Following up from my Interview with a Senior Editor, I got in touch with Juliet Pickering of Blake Friedmann Literary agency, to get the scoop of what the work of a literary agent entails.
Did you ever at first consider working with books/in publishing?
I didn't, actually! I had no idea what I would do once I finished university; I was thinking I'd have to be a teacher but I didn't really like the idea of it (too exhausting - I have two sisters who teach!) and I'd had no introduction to publishing when I was growing up, so didn't think it was an industry for me. Luckily, when I was working at Waterstones (as I was finishing my degree), one of my fellow booksellers turned out to be an author with an agent, and he casually introduced me to her at a gig! When I found out that literary agenting existed, it sounded like the perfect job for someone who loves reading, so I was sold.
What do you enjoy most about being a literary agent?
Getting to know, and advocating for my authors. The job has a lot of tougher moments in terms of rejection or low sales or reporting bad news, so we (my authors, colleagues and I) take the wins wherever we can - big and small! There's nothing more exciting than calling an author to tell them we have an offer from a publisher, of course, but personally I also really like the small wins of improving their experience of being published along the way to publication. And when a book receives wider acclaim it's so exciting to see other people enjoy and celebrate it, too!
What do you look for in your submissions?
Something fresh, in terms of the way that the author is telling the story. After 21 years in agenting I've read a LOT of books (both published and unpublished!) so if a submission feels original then that's a real feat!
What skills do you regularly use?
I'm constantly trying to manage time, tasks, expectations, curveballs etc., so my skills are not just the obvious ones - editing, selling and negotiating - but scheduling, efficiency, admin, communication... I haven't nailed it, but I keep trying!
What is a book you wish you had represented?
Just the one?! Could I pick an author instead? I would have loved to represent Kate Atkinson, for being constantly surprising with her work. She wrote the most incredible debut novel with BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE MUSEUM, and has followed with more family stories, crimes stories, short stories, stories with alternative threads... She's inventive and refreshing, and an outstandingly clever writer, and I admire her hugely.
What advice would you give to people who want to become a literary agent?
Read everything, and don't be a snob! I started out thinking that you could chose exactly the genres you would work with, and that I'd be a literary fiction agent. I was an idiot! I get so much joy from my authors of all genres, and the main appeal of being an agent is that you represent any author you like, in any genre, and your list of authors can cover all sorts of books. Be open-minded when you start out, and you never know which opportunities might come your way.