The agency was founded in order to better serve and support her authors and create an agency with a lasting positive impact in the world of publishing. Because it doesn't matter at the end of the day if a book ranks #2 on Amazon because it sold 1,000 copies in one day but it never sold anymore or very few. Nonfiction/Environment J. Biemer So rock me with your crime fiction and suspense, your genre bending reads, and your love stories. If you need to flag this entry as abusive. There are a lot of Indie authors who want to stay Indie. Her novel is literary women's fiction, and we are in the process of selling it now. Sasha Vasilyuk Michelle BrowerPhoto Credit: Folio Literary Management. Working out of Aevitas Creative Management's New York office, Brower handles every aspect of the business track of a book's journey, from contract negotiations with domestic publishers to foreign and film sales. Get answers to this, and many more agent questions at QueryTracker. It depends on how strong a character is. If you're an Indie author looking for an agent, take note! Michelle Brower has spent over fifteen years as an agent, first at Wendy Sherman Associates and most recently as a partner at Aevitas Creative Management. If the intern likes something, they tell Brower. Michelle Witte - Mansion Street Literary Management | QueryTracker Start, renew, or give a subscription to Poets & Writers Magazine; change your address; check your account; pay your bill; However, readers didn't necessarily read the other two books because the character wasn't in it. Agent Interview with Michelle Brower: On Pitch Sessions, Her Dream 2022 Aevitas Creative Management. View the complete profile for Michelle Brower Literary Agentand every other book agent in ourDirectory of Literary Agents. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. The original title was Little Twitch. Some of those "other reviews" have made a big difference for authors. . We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Sally Franson But, if you look back at the numbers I gave you about my slush pile (see Part II) we just can't. Q:If you had one message for Indie authors, what would it be? As a reader, Im naturally attracted to literary fiction with particularly propulsive storylines. Jacquira Diaz Genres: Humor/Satire. Our audience trusts our editorial content and looks to it, and to relevant advertising, for information and guidance. In this Part II of my interview with literary agents Jeff Kleinman and Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management, they open up about industry numbers that tend to grab their attention by sharing the importance of Amazon rankings, reviews, price points, and book sales. At Trellis Literary Management, she works closely alongside Michelle Brower. Let the world know about your work by posting your events on our literary events calendar, apply to be included in our directory of writers, and more. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Our series of subject-based handbooks (PDF format; $4.99 each) provide information and advice from authors, literary agents, editors, and publishers. If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Before contacting an agent, authors should verify and assess the agent's requirements and suitability by visiting the agent's website(s), and We offered two kinds of services to potential clients: LITERARY REPRESENTATION. DO NOT QUERY THIS AGENT AT THIS TIME: Michelle is not currently accepting unsolicited submissions. May 2, 2008. Research more than one hundred agents who represent poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers, plus details about the kinds of books theyre interested in representing, their clients, and the best way to contact them. Having connections is better than a platform because, honestly, when one of my authors recommends a friend who's in their writing group, I pay attention, even if they're not always for me. QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. For self-published authors, I would generally recommend starting with a little bit higher price point, but getting sales so that the rankings improve. Marcela Fuentes Elise Hooper Elizabeth represents numerous New York Times bestsellers, and both Agatha and Edgar Award winners and nominees. Ultimately, when presenting to a publisher, I provide a cross-section. I signed with Don Fehr at Trident Media and a short time later I had a publishing contract! QueryTracker will not function correctly without javascript. I want something where the natural setting is almost a character in the book. Tara Conklin, Kirstin Chen, Hazel Gaynor, Jason Mott, Erika L. Sanchez, Commercial Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction. But, a book's price point is also important. Our agents and staff share a vision for new growth in literature. Establish new connections and enjoy the company of your peers using our searchable databases of MFA programs and writers retreats, apply to be included in our directory of writers, and more. We had a long discussion about it, and he is now sitting down and reworking the outline. Michelle Brower Literary Agent began her agenting career at Wendy Sherman Associates, and was with the agency for 15 years, after graduating from New York University with a MA in American and British Literature. Here's my #mswl for the year: obv, your transcendent literary works. Little Twitch will be published in Spring 2019. The other example, which is a very different way of going about landing an agent, occurred while I was working with an author who published her first novel with a major publisher 10 years ago. Michelle Brower (@michellebrower) / Twitter She did: The Book of Speculation. Fiction/Mainstream K. Cox 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. I am fortunate to be working with Michelle Brower, formerly of Folio Literary Management but now at Zachary Shuster Harmsworth. Discover historical sites, independent bookstores, literary archives, writing centers, and writers spaces in cities across the country using the Literary Places databasethe best starting point for any literary journey, whether its for research or inspiration. Beginning to End is a new series from Spine following a book idea from acquisition to bookshelf. ): Maggie Shipstead, Lily King, Louise Erdrich, Deesha Philyaw, Kiley Reid, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Kazuo Ishiguro, Yaa Gyasi, Celeste Ng, Jennifer Egan, Shirley Jackson, Ann Patchett, Sarah Waters. Download our free app to find readings and author events near you; explore indie bookstores, libraries, and other places of interest to writers; and connect with the literary community in your city or town. When we asked what Poets & Writers could do to support their writing practice, time and again writers expressed a desire for a more tangible connection to other writers. Swyler's short story Transcontinental, published in the journal Anderbo, weaves together the narrative of a dying love affair with that of a kitten stuck inside the walls of an apartment building. Successful Queries: Agent Michelle Brower and 'Breathers' Apply today to join the growing community of writers who stay in touch and informed using the Poets & Writers Directory. Memoir/Inspirational L. Subramani Find information about venues that host readings and author events, including bookstores, bars, cafes, libraries, literary arts centers, and more. Michelle Brower is on our list of Book Agents Seattle (publishing agents in Seattle), Book Agents Washington (publishing agents in Washington),Book Agents USA (publishing agents in the United States),Fiction Book Agents (publishing agents who represent fiction authors), Young Adult Book Agents (publishing agents who represent YA books for teens),and Nonfiction Book Agents (publishing agents who represent nonfiction, not just novels). Find Michelle Brower online at Aevitas's "Our Team" page aevitascreative.com/agents and on Twitter @michellebrower. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests database, the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere. Watch videos, listen to audio clips, and view slideshows related to articles and features published in Poets & Writers Magazine. Find information about how Poets & Writers provides support to hundreds of writers participating in literary readings and conducting writing workshops. Catherine Nichols Also on my #mswl, I want some really good commercial fiction. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Because of these factors, we find the e-book market to be very price sensitive. Join Facebook to connect with Michelle Brower and others you may know. Childrens/YA L. Moe. Danya works as a literary agent for one reason: she loves books. Michelle Brower Literary Agent is honored to work with authors who have received a variety of accolades, including: National Book Award finalists, NY Times Bestsellers, and Read with Jenna, Target, and Barnes and Noble book club selections. Indie Authors Seeking an Agent: Take Note! Q&A With Literary Agents #mswl I want a deep, smart, sharp, scathing version of chick lit. Online, you can find her at susannabaird.com and on Twitter @SusannaBaird. #MSWL and authors and characters of diverse backgrounds (economic, too). This series has more than 170 interviews so far . Jason Mott Part of HuffPost News. I'm doing my best to create a fertile, creative area for my author to work in. I'm generally looking for a book with upwards of 100 reviews, and that they're good reviews because certainly if a book has 200 reviews with several 2 star reviews, that won't interest me. Simone Gorrindo Michelle Brower - Trellis Literary Management | QueryTracker Michelle Brower Literary Agent is a book agent with Trellis Literary Management with offices in New York City. Related: Spine Podcast, Interview with Erika Swyler. She's the founder of the Salem Longform Writers' Group, and serves on the Salem Literary Festival committee. Food and Cookbooks. Soon, Swyler signed on with Brower, and the book sold. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Kathy Wang She's tackling things such as foreign sales and film sales. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. She approaches every novelher own and her clients with a determination to elevate the technical aspects of the story, to edit thoughtfully and carefully until each book shines. She loves reading books, she loves editing books, she loves the people who write them. In this Part III of the series from my interview with literary agents Jeff Kleinman and Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management; they continue to shed light on the industry by discussing what compels them to sign an author and how willing they are to edit. "It's perfectly reasonable if an author is in the middle of a manuscript. Jeff: The reality is, it's a brave new world of publishing, and agents are only one part of it. View the profiles of people named Michelle Brower. She co-founded Trellis Literary Management in 2021 in order to better serve and support her authors and create an agency with a lasting positive impact in the world of publishing. #MSWL I have wanted this for a long time, but still haven't found it: I want a literary love story with a happy ending. Michelle Brower, Literary Agent | Duotrope Home Literary Agents List Most Searched Book Agents Michelle Brower Literary Agent Book Agents List. Also included is information about more than fifty MA and PhD programs. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. I think that at 100 reviews, a book doesn't have the sales yet to necessarily translate into traditional publishing. Available in print and digital editions, Poets & Writers Magazine is a must-have for writers who are serious about their craft. Search for jobs in education, publishing, the arts, and more within our free, frequently updated job listings for writers and poets. Interviews with this agent from across the web. All Rights Reserved. With a writer she's already representing, such as Swyler, Brower gets involved early with a manuscript, though she keeps her touch light. We just don't know how to find that specific audience. For example, Darcie Chan had a Kirkus Review that ended up really launching her. Dear Michelle Brower: "I spent two days in a cage at the SPCA until my parents finally came to pick me up. . "One of my intern tasks is keeping an eye out for writers who seem promising," Brower told Spine. Her primary interests include literary fiction, women's fiction, historical fiction, romance, mystery/suspense, and memoir, along with narrative non-fiction, history and current affairs. Aline Ohanesian Heather Young Success Story Interview | QueryTracker Find information about more than two hundred full- and low-residency programs in creative writing in our MFA Programs database, which includes details about deadlines, funding, class size, core faculty, and more. Memoir. She really was a blind submission. Michelle Brower of Aevitas represents Swyler; Bloomsbury will publish Little Twitch next year. Clare Beams Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Michelle Brower: Photo Courtesy of Folio Literary Management. Something about it drew me to it," Brower said. She co-founded Trellis Literary Management in 2021 in order to better serve and support her authors and create an agency with a lasting positive impact in the world of publishing. She loves the business of publishing, and she comes to both her writing and agenting careers with a sense of dedicated focus. I'm hungry for a book where I gnaw on the sentences and wander around the house sniffling with emotions for a few hours afterward. Tyrell Johnson Poets & Writers lists readings, workshops, and other literary events held in cities across the country. Tsering Lama "Agent Advice" (this installment featuring agent Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management) is a series of quick interviews with literary agents and script agents who talk with Guide to Literary Agents about their thoughts on writing, publishing, and just about anything else. Rickey Fayne If a book has 250 reviews with 4 and 5 stars, and 70,000 in sales, this author has a lot of promise. What Compels an Agent to Sign an Author? Q&A With Literary Agents Jeff #mswl Some really, really grounded science fiction would be nice, with a literary bent. Allison Malecha Director of Foreign Rights Literary Agent. When not wrangling words, she spends time with her family, mostly trying to pry the cat's head out of the dog's mouth, and helps lead The Clothing Connection, a small Salem-based nonprofit dedicated to getting clothes to kids who need them. For self-published books, I don't know that it takes an immediate platform, but what it takes is a lot of engagement, especially community engagement. Laura Guidry I think both of those scenarios can work. One author I signed earlier this year came through my slush pile. I'm that kind of reader. Q&A With Literary Agents Jeff Kleinman and Michelle Brower (Part II of III). Michelle Brower has spent over fifteen years as an agent, first at Wendy Sherman Associates and most recently as a partner at Aevitas Creative Management. Successful Queries: Agent Michelle Brower and "The Handbook for Michelle Brower Founding Partner Literary Agent. Research newspapers, magazines, websites, and other publications that consistently publish book reviews using the Review Outlets database, which includes information about publishing schedules, submission guidelines, fees, and more. I haven't read a LITERARY romance that isn't Jane Austen. Michelle: We tend to put reviews into two sections: customer reviews from Amazon or GoodReads only and "other reviews," because we know there are a lot of services out there providing reviews. So, it's not going to be just about the author. Fiction/Christian K. Sargent Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter. Ill be in touch with information about my new book, event appearances, and more. Sign up to get The Time Is Now, as well as a weekly book recommendation for guidance and inspiration, delivered to your inbox. Julia Wertz Id like to see more underrepresented writers published in all of these spaces, particularly in the crime sector. Childrens/YA C. Plum-Ucci For more information about her wishlist and the submission process, please visit trellisliterary.com. I think that's a great choice for many of them. She is now a founding partner of Trellis Literary Management, which was established in 2021. Hazel Gaynor Michelle Brower of Aevitas represents Swyler; Bloomsbury . What can I do to prevent this in the future? This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Back in 2012, her intern delivered up Erika Swyler. In this Part II of my interview with literary agents Jeff Kleinman and Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management, they open up about industry numbers that tend to grab their attention by sharing the importance of Amazon rankings, reviews, price points, and book sales. Author: Elia Anie. But, about halfway through it disintegrated. Copyright Poets & Writers 2023. If an author has a series, that can definitely help, but I also think it's just the book. View the covers and contents of every issue of Poets & Writers Magazine, from the current edition all the way back to the first black-and-white issue in 1987. Her writing has appeared in a variety of publications, including Boston Magazine, BANG!, Failbetter, and Publishers Weekly. Michelle is honored to work with books that have received a variety of accolades, including NY Times Bestsellers, National Book Award finalists, and Read with Jenna, Target, and Barnes and Noble book club selections. #MSWL I also want a locked room mystery! Get in touch. Heather Webb David Heska Wanbli Weiden The 34th installment in this series is with agent Michelle Brower (Folio Literary) and her author, Michele Young-Stone, for the . Those could have halo effects. Jake Keiser Heather Young. Alex Brunkhorst Michelle Brower has spent over fifteen years as an agent, first at Wendy Sherman Associates and most recently as a partner at Aevitas Creative Management. Thanks joycesherry, 1/9/23: Form query, 95K historical mystery. Jamey Bradbury The stigma of bringing your undead son home to . It's actually the author who is the brand. Did she have a book in the works? Rita Chang-Eppig Why do I have to complete a CAPTCHA? Write like Elena Ferrante, with all the romance beats and a happy ending.#MSWL, Since the political atmosphere is most likely going to get me retreating to a cozy book cave any minute now, I have a request #MSWL, Wanted: literary sci fi novel. from shady practices. Michelle: It's critical for an author to create a relationship with their readers by having more than one piece of material. As for free, if an author had 30,000 free downloads, we can't really use that as a number to determine whether or not it would translate well into the traditional market. Brenda Peynado Cari Scribner . News and updates to get a top literary agent, publisher, and book deal. She talks about books with the affection of someone who could spend all day reading, but most of Brower's daylight hours are devoted to the full stable of authors she represents. 2007-2023 QueryTracker. -- Michelle Brower. What stands out in a new novel? Find a home for your work by consulting our searchable databases of writing contests, literary magazines, small presses, literary agents, and more. Zaina Arafat Jeff: I have been known to sit down with an author, develop the concept with characters and an outline, and then they send me three chapters at a time. View Tweet Twitter @michellebrower. New York, NY 10010. Keziah Weir "I became the juggler of the various professional aspects of the book.". Reviews are intensely important for visibility. A good place to start is Writers Beware, a watch group that helps inform and protect authors Having Mark on your side is incredibly valuable." Literary Agent Interview: Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management 1. . Q: What compelled you to make offers to the last authors you signed? Amazon has algorithms I don't pretend to begin to understand, but one of the pieces is the number of reviews and at what level. The third one has a really, really great character that everybody wanted to read about. It's important for self-publishers to work at increasing reviews and hopefully having them snowball into more reviews and sales. It didn't do very well and her agent has since left the industry. "I just gave her my feedback about things I thought were interesting, working or not working. Practically speaking, I'm opening up to queries again in mid-January, exact date TBD, so watch this space. Or "I hoped you wouldn't notice." Also, if this exists, tell me so I can read it. Michelle Brower Literary Agent Book Agents List. Working with her has Michelle Brower has spent over fifteen years as an agent, first at Wendy Sherman Associates and most recently as a partner at Aevitas Creative Management. Brittany Bronson It's interesting. Lincoln Michel It was amazing. Michelle received her Masters degree in British and American Literature from New York University. Brower doesn't believe pressuring them will yield the best result, and so she simply stays in touch. Memoir/Women L. Lehr Jeff: Michelle is right because readers who like an author's Book X would also be interested in Book Y. I had an author who wrote three books, and the first two were stand-alone. Michelle Brower @michellebrower. Andrew Roe Nonfiction/Self-Help A. Goddard Price point matters because 50,000 sales is not just 50,000 sales. Scroll below to view this information FREE in our Directory of Book Agents. She also enjoys contemporary retellings of classic works, particularly by authors from underrepresented and marginalized groups. Whether you are an author on book tour or the curator of a reading series, the Literary Events Calendar can help you find your audience. What began as an interview with literary agents Jeff Kleinman, Founding Partner, and Michelle Brower, Senior Vice President, of Folio Literary Management turned into enough material for a three part Q&A series on what agents really want from authors. 50,000 sales at $.99 is one thing. She co-founded Trellis Literary Management in 2021 in order to better serve and support her authors and create an agency with a lasting positive impact in the world of publishing. The House Girl by Tara Conklin (William Morrow), Perfect Birds by Michele Young-Stone (Simon & Schuster), The Crows of Kusaka Town by JP Romney (Farrar, Straus Childrens), Helen of Sparta by Amalia Carosella (Amazon Publishing), Trails of the Earth by Mary Mann Hamilton (Little, Brown), The Homing Pigeons by Alex Brunkhorst (Mira), The Atomic Weight of Love by Elizabeth Church (Algonquin), The Home Place by Carrie LaSeur (William Morrow), Things Half In Shadow by Alan Finn (Gallery), The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor (William Morrow), Bourbon Empire: Whiskey and the Story of America by Reid Mitenbuler (Viking).