Agents in the Afternoon: A Q&A with Literary Agent Rachel Ekstrom

By - August 23, 2013

It's lunch time, the perfect time for me to introduce you to someone important in my life an career (if for the only reason that it's when she might have to seconds to drop in with us!).  I'm excited that my own agent, Rachel Ekstrom, is here to kick off the AGENTS IN THE AFTERNOON segment of TRADE THE DAY! Don't forget to check out the bottom of this post for another giveaway from award-winning historical fiction author G.J. Berger and a special offer from thriller author Jenny Milchman. Also...

 

Now, please say hello to my agent, Rachel Ekstrom.  On with the Q&A!

CM:  In a query letter, what is the most likely to get you the most excited about requesting an author’s work?

RE:  For me, a query letter needs to do the basic job of presenting the book concept and genre succinctly and introducing the author's credentials in a way that is basically readable. Yes, a flourish here and there that reveals the author's unique voice is nice, but writing an amazing book, especially fiction, is quite a different skill from crafting a query letter.  So as long as the query makes sense and is not rude or offensive in some way, I decide to request more after reading the sample pages.   

CM:  Is there any personal pet peeve in a query letter that makes you more likely to reject it besides those standard red flags regarding word count, sending queries for genres the agent does not represent, etc.?

RE:  My main pet peeve is when people send their pages or query letter as an attachment. I won't open those, to avoid computer viruses, which is a pretty standard practice on most literary agencies' websites.  Also, if I see that an author has cc'd every other agent in the world, including all the other agents at Irene Goodman, that reflects on the professionalism of that person and I'm less likely to want to read their work.  It's fine to do multiple submissions, but that's not the way to go about it. 

CM:  Speaking of, the agency website lists that you represent, “young adult, women’s fiction, new adult, mysteries, thrillers, romance, and the occasional quirky work of nonfiction.”  Could you elaborate on any specific sub-genres or concepts you’re most interested in?

RE:  I'm doing more New Adult, which is an emerging category--but I want something fresh and not just a clone of what's already out there and doing well.  As for young adult, I'm very open to all kinds, but I'm not the best fit for paranormal YA with creatures we've seen a lot of--vampires, daemons, etc.  For mysteries I like unusual sleuths and a crime that reveals the greater problems/secrets within the community in the book.  I'm more into Gillian Flynn-like psychological thrillers rather than books with exploding helicopters & Dr Evil-like bad guys.  No matter the genre, I do tend to gravitate to books set in the South and books that make me laugh.

CM: Some agents don’t like serial killer novels, some would rather not read unicorns.  Is there anything that you just don’t like to see in a premise?

RE:  I'm really very open because it's all about the writing and how the subject manner is handled.   However, horrible things happening to babies and animals just for shock effect make me stop reading.  

CM:  Is there anything in particular you’re looking to represent that you are just waiting to find in your slush pile?

RE:  I love to be surprised by the creativity I find in my slush pile--some plots or concepts I could just never have imagined, especially in YA.  I'd love to find the next Gone Girl in adult or YA, novels with environmental or social justice themes that aren't preachy, something set in Paris or another city rich in history, but something dark, told through the eyes of a narrator with a different background than the typical "gorgeous American woman skipping through the Louvre and finding love."  (I like those kind of books too, but I think there are plenty of them already)

CM:  How would you describe your personal agenting philosophy? 

RE:  I'm an agent because I believe in the power of great books to change lives in large and small ways.  What could be better than being part of the process of the discovery of a book, finding the right publisher for it, and ushering it into the world?

CM:  What do you expect from an agent-author relationship?

RE:  Honesty, communication, and hard work on both ends.

CM:  There is sometimes a feeling of competition, it seems, between authors who self-publish and authors who are traditionally published. As someone with knowledge of industry trends and their effects on authors, from where do you think this “feud” stems?  What are your thoughts on the competitiveness?

RE:  I represent some "hybrid" authors, which means they publish traditionally and do some self-publishing.  It's all about what's right for the author in terms of career goals, skill set, financial needs, etc.  I think authors should focus on their individual craft and career, and not worry about what others are doing.  Competition can motivate some people, but I believe that writing and promoting the best book you can is a better strategy for success than constantly comparing yourself to others in terms of sales ranking, awards, review coverage, size of advance, and other factors.   

CM:  What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?

RE:  I can play the melodica--badly!

CM:  What’s the best book you’ve ever read and why?

RE:  The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon. It captures all the feelings of youth, possibility, confusion, and love in a certain time--and I also read it as a love letter to Pittsburgh, my hometown.

CM:  If your house caught fire, what are the four things (rather than people) you’d save?  (Because everyone asks “three,” and I think you should get four!)

RE:  1 & 2.  My two cats, Murray and Velcro
3. My husband's paintings (as many as I could carry)
4. My passport

CM: What is your favorite word?

RE:  Does "Nutella" count?  Let's go with the more literary-sounding "cerulean."  

CM:  Least favorite word?

RE:  "Interface" when used to describe interactions between human beings.

CM:  What is one piece of advice you would give to writers seeking an agent that we have yet to talk about?

RE:  To all those authors out there seeking agents: it can take time to find an agent who falls in love with your work, which can be frustrating and makes it hard to keep momentum going on  a new project.  I just heard Stella Cameron speak at the PNWA conference, and she said that rejections didn't bother her that much when she was starting out, because she always had something new she was sending out or working on.  I think this is good advice, because the more you write, the better writer you'll be. I'd also suggest joining a community of other writers, either in person or online, to form a support network that will help you when you're feeling discouraged, and celebrate your successes with you.  

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ABOUT RACHEL:  Rachel Ekstrom’s decade of experience working in the publicity departments at St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Penguin’s Dutton and Gotham imprints has given her an insider’s view of the publishing industry. With a knack for book promotion, she’s honed her skills building the careers of debut authors and #1 New York Times bestsellers. Rachel is passionate about a variety of genres, including young adult, women’s fiction, new adult, mysteries, thrillers, romance, and the occasional quirky work of nonfiction. She's looking for books that will make her heart beat faster than it does when she's biking through Manhattan traffic.

Find out more about Rachel and the Irene Goodman Literary Agency at www.irenegoodman.com , IGLA on Facebook , or IGLA on Twitter.

 

With An Additional Giveaway From

G.J. BERGER

 

***Two commentors on this post will win an autographed hardback copy of South of the Burnt Rocks from historical fiction author G.J. Berger. So, don't forget to comment!***

***AND FOR WRITERS: one lucky commenter will win a 50 page critique of your manuscript by award-winning author by G.J. Berger!  PLEASE NOTE: To be entered to win the manuscript crituque, please add "WRITER" at the top of your comment.***

ABOUT SOUTH OF THE BURNT ROCKS:  SOUTH OF THE BURNT ROCKS is the winner of the 2013 San Diego Book Awards for Historical Fiction.

After three great wars, Rome has crushed Carthage. Now the undefended riches of Iberia beckon–gold, tin, olives, wine, and healthy young bodies to enslave. “Burnt Rocks”, a mostly true historical novel portrays Celtic fighting women making a last stand against the Roman army. Armed with little more than the spirits of the earth and sky, they show a courage known only to those with nothing left to lose. Based on real characters, places, and events, “Burnt Rocks” recreates that shadowy history–and eternal human nature rubbed raw. Find out more at www.gjberger.com.

 

 

A Special Offer From  

JENNY MILCHMAN

 

***For Writers: All day today, in honor of TRADE THE DAY, thriller author Jenny Milchman is offering a query letter critique to five people who purchase The Trade today on StairwayPress.com . For your chance to win, Enter Promotional Code TRADE THE DAY when you purchase your copy of The Trade by Colby Marshall today on StairwayPress.com to benefit the Leukemia Lymphoma Society***

 

Comment for your chance to win G.J.'s giveaways with an e-mail for contact if you win, and be sure to include "WRITER" at the top of your comment if you're interested in the beta critique!

 

What is your biggest agent conundrum?