we are here to support their entire careers.

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?

I am actively looking for clients in the areas of MG and YA, all genres, along with the select adult genres of SFF and cozy mysteries. I’m building my list, so I do request about 10% of my queries at the moment.

4. Is there anything you would be especially excited to seeing in the genres you are interested in?

So many things! I’d love to find a rich epic adult fantasy set outside of the United States and Europe. Epic/historical fantasy is my true book sweet spot. Also, I’m actually a big baseball fan and would love to see stories with that sport. Any story that features fun adventures or quirky characters. Characters who are vegans. I’d love something set in a chateau or old mansion being remodeled. I’m drawn to themes that explore the concepts of duty or honor. Most importantly I want to represent diverse voices. It’s always been easy to find books that feature characters like me. I want to make sure everyone can see themselves in a great book.

What She Isn’t Looking For:

5. What types of submissions are you not interested in?

I’m not looking for adult romance or really any story on the hotter end of the romance spectrum. I am drawn to romance but prefer it to be more of a subplot and on the sweeter side. I’m also not the best fit for YA contemporaries with heavy or dark social issues, or adult thrillers that don’t contain any SFF elements. I’m not looking for nonfiction or picture books.

I’ve learned from experience that you don’t want to rule any type of story out because everything depends on how it is presented. You just never know until you read it. I never expected to fall in love with some of the stories I chose for Pitch Wars until I saw them.

That said, everyone has their preferences and I’m not a huge fan of circus settings.

Update on 2/14/2023

"Michelle Hauck is CLOSED to submissions at this time. She is reopening to queries on February 16, 2023! Please allow two months for a query response and four months for a response on a full request.

"Please note that for this query window, she will only be looking for select genres. Those are: Adult Fantasy (of all subgenres, but specifically second world fantasy and/or by marginalized voices), Adult Cozy Mystery (Contemporary time period and/or by marginalized voices), YA/MG Fantasy, MG Humor/Adventure, YA Thriller, YA Romance (specifically LGBTQ+), YA/MG Historical, low stakes YA/MG Contemporaries, YA/MG Mystery, and Graphic Novels.

"She is NOT seeking Science Fiction or Horror in this query window, Historical cozy mystery, or Issue-driven YA/MG Contemporary. She hopes to reopen to those genres some time in the future." (From the agency website)

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 was a Pitchwars mentor for six years and like to take that approach to agenting. I hope to share my writing experience with clients and to learn from them as well. I’ve been published with the Big 5, and I know the ups and downs.

I’m really a hands-on type of agent, who wants to be there for a client’s whole career. I’ve also been on the wrong end of agents who struggled with communication, so communication with my clients is a priority. I really want to avoid getting so overloaded that I can’t respond in a timely manner to clients. The writers are the stars and I hope to be the one who creates a path for them to shine.

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?

I’m very editorial, but, on the other side, I wouldn’t say no to a manuscript that is submission ready from the start. Generally, clients will go through a couple rounds of edits. I might start them off with big picture revisions and then come in with line edits afterward. I like to do a read through on my Kindle to catch any small things after the line edits.

Also, I’m not the type to say my way or the highway on revisions. I tend to state the reason behind my suggestions, and keep an open mind if the client disagrees with a change.

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?

I use Query Manager and ask for a synopsis, query letter, and first five pages. You can find my Query Manager link and guidelines here.

For the query letter, do tell me about the story. Try to focus on unique aspects of your story. What makes it stand out from other stories? Comps are helpful and a short bio.

9. Do you have any specific dislikes in query letters or the first pages submitted to you?

Not specific dislikes, no. I do prefer the query letter shares basic parts of the plot like what the main character wants, what obstacle is keeping them from achieving that goal, the stakes of the story, the choice the MC must make. You’d be surprised how many query letters tell me almost nothing about the story. So, I guess my dislike is a query letter that talks about audience or marketing plans and doesn’t give me a clue to the story.

Response Time:

10. What’s your response time to queries and requests for more pages of a manuscript?

So far, my query responses have been relatively fast. That’s likely to change as I add clients. I have been running about two weeks behind, but I expect that will stretch toward a month. My plan is to respond to every query within a month. As for requests, my plan there has been under three months and I’ve hit that goal so far. Fingers crossed. 😊

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’m am totally open to authors who have self-published or gone the small press route. I published with a small press myself. To me, all avenues of publishing are legitimate paths. However, I wouldn’t query a story that was already self-published and would be wary of looking at material related to self-published stories—if the author used the same characters for example. It’s often best to query with something completely fresh and unrelated.

Nowadays most writers are going to be hybrids. Some stories are better suited to self-publishing and some to traditional publishing. Many writers are going to do both. Both require hard work.

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?

There are always changes in this industry. Audio books have really taken off since I started writing and got my publishing contract. Agents have always adjusted. What won’t change is agents having their clients’ backs. We’re here to get you best deal possible, to support your career, and to help when you have a problem.

I do think there will be more remote agents and editors. That’s great as it can allow fresh people to be part of traditional publishing without having to live in NYC.

Clients:

13. Who are some of the authors you represent?

I keep a list of clients on my website. You can see them all here. As of answering this question I have two clients.

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.

This is actually my first interview. 😊

Links and Contact Info:

15. Please share how writers should contact you to submit a query and your links on the Web.

As I said above, I use Query Manager as it really keeps me organized and also keeps things simple for writers. My guidelines and link to submit a query are here. I respond to every query and try to provide feedback to every request. You can also follow me on twitter @Michelle4Laughs.

Update on 2/14/2023

Manuscript Wish List

MS Wish List
Michelle's website

Query Tracker

Publisher's Marketplace

Additional Advice:

16. Is there any other advice you’d like to share with aspiring authors that we haven’t covered?

I feel like advice can sometimes be a two-edged sword. Even the best-intentioned advice doesn’t fit every person. Write everyday doesn’t work for everyone. Join a critique group, might not be the best for certain people. Just query—what have you got to lose—can be very hard to hear for some people. I think I would say find what works for you. Don’t feel pressured to be like every other writer if that advice will overwhelm you. Do you. And don’t be afraid to let an agent know your needs. We’re good, but we aren’t mind readers. We want to support you. Let us know how to do that.

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Michelle.

Michelle 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 June 5th. 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.

Profile Details:
Last Updated: 2/14/2023.
Agent Contacted for Review? Yes
Last Reviewed By Agent? 4/20/2023.

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.

Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at natalieiaguirre7@gmail.com