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7 Insider Secrets to Get a Top Agent, Publisher, and Book Deal
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Literary Agent Directory
Important: Visit each agent’s website (links in their listings below) to see if they’re open to submissions before querying.
Emily Van Beek
Biography
Emily van Beek is a literary agent with Folio Literary Management. Emily moved to New York City from Toronto in 1999 armed with dual citizenship, a dream to work in children’s book publishing, and inspiration from my favorite (if clichŽd) Zen magnet, “Leap and the net will appear”. Soon after my arrival in the city, I was hired as an editorial assistant at Hyperion Books for Children. During my three-and-a half year tenure at HBFC I became an editor working on projects by celebrated authors and artists, including Julie Andrews Edwards, Rosemary Wells, Susan Jeffers, and L.M. Elliott. In October of 2003, I decided to explore the view from the agent’s side of the desk, where I fell head over heels in love with my role as a literary agent. I spent the next six-and-a-half years as an agent and the rights director at Pippin Properties, Inc. Kathi Appelt’s Newbery Honor-winning THE UNDERNEATH (Atheneum/S&S, 2008), Jandy Nelson’s THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE (Dial, 2010), Jenny Han’s New York Times bestselling SUMMER series, and Erin Bow’s TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award-winning PLAIN KATE (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic, 2010) are examples of some of the titles I represented before joining Folio in May of 2010. I hope never to retire.
At Folio Jr., I am honored to represent a distinct selection of both established and debut authors and artists. I am passionate about children’s and young adult books. I am passionate about negotiating the best deal possible. I am passionate about working together with our experienced and esteemed subsidiary rights and contracts teams to squeeze as much juice out of a single property as it will yield. I find it incredibly rewarding to work with new voices (and I’m thrilled to say that I’ve discovered several irresistible projects by debut authors and artists in the submissions pile). I’m also committed to helping established authors and artists continue to grow their careers. I am an “editorial” agent, in that I’ll work through as many drafts over the course of as many years as it takes to polish a manuscript I believe in to a high shine prior to submission. My goal is to build long-term relationships with authors and to help them publish books that will stand the test of time.
I am exclusively interested in acquiring projects for young and teen readers, from picture books by authors and author / artists, to authentic and fresh middle-grade fiction, to lyrical and daring YA. I’m looking for voices that won’t be ignored. I am open to considering all sorts of YA from mysteries to well-written chick lit, coming-of-age, the lyrical, the literary, and the laughable. I am looking for fiction that has an impactÑwhether it packs a punch or effects change with a more subtle hand, but something that can’t be put down, a manuscript that begs me to turn the page, work that changes me with the reading. I’m really, really looking for something that feels new, that I haven’t read before. I am not the best agent for fangs, claws, and wings. These topics have been very successfully published already. I’m looking for what comes after vampires and werewolves. I would love to be surprised!
I believe it was Ursula Nordstrom who once wrote (of the process of considering a manuscript) something along the lines of: “If you can resist it, do.” A tough love sort of approach to the process, but it’s a litmus test I often use to help me decide if I am the right agent to represent a particular project and to help an author achieve his or her publishing goals. When it comes to picture books I am a big fan of Mo Willems’ work (who better to capture a two-year-old’s temper tantrum?! Thank you Pigeon and Trixie!) I am madly in love with anything and everything “Polly Dunbar” (so much so that I’d submit her grocery list to publishers if I could). I think Jon Muth’s work is extraordinarily beautiful and thought-provoking, Kadir Nelson’s regal and rich, and Komako Sakai’s touching and so child-friendly.
In terms of middle-grade, when I was growing up I couldn’t get enough of Enid Blyton’s mystery series (Famous Five and Secret Seven omnibuses were my favorite Christmas gifts ever!) I’d love to find a contemporary MG mystery series. I’m also a fan of THE PENDERWICKS, WHEN YOU REACH ME, and THE MEANEST DOLL IN THE WORLD (gotta love Brian Selznick’s hilarious treatment of front matter). Classics that will always hold a special place in my heart include CHARLOTTE’S WEB, THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH, and A WRINKLE IN TIME. Young adult favorites include Lucy Christopher’s STOLEN (I can still taste the sand in my teeth and feel the burn of the Australian sun on my skin), Suzanne Collins’ HUNGER GAMES AND CATCHING FIRE, Gabrielle Zevin’s ELSEWHERE, and Shannon Hale’s works.
Notes
Accepting Submissions | Authors and Illustrators Only | Member of the AALA |Picture Book | Juvenile Nonfiction | Middle Grade Fiction | Middle Grade Nonfiction | Young Adult Fiction | Young Adult Nonfiction | Graphic Novel |
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MARK MALATESTA is a former literary agent turned author coach. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company 
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I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t worked with Mark. I can’t even imagine that now though, because of the grief and detours I experienced before we worked together. It was a time-consuming pain in the neck. If you want to get the attention of top literary agents and publishers, there is no substitute for working with an insider. You can’t beat experience. And having Mark on your side is incredibly valuable.”
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Just 8 minutes after I sent a query letter to one of my favorite agents, she replied and asked to see my manuscript. A short time later we had a lovely conversation. She was interested in representing me and sounded very positive and enthusiastic about my book. Since I also got offers from two other agents, I had to turn two of them down. One of them was upset and it felt like I was breaking her heart, but you just have to do it. I kept reminding myself that this is a good problem to have!”
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“I got a book deal! After I started sending out my new query letter I had 6 literary agents request my manuscript in a short amount of time, which is awesome. Then, within 2 weeks of my agent starting to pitch my story to publishers, we had an offer. I signed a book contract yesterday. A little while later my agent told me that a TV co-producer asked for more info about my book.
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“Thank you Mark! After you helped me get a well-known agent with Hartline Literary Agency (for my previously self-published murder mystery), he got me a deal with an American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) approved publisher. I’m hard-pressed to find anything that I had an expectation for that you didn’t deliver on.
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I’m a lifelong academic writer who one day found myself writing inspired short stories that came to me in dreams and I began thinking of them as novels. That’s when I had a momentous conversation, an introductory coaching call with Mark Malatesta, the American creative writing coach, or rather, to be precise, a how-to-sell-yourself-and-your-work adviser. It was the best-spent money of my life apart (possibly) for my wedding ring.”
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My agent talked about the query letter you helped me create for a long, long time. When he first called me on the phone, he hadn’t seen any of my sample chapters. It was just the query letter that did it. Communicating the right thing is so important. You are a wonderful medium helping authors find their voice and elevate their writing from just a hobby to a real business… a source from which they can both learn and earn.”
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I had several agencies interested before deciding to go with Fine Print. And, to be honest, all of the attention didn’t surprise me. The query letter and proposal that Mark helped me develop were incredible. Agents actually said things to me like: ‘Scott, I read your proposal and I’m just blown away by it!’ Mark is extremely talented at what he does. If you have the opportunity to work with him, take advantage of it.”