when i see an email pop up in my inbox
from agent bill, i smile. he always writes
with some sort of news in his succinct way,
and often makes me laugh with his wit!
i did as much research as i could before
and during the agent querying process
about the publishing industry, but it still
didn’t prepare me entirely. when lost,
agent bill was always there to guide,
always calm and level-handed. he kept
me posted through the submissions
process to publishers, reiterated the
importance of finding an editor i felt was
the best fit for me and my writing when the
book went to auction. and you know the rest
of the story, i couldn’t be happier with
virginia and greenwillow books.
bill has graciously agreed to answer
a few questions for my little blog. for
those of you who are ready to query or
will be in the future, i hope you enjoy!
i couldn’t recommend agent bill more
whole-heartedly!
…
cindy : bill, thanks so much for doing this!
could you tell us a little about your background
and how long you’ve worked with the publishing
industry / in agenting?
bill : I worked for ten years as a paperback
editor doing reprints and paperback originals.
Then I heard the siren call of the movies and
worked at two studios here in New York as the
literary affairs executive, finding books for
United Artists and then Warner Bros to develop
for film. Afterwards I worked for eleven years at
William Morris Agency as an agent, most of that
time representing the dramatic rights for books
and selling them to film and television. For the
past six years I have been developing a list of new
writers at Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents.
It’s been a great run, mostly, with lots of wonderful
friends and loads of colorful characters.
cindy : i’m so thrilled to be represented by you
and brandt & hochman. but the agency is low-profile,
and it’s difficult to find much information online. could
you tell us a little bit about the agency and the
services it can provide for your (potential) client?
bill : Thanks Cindy. It is a pleasure and honor working
with someone as talented and professional as yourself.
Brandt & Hochman is a “boutique” agency. Small but
very classy. Some Brandt & Hochman clients include
1999 Pulitzer Prize for fiction winner Michael
Cunningham (The Hours, A Home at the End of the World),
acclaimed novelist Scott Turow (Presumed Innocent),
National Book Award winner and Outside
contributing editor Bob Shacochis, National Book Award
winner Julia Glass, Stones from the River author Ursula
Hegi, Newbery Award winner Avi, NPR foreign correspondent
Jacki Lyden, children’s author Mary Pope Osborne
(Magic Tree House), Richard Dooling (NBA finalist),
Dennis McFarland, the estate of Wallace Stegner, Carlos
Fuentes, Anita Brookner, John Toland, and
Terry Tempest Williams.
Brandt & Hochman is a 100 year old agency,
representing mostly quality fiction, journalism
and literary memoir, and an array of award-winning
children’s works.
We don’t have a website because frankly we
spend professional time being agents and occasionally
editors rather than maintaining a website. We have
great clients and loads of talented new writers through
references and reputation. And as you know Google tells
the story these days, for better and sometimes for worse.
But certinly our small cadre of seasoned agents — Gail
Hochman, Carl Brandt, Marianne Merola, Joanne
Brownstein, Charles Schlessiger, and myself — can be
checked out on Google and Publishers marketplace.
The people who think we are right for them seem
to find us.
cindy : i would agree about research online. from
my own experience, many writers who first begin
querying tend to focus on agents who have a big
online presence (blogs, etc). i didn’t
even know about my “dream agent” until i did
further research, and was fortunate enough to
find you. which leads us to queries! i’m not sure
if you’re aware, but you’re famous for being
“quick on the draw” with query responses. which
i appreciated during my querying. i’d rather know
right away than never hear. even if it’s a gracious
rejection.
you must receive so many queries. what
are you looking for when you read them?
are you willing to go against “trends” as far is
what’s selling currently–if you like the project enough?
(one could argue that my novel goes against
current YA trends?) how much of it is gut instinct
and how much is business savvy for you?
bill : I prefer email queries which allow for
instant consideration if I am before the screen,
which is much of the day…and night. I work
out of my apartment in New York about 15
minutes walk from the main office in Times Square.
So my work days “bleed” into the night. And actually
it works out beautifully. On my own in my apartment/office
and yet totally coordinated and connected
with the main office. Thank God for modern technology.
And no need for hard copy submissions anymore.
I am looking for a fresh, smart voice, in control of
the story which has some resonance to today. A story
that hits the ground running with drama and
fully developed characters. Writers with a point of
view, something to say which will appeal to an audience
that enjoys wit and intelligence. In your case your
novel took me to a place and a time I have never seen
before. Editors are not looking for the familiar.
In the end, though, it is all so subjective. Business
savvy figures in but ultimately it’s a gut call. I
have to feel a personal connection to the writing in
order to take it on. Otherwise I could not sell with
enthusiasm in this very tough market for fiction and
nonfiction. And always it should be clear to the writer
that another agent might feel very differently.
None of this is a science.
When I receive a query I look immediately to the
author bio. Something that seems to show evidence
of that individual as a writer whether it is academic
credits or professional accomplishments. Having a blog
these days can be a very effective platform for a new
writer. What you did with your blog is very impressive.
You forged a network of writers and readers. And it was
a selling tool in our submission: you showed yourself
as a professional, savvy about the business and how
important networking is, with a talent for art and
a yen to write and illustrate a children book. Having
your art on your blog along with the voice helped close
the deal for three books, that included a contract for
your wish to write a children’s picture book.
cindy : thank you, bill. i do feel so lucky.
i love my writing, i love my art, i love this blog,
and for it to all come together seemed
like kismet!
i’m often asked what types of books you
like to represent. from your agentquery profile,
it seems your tastes run the gamut, and is
very eclectic. you mention being drawn
to books
that can be made into movies. from our chats,
i think you’re a very visual reader? do you like prose
that can bring strong visual images to mind?
bill : I am pretty open to anything that seems smart
and different…and saleable helps. The movie component
is just a bonus. It is not something I look for actually.
Though I do have the dramatic rights background and
can offer that to a writer.
(aside : agent bill is being modest.
he is the dramatic rights agent for such
authors as meg cabot and ursula le guin.)
cindy : with your background in working with the film
and television industry, what can you tell us about it?
it seems every movie is based on a book these days. but
you also hear of the book that took a decade to
be made into a film. (i guess what i’m really asking here,
bill, is when should i buy my dress for the red carpet?
haha! =)
bill : In the best of times the movie business is a roll
of the dice and the chance of something that’s been
optioned actually getting made are slim. There is a
high mortality rate for books in the development to
film process. I flagged FORREST GUMP for Warner in
the mid eighties after which they eventually optioned
it for development. Almost ten years later and at
another studio it finally became a movie. It is best
for an author to not count on anything film-wise, and
know that when they sign on the dotted line their creative
input is nil.
cindy : i admit to getting giddy any time you mention
film rights, bill. but i always abide by my “expect nothing,
be pleasantly surprised” motto. finally, what is one of
your favorite parts about being an agent?
bill : I love the freedom. And of course the opportunity
to constantly learn. Each work is a new world. And the
people are often fascinating.
cindy : thank you so much for taking the time from
your super busy schedule for this interview, bill! and
i’m sure my readers appreciate it as well. cheers!
33 Comments
Great interview, Bill and Cindy.
Thanks for sharing.
you guys are such a cute fit. like a dream author/agent scenario!
That was a great surprise, Cindy!
Thanks for takign the time to do that, Bill. Very informative.
Excellent interview, Cindy & Bill. Very useful stuff for those writers looking for representation…and, C, I feel much the same way about my wonderful agent, Mitchell Waters (Curtis Brown) — he's a gem and the real deal!
BTW C, have you now finished with all your revisions/edits? I've been in DC on a work trip the last few days (with some exciting developments! I'll tell you about that later) and am only just checking back in now :)
Great interview!
Such great information. Thank you both for taking the time.
I want to chim in too! Bill is the best!!! ;o)
This was such a great interview! I’m going to link up right away!!!
Ok Cindy- next you will have to ask your fabulous editor to do an interview also!!!
jill, you were up as late as i was. thanks!!
moonie … =D
kiersten, i hope you found it helpful. it is indeed very subjective. many agents passed on me because i was too different to them. i’m so glad that agent bill did not.
juliette, my manuscript is in copyedits right now! and can’t wait to hear about the good news. ooooh!!!!
thanks, colby and natalie!!
hey agency sistah! i have asked virginia and she’s agreed. but schedule allowing…she is very very busy.
That’s an awesome interview, Cindy! Agent Bill is such a good match for you–lucky girl. :-)
Can’t wait to go “see” Silver Phoenix in the theaters, too.
Excellent interview. In all the agent infor out there, we don’t hear much about the movie and TV rights end. It was nice to get a little perspective on that.
amber, i think you landed yourself a great match agent, too. woooOOooo!!
stuart, agent bill def has a lot of experience in the book to film industry. it’s hard, but then, most of the films i see are mostly based on books still! even james bond! can’t wait for QUANTUM OF SOLACE.
duh duh … duh duh … (that was the
beginning of the bond theme, in case anyone is confused. haha!)
Oh Bond…now that I’m excited for.
Ah you guys are too cute – a perfect match! Thank you both for a fun and informative interview – especially the film rights content. Peace, Linda
This was great! Thank you so much Cindy and Bill. I am not sure who is more lucky! You both seem quite the “catch.”
Oh that was fun. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Cindy … Great interview.
natalie, yay! another bond fan!!
thank you, linda, sheri, kim and mark!!
Oh that is so cool that Virginia agreed too! I can’t wait! This was an excellent post so I’m sure one with your editor will be awesome also!
Very good interview! Thanks for posting this. I’m always hungry for more insider info. :)
I actually have a question for you, if you don’t mind.
Many times, in my research of agents, I find my way to Absolute Write. I have seen your name on there a few times talking about how you sent a “staus query” to agents to check up on your materials that had been out for a while.
I am not quite there yet, but in the event that I hit the six or eight week mark with some of these agents, I am curious to know what a status query would say. Is it just one line? Do you include your original query to refresh their mind?
Any advice would be great. Thanks!
renee, you’re asking about what i affectionately dubbed “the nudge of Rejection death”. =) i was impatient in the beginning and i’d say 4 out of the 5 nudges i did always resulted in a 24 hour rejection.
this was for both queries and partials. i did have ONE nudge a few months later after querying where she had not received my original query. when nudging, it’s always good to include the original email query. i’ve never done a nudge by post.
it’s not always bad news with nudges. but it’s better to err on the side of caution and wait longer. at least 8 weeks for queries. probably 12 for partials. fulls could take months. hopefully not, tho!
GOOD LUCK! glad you enjoyed the post. =)
Thanks Cindy. I am still at the beginning of this all, and I guess I’m being impatient. Querying is just bizarre in some ways, because every single agent works differently, so there is no way of knowing what to expect from any of them.
Oh well. I’ll take your advice to heart. Thanks again.
renee, the whole ride is pretty loopy–but worth it! feel free to PM me if you visited from a writing forum. =)
Thanks for the info, Cindy!
“When I receive a query I look immediately to the
author bio. Something that seems to show evidence
of that individual as a writer whether it is academic
credits or professional accomplishments.”
It’s comments like this that make me realize going to grad school and getting a masters in forensics was the best decision I could have made for myself as a writer.
IMO, it’s platform that gets your foot in the door more than anything else.
Great post Cindy and Bill! Thanks!
Cindy – -
I’m a writing friend of Ello’s so I followed her link to you!! Thanks so much for providing such close and intimate insights into the mind of an agent. I loved the comment about how much of it is just following your gut. Good Stuff!!
Many Thanks…and I can’t wait to read about the Editor perspective!!
Joy :)
A fascinating interview! Thank you Cindy and Bill for such great info. :)
Thanks so much for posting this, Cindy. Very informative.
Thanks Cindy (and Bill)
I can’t believe I haven’t bumped into you in bloglandia before, Cindy! I haunt many of the same fantastic blogs as you.
(clicked over from Absolute Write…if you were curious) =)
thanks, lainey! glad you visited and enjoyed the interview.
Thank you very much for posting this conversation. You’re inspiring to all of us wannabes!
Hey Cindy,
I was so glad when I found your blog article with Mr. Contardi. I have been sending out queries for a week now and he has requested my manuscript, along with two other big NY agencies. I was thrilled when Mr. Contardi agreed to take a look. Now, after reading your blog I feel even more confident about the choices I’ve made in query lettering…Thanks so much for the time you put into this…it’s been exciting to read.
jennifer, i’m so glad you found this useful! good luck to you! QUERY AND CONQUER!
An oldie but a goodie. Great interview for a great team!