III. NOVEL GENRES AND TRENDS

What kinds of youth novels are selling well? How are raw, edgy, issue-driven novels faring now compared to recent years?

In many ways, the boom in the young adult genre has paved the way for many improvements and space for middle grade fiction. The influx of young adult novels of recent years has made editors very cautious about what they will and will not publish. It’s no longer enough to have a strong voice; all the elements must be present. For example, a vampire book would have to be pretty extraordinary to sell right now. Of course, this is just one agent’s opinion.

It’s really the writing that has to shine in issue-driven books—edgy or otherwise. If the topic is fresh and the writing superlative, the publisher will buy it. Nevertheless, the glut in the young adult market of five to eight years ago certainly did allow for a wider range of issues to be tackled—such as OCD, anorexia, and so on.

Common plots in teen novels include the quest or journey, adventure and survival, coming of age, the underdog and bullied, romance, and mysteries—interwoven with friendship and family. Are these elements timeless?

Yes, if done in such a way that keeps with contemporary themes, dialogue and temperament.

In Writing for Young Adults, Sherry Garland notes a paradox: “The more unique and controversial your story and characters, the more likely the book will be acclaimed. Yet... the more difficult it will be to find a publisher, given the risk of censorship and resistance by schools.” Which kinds of controversial books, if any, will you represent?

This kind of controversy doesn’t factor into my decision-making process. While institutional markets have always been the bread and butter of children’s publishing, they do not control it. If I find a... book that I love with a topic that is off the beaten path, I will do my best to sell it.

A workshop enrollee asks: “We’re taught that novelists must balance narrative, dialogue, characters’ thoughts and action. Many recent acclaimed children’s books are heavy on narrative. Examples: E.L. Konigsburg’s The View from Saturday and A. LaFaye’s Edith Shay. Also, Karen Cushman’s The Midwife’s Apprentice and Catherine, Called Birdy (in diary form) are full of excellent period detail. The Midwife’s Apprentice had lots of narrative and almost a fairytale quality. I didn’t get a strong sense of the main character’s personality in these books, though I like them. Many acclaimed books seem to break the rules.” How effective is narrative that tells instead of shows the story?

I find from editors’ responses that books they deem expository, and are almost completely devoid of dialogue, rarely get anywhere. While I would consider Konigsburg and master craftspeople as exceptions, I would likely say that for most authors a lot of inside-the-head, stream-of-consciousness writing is not the way to an editor’s heart. Some might disagree, and I hope they do.
 
How do you judge if a novel with a teen protagonist is best suited for the adult or YA market? Must a writer decide this before submitting to an agent (you)?

Crossover books, as a general matter, are wonderful. Nevertheless, if you are submitting to an agent who deals explicitly in YA or children’s, the protagonist must be a teenager or a child. I would say there is no hard-and-fast rule—some books that writers think are for the adult market are, in my opinion, young adult books (e.g., Catcher in the Rye). It also works in the opposite direction, where a character is too old and the setting is not conducive to hooking a teenage reader.

Take, for example, a relatively new book from Frances Foster Books at Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, Someday This Pain will be Useful to You by Peter Cameron. Frances Foster Books is, as far as I know, a young adult imprint. But I found it on the adult shelf in the bookstore and think it’s just fabulous as both an adult and young adult book. The protagonist is 18; the writing is exquisite.

 IV. PERSONALLY SPEAKING...

How has meeting writers at workshops or conferences influenced you?

I’ve had some great experiences at these events. They’ve influenced me in a really positive way,  allowing me to interact with the many names behind query letters, submissions, etc. Too, these events have given me a very real window into the serious fervor which encompasses aspiring writers. This element can be invigorating and inspiring, and a good reminder of why I get up every morning and do what I do. At present, I look forward to meeting novelists at the 2008 Pacific Coast Children’s Writers Workshop.

Advice for conference attendees re: your critiques?

To get the most for your time and money (and to support your love of writing), consider my comments in a professional way. Though mine is only one opinion, avoid the temptation to argue. For example, don’t tell me: “J.K. Rowling did thus-and-so. Why can’t I?”

How would you describe your author-agent relationships? Are you a “hands-on, editorial agent,” or more of a business-end-of-it type agent?

Ninety-eight percent of the time I’m a hands-on agent. But every relationship is different; I’m as hands-on or hands-off as the writer wants me to be. Mostly with debut novels, I tend to be more involved; but, with seasoned pros such as M.E. Kerr, I consider myself more on the business side of her writing—as she prefers.

What do you like most about your job?     
 
First off, I really enjoy the family atmosphere that surrounds me at McIntosh & Otis. We have such a rich history (established 1928), but also a great desire to move swiftly into the future. I get great support from the powers-that-be and, of course, from my great assistant agent, Cate Martin.

What I perhaps like most is making phone calls to new authors to tell them we’ve received an offer for their books. There is no liquor in the land that can replace that feeling, knowing that I’ve helped affect change in someone’s life, and believed in that writer before anyone else did. That’s rewarding in and of itself.

What’s your underlying philosophy about agenting children’s books?

Like most people in the children’s book field, I believe that what we’re doing is important. In this digital age of public entertainment (whether it be movies, video games or even sports), these are all public happenings. And, let’s face it, when you are a kid you’re for the most part reliant on adults for everything—you can’t drive so you depend on them for transportation, you don’t work so you don’t have money of your own; you get the drift.

But no one looks over kids’ shoulders as they read. Books are the last bastion of the private in an increasingly public world. A book is something that children or young adults can say is all their own, and this is a beautiful thing. In an age when personal ownership is almost non-existent, books can soften the blow that is teenager-dom.

Also, among adults, books are less suspect than other forms of youth entertainment and expression—reading in bed with a flashlight is a far less punishable offense than being caught up late watching TV (or worse). Books, in fact, got me through my own teen years.

What would you like writers to know about you, the individual who scrutinizes (and sometimes rejects) their literary labors of love?  

I am an honest guy and I like to think a good guy. I wish writers knew that although I’m extremely passionate about what I do, and have a real belief that book agenting is what I’m meant to do career-wise, it is still my job. I have a boss just like everyone else, and at the end of the day head home to my beautiful, brilliant, supportive wife—who, by the way, puts up with me partly because she’s creative (a painter) herself.

Lastly, I look at each submission with the utmost care and respect, but there are several different factors (not just talent) that I must take into account when deciding whether to offer representation. There are only so many hours in the day, and I can’t take on everything I like.

There are often projects that I have turned down and continued to think of weeks after, but that’s just the name of the game. It is never a personal affront on the aspiring writer, more simply a self-inventory I’ve taken as to whether I think I can sell the book and be a proper advocate for it in the increasingly competitive marketplace.

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