Event Recording

What Agents Want from Querying Authors

Literary Agents

September 24, 2024

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Seeking a literary agent is a major step in the author journey, and it involves much more than just a well-polished query letter. Join us for a discussion with literary agents who represent an array of genres as they discuss what authors should expect from the querying process. We’ll talk about the factors that weigh most heavily in the decision to offer representation, and how authors and agents can tell if they are a good match for both parties. The agents will walk through common questions and various considerations, including:

• What to look for when browsing agents’ wishlists
• Which query letter tips and tricks really work
• Is it acceptable to query many agents simultaneously?
• What are normal query response times these days?
• If offered representation by one agent, what should the author tell other agents?
• Questions to ask your agent to ensure you’re a good match

Special thanks to Literary Agents of Change for collaborating on this event.

Panelists

Jane Chun joined Transatlantic in 2023 after four years at Janklow & Nesbit Associates. Prior to her time at J&N, she worked on a freelance project for HG Literary and interned at Writers House and Maximum Films & Management. Before entering the publishing world, Jane attended NYU where she majored in History and minored in Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology; Creative Writing; and Spanish. She returned to NYU shortly after graduation and a brief stint at Asian CineVision and the Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) to receive her M.S. in Publishing with distinction. She is a native New Yorker. For more details on what she’s looking for, please refer to her MSWL.

Chelsea Hensley is an agent at Mad Woman Literary Agency where she represents a varied list of clients writing across ages and genres and a few who are also illustrating. She began her agenting career in 2020 and continues to build a list that reflects her own diverse tastes, from the lushest of fantasies to the tensest thrillers, steamy, hilarious romcoms to smart sci-fi, lyrical picture books to plucky middle grade, and imaginative, innovative horror to intelligent, deeply researched nonfiction. In all areas, Chelsea enjoys bold work from ambitious creators who share her unrelenting drive to succeed in a challenging industry.
Chelsea is a Capricorn from St. Louis, where she lives with a pair of very cute, though very chaotic, dogs. She enjoys D&D, Golden Girls, women’s soccer, chocolate chip cookies, and Airtable. She is a member of the AALA and serves on the board of the 501(c)3 nonprofit, Literary Agents of Change, which is committed to the diversification of the publishing industry in general and the agenting profession in particular. She also serves as co-director of Communications and Fundraising Committees.

Ismita Hussain is a literary agent at Great Dog Literary. She is a Georgia native and graduate of Emory University, where she studied Human Health and Italian. In her Desi household, she grew up speaking Bangla, Hindi, and Urdu. Ismita pivoted to the publishing industry from a career in healthcare, where she worked for various Atlanta area hospitals in departments ranging from neonatal to geriatric care.

Ismita’s continued passion for disability representation and advocacy led her to be a founding member of Disability in Publishing, where she currently serves on the Board of Directors.

Ismita represents an eclectic list of clients who write literary fiction, non-fiction, and YA. The books she represents often have gritty realist writing, are set in the South, or explore health and disability.

Moderator: Jemiscoe Chambers-Black, or Jem as she likes to be called, cannot say that reading and writing came naturally. Rather, these interests were inspired by pizza. At seven, her school offered free Pizza Hut and Shakey’s Pizza coupons as a reward for reading books, and Jem was sold. Eventually, the books held more interest than the pizza ever did.

Before Jem joined Andrea Brown Literary Agency in 2020, she was an assistant director for film and television. Her love for books prevailed, and she went back to school to study English Literature and creative writing in fiction and earned her MFA. She represents adult fiction, YA, MG, picture book authors, illustrators, and select adult nonfiction. She is especially looking for diverse voices.

Special Thanks to Our Supporters and Partner Organizations

With support from the National Endowment for the Arts and our donors, the Authors Guild Foundation is pleased to offer this program free to the public.

Special thanks to Literary Agents of Change for collaborating with the Authors Guild Foundation on this panel.

Several writers organizations have partnered with the Authors Guild Foundation to help shape these programs. Our deepest appreciation to these organizations.