Jeff Kleinman is a literary agent with Folio Literary Management. Jeff says: “So this is what I love more than anything else in the world: IÕm sitting on the couch reading, and then IÕm goneÑliving in Narnia, breathing Middle Earth air, dodging passers-by in turn-of-the-century New York City. ThereÕs nothing else like that moment. Sometimes (ok, true confession here) IÕll get so caught up that my hands go numb (which makes scrolling down almost impossible). Once my diaphragm seized up and I had to stop reading so the black spots would disappear in front of my eyes. ThatÕs what books can do: they can transform you. They can transform the world. (OK, so IÕm a bit of an idealist.)
IÕm on the hunt: I want projects that can make a difference. I love unique voices, magnificently strong characters, unusual premises, and books that offer up some new perspective on something I thought I already knew something about (like Alaskan exploration) or never even dreamed existed (a racecar-loving dog, for instance). IÕm always interested in learning (I spent a lot of time in the classroom, with a B.A. in English/Modern Studies from the University of Virginia, an M.A. in Italian from the University of Chicago, and a J.D. from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law. Yeah, that was definitely enough schooling for anybody), and I love it when someone can teach me something organically so it doesnÕt feel like IÕm even learning.
While IÕm hunting for that next amazing book, IÕm also a founding partner at Folio, a Manhattan-based agency Ð we pride ourselves on nurturing new talent and developing a strong, supportive, professional relationship with our clients. (You wonÕt get shunted off to an assistant, for instance.)
Folio offers the best of both worlds (OK, so maybe IÕm a little biased?). With over 15 agents, we have the experience, expertise, and strength that you’d expect from a larger agency, but we have the spark, ingenuity, and personalized attention that you’d want from a smaller agency. And the best part: everybody at Folio is really, really nice. (Seriously. Not kidding.) (But theyÕre all bulldogs for negotiating contractsÑjust warning you.)”