Write Angles Conference 2011

Lindsay Edgecombe is an agent at the Levine Greenberg Literary Agency. She represents journalists, debut novelists, crafty sorts, and cartoonists, among many others. She loves to uncover new talent and to work with her clients to develop great proposals from the spark of an idea. Her authors have contributed to NPR’s This American Life, written for the New York Times, and have been on Oprah and The Daily Show. She was interviewed by Cheryl Malandrinos.

How did your time at Barnard College, Columbia University prepare you for your role at Levine Greenberg Literary Agency?
I loved Barnard and chose it because it was a place that has grown so many writers, from Zora Neale Hurston, to Mary Gordon, to Jhumpa Lahiri. I loved books before Barnard, but I was a much deeper reader by the time I left. The English Department was thrilling. There are some afternoons when I still long to sneak into lecture halls. The other thing that was incredibly helpful about Barnard was working as a writing fellow – helping other students talk through their papers. Great editorial training. It taught me to really believe in the process of turning a rough first draft into a great piece of writing. The work I do as an agent is very collaborative in that way.

Your client list is filled with socially conscious writers who tackle tough issues with fiction and nonfiction titles. Why are you drawn to this type of writing?
Hm, thanks for noticing that. I like tough, socially conscious, ambitious books. I think I like a challenge. But I also like and represent many other kinds of books – from stories that take me on some weird, internal, psychological journey, to illustrated books, to books that are just FUN and make me laugh. It’s wonderful, as an agent, to be able to work with such a range.

Can you describe your typical day?
Every day is different. Let’s see, I’m not a morning person, so every day starts with great coffee and the Times online. If the news is too terrible to wake up to, I highly recommend their travel slideshows. Once I get into the office, it’s a mix of pursuing writers I’ve come across and love, working with them to develop proposals (which I love doing), going out on submission, negotiating deals and contracts, and from there, working with editors and my authors on the editorial process, planning publicity, and everything else. Also dealing with any issues that come up, which they do, and working to get everyone on the same page. I’m also always meeting with editors – for lunch, drinks, etc, and thinking about what they’re looking for. Some of my favorite days, aside from the thrilling ones when I sell a book or something amazing happens, involve working at home and making the time to really devote to a proposal or think deeply about what to take on next.

Is there anything you are currently looking for?
Yes! I keep a running list of ideas. Any narrative nonfiction that’s almost too strange to be true. And great fiction.

What is one of the largest misconceptions out there about agents?
Tough question. Maybe that we’re all a little crazy? I’ve learned that I need to be an agent in my own way. Levine Greenberg is known for being tough negotiators, but also for being very collaborative and fair-minded.

How important is attending conferences when you are seeking representation?
Good question. I think that other agents may have different advice on this, but writers should know that I (and any agent) will read a fantastic and personal query letter. Email me; I may not be able to respond to everything, but if I’m interested, you’ll definitely hear from me. So I think conferences are most helpful not for meeting agents, but for learning how to craft a great pitch and for getting feedback about your project. Of course, many writers have found their agents at a conference as well. Another thing about conferences that can be helpful: get into a network of dedicated writers. Many of my authors say that that support has kept them going and made them better writers.

Do you have any advice for writers who pitch at conferences?
Publishing is a big game. (Your book is not a game.) Enjoy learning about it and don’t worry too much about critical feedback. Learn to take what’s useful, accept criticism gracefully, and then keep going.

Jessica Sinsheimer has been reading and campaigning for her favorite queries since 2004. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, she went east for Sarah Lawrence College and stayed for the opportunity to read soon-to-be books for a living. Now an Associate Agent at the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency, she’s developed a reputation for fighting office members to see incoming manuscripts first – and for drinking far too much tea. She was interviewed by Cheryl Malandrinos.

How did your various internships prepare you for your role at the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency?
I was lucky enough to see a large range of workplaces before ending up in an office that’s ideal for me. I interned at an enormous agency that I sometimes jokingly compare to the Mad Men office – but without the cool vintage clothes — at a medium-sized publishing house with excellent books and overworked edit-staffers, and at a small, radical magazine that regularly received death threats. Having these experiences not only got me accustomed to the normal parts of agent life (evaluating incoming work, editing, making deals, taking care of clients) but showed me that there are so many different ways to approach these common tasks, and to approach work in general. I also happen to have the best boss in the world – I’ve been with the company for more than five years. And I’m pleased to say that we’ve never received a death threat.

Can you describe your typical day?
It starts before I even leave home. I usually make some French press coffee, check my work email, rush to the subway, read manuscripts on the train, check email when the train goes over the Manhattan bridge, get to work and make a cup of tea, and then settle in to really get started. Most of my day is spent, frankly, answering emails – that’s the main way I communicate with writers and editors. There’s usually at least one phone meeting, whether to talk strategy, go over my edits, or brainstorm with a writer or client. Sometimes there’s a lunch or coffee meeting with an editor. I feel lucky when I can spend 25 percent of the workday reading. After work, I read manuscripts while traveling and at home, and often attend a reading or other book or food event in the evening.

Is there anything you are currently looking for?
The easier question is probably what I’m not looking for. I’m not currently looking for picture books, short story collections, or poetry. Pretty much anything else is fair game. We care much more about quality than genre. That said, I’m especially fond of YA and MG (all subgenres), women’s fiction, mysteries, thrillers, and historical fiction – and, on the nonfiction side, memoirs, cookbooks and food memoirs, travel, psychology, self-help, and parenting.

What is one of the largest misconceptions out there about agents?
I think a lot of writers don’t realize – until they have an agent of their own – how much work goes into their project between signing an Author-Agent Agreement and sending the work out to editors. This is, in a way, my favorite time; I love to help works take shape and fulfill their potential – but it doesn’t happen instantly. There was one outlier where I made an offer on the book on a Tuesday, did three rounds of edits, and sent it out the following Wednesday, but that’s unusual, and that author is, frankly, an overachiever – in the best way possible.

How important is attending conferences when you are seeking representation?
If it’s something you’re willing and able to do, yes, I think it’s very helpful. It’s always good to surround yourself with creative people, to meet potential critique partners, to find writers who share many of your experiences. It’s also very important to see that agents and editors are, in fact, real people – seeing that we also come with occasional bad hair days and common coffee addictions will probably help calm you down before writing your query.

Do you have any advice for writers who pitch at conferences?
Have a conversation with us – don’t just read us your query. We can read that any time, but having a sit-down with an agent is something that may, depending on where you live, and when and if you’re signed, not happen again for years. I also love it when writers come in and say, “Hi! I heard ______ about you and that’s why I can’t wait to pitch you” versus “Hi. You’re an agent. Guess you’ll do. Let me read you my pitch…”