Interview with Literary Agent Hilary Harwell KT Literary Agency

Hello, Readers!

Today, I have the privilege of giving you a look inside KT Literary Agency with an interview

featuring Associate Literary Agent Hilary Harwell. Hilary was an anthropology major, a jewelry artist, and a Cash Management Analyst until she interned at several literary agencies and found her calling—kid lit! Finally, she joined the team at KT Literary on August 2, 2016 where she is said to bring an editorial eye to the KT Literary slush pile. Hilary is also a writer of dark, whimsical fantasy and atmospheric horror for kids and teens. As a fellow writer, you can trust Hilary as an editorial agent. She is open to queries (instruction at the end of this interview) and her MSWL (Manuscript Wish List) can be found here . Hilary is on Twitter at: @HilaryHarwell 

KT (Kim Tomsic): Hi, Hilary! Thank you for e-meeting with me and for agreeing to answer my “fast five” questions. 

HH (Hilary Harwell): You bet! I’m happy to share. Thanks so much for having me.

KT:  Question number one, the oh-so-important ice breaker: Imagine it’s Saturday night and you MUST sing karaoke. There’s no backing out—the very life of your agency depends upon it; the life of your pet waiting at home depends upon it! What are you going to sing? (and by the way, what kind of pet is waiting/or do you wish was waiting at home?)

HH: Oh boy, I think I’d have to sing (rap?) some old school hip hop – a little Biggie or De La Soul perhaps? If I was forced to actually sing (for my cats’ lives), many of you would be in tears but I’d be yowling to the Lumineers. Their song Angela, specifically.

KT:  Yes! I love that you chose a Denver-based band!  Okay, moving on--luckily for querying authors, KT Literary’s website features query tips and the opportunity for authors to submit their query for public review and feedback. Examples make the rest of us wiser! (Readers, if you’d like to climb inside Hilary’s mind, you can read her very specific feedback  AT THIS LINK)  Since we have no query as part of this interview, what are the fast-five pieces of advice you can offer authors about successful querying? 

HH: 1. Make it concise and clear –edit and pare it down as much as possible 2. Make sure you give enough plot for the reader to understand what your story is about without giving the ending away 3. Personalize if you can – and by this I don’t mean, ‘I see from your website you’re open to YA.’ I get this too often and it doesn’t add to the query. I’d prefer to see you’ve done a little homework and that you have a specific reason for querying me. Otherwise, just skip it.  4. Choose 2 good comps – show me where your project will sit on the shelf and that you understand the industry.  5. Hook me! Make me care enough about your protagonist’s plight to want to read the opening pages. This includes what’s at stake if your protagonist fails. It’s a challenge, but if you can execute and provide a solid query and good opening pages, I’ll definitely be requesting more!

KT: Amazing advice found above!!!

KT Question three: I am a huge fan of Freaky Friday and any Freaky Friday-type book (like The Swap by Megan Schull). If you could have a Freaky Friday moment with any literary character, whose shoes would you step in and why?

HH: Honestly? Kaz Brekker aka Dirtyhands. I adore him and would love to crawl inside his shady little mind.

KT Question four: How do you divide your time between wearing your two hats—writer and agent? Also, it seems I opened this interview boldly claiming that you are an editorial agent, is that true? Lastly, what are books on craft that you recommend? (Yes, I’m sneaky—I just asked three questions, but who’s counting?)

HH: I am an editorial agent – I love partnering with authors to develop their projects as much as possible. I try to provide open-ended feedback (lots of questions and what ifs) that help authors engage and come up with their own solutions to the suggestions I make. After all, it’s your baby.

Craft books? Definitely The Anatomy of Story by John Truby. Another favorite is Stephen King’s On Writing. Oh, and Mary Kole’s Writing Irresistible Kidlit.

As far as managing my time, at the current moment my own writing has taken a bit of a back seat while I build my list at the agency. It’s not something I’ll ever let go of completely, but my passion for representing the work of others has my full attention.

KT Question five: What’s the difference between an agent and an associate agent AND what do you hope to find in your slush pile?

HH: An associate agent is basically the same as a junior agent. It’s the title given to a person who’s just getting started at an agency. A full agent is someone who has a longer tenure, but specific titles and the weight they carry can vary from one agency to the next.

Right now, I’d love to see some original dark fantasy – a la Leigh Bardugo and Maggie Stiefvater’s THE SCORPIO RACES. I love atmospheric horror and thrillers – please, please make me sleep with the light on. Beyond that, I’m always looking for stories told from diverse perspectives, am LGBTQ-friendly, and am hungry for these types of projects.

KT: Hilary, thank you so much for taking time for this interview!  

Hilary’s blog can be found at: https://haharwell.wordpress.com/

Hilary’s query tips: https://haharwell.wordpress.com/2017/02/16/query-tip-clarity/

HOW TO QUERY HILARY:

“I’m now open to queries, so please send me all your lovely middle grade and young adult projects. I have a penchant for fully-developed characters who leap off the page and into my heart (even if they’re not always the most lovable), for tightly plotted stories that show me new ways to look at the world, and for elegant prose. It is incredibly important to me to find stories told from diverse perspectives so that more children and young people can find themselves inside the pages of the books we help create.”

Hilary’s query guidelines can be found here.

I love when agents list books they love. Here’s Hilary’s reading list:

Books she loves: The Hate U Give, Exit Pursued by a Bear, Frost Blood, Caraval, The Diviners, The Blackthorn Key, Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, Out of My Mind, The Thickety, Anna and The French Kiss (and ISLA and LOLA), Open Road Summer, The Duff, We Were Liars, The Night Gardener, Rules for Stealing Stars, Salt to the Sea, The Wrath and The Dawn, The Scorpio Races, A Curious Tale of the In-Between, Seraphina and the Black Cloak, The Grisha Trilogy, I’ll Give You The Sun, Splendors and Glooms, A Snicker of Magic, The Graveyard Book, The Mysterious Benedict Society, An Untamed State, The Bourbon Thief, The Girl on The Train, Crank (anything by Ellen Hopkins)

Old Books she loves: Bridge to Terabithia, The Hobbit, Black Beauty, The Black Stallion series, Hatchet, The Call of the Wild, White Fang, Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Westing Game, James and the Giant Peach, THE BFG, IT, A Wrinkle in Time, The Secret Garden

Picture Books she loves: The Giving Tree, Dragons Love Tacos, The Day The Crayons Quit, Sir Pancake and Lady French Toast, Journey, What Do You Do With A Problem, The Secret Staircase, The Three Questions

Movies she loves: The Neverending Story, Willow, The Princess Bride, Usual Suspects, Reservoir Dogs, Silence of the Lambs, Tommy Boy, Monty Python’s The Holy Grail, Braveheart

More Starred Reviews for Melanie Crowder: Three Pennies

“Never, under any circumstances, tell anyone that you’re waiting for your mother to come back for you.” That’s Marin’s motto in ThreePennies by Melanie Crowder.

With her I Ching, three pennies, and a ceramic piggy bank, eleven-year-old Marin travels from foster home to foster home until she meets Dr. Lucy. The sweet, honest, earnest Dr. Lucy would love to adopt Marin, but only if Marin will let her in her heart, and the heart is a very important organ. Even though Dr. Lucy is a surgeon, she has a less-than medical explanation for the four chambers of the heart. She says she likes to, “…think each chamber is responsible for a different kind of love. One for family. One for friends. Maybe another for pets and really special teachers…” Dr. Lucy’s fourth chamber is saved for romantic love and that space is full, but Dr. Lucy goes on to say, “…the other three chambers of my heart still have lots of room left—the family chamber, and the friends one, and the one for pets, too. What about you? Do you have any room left? Not in the chamber you have saved for your mother, of course. But what about the pet one?”

Still, as much as Dr. Lucy tries, Marin just can’t let someone else be her mother, can she? With the clock ticking down to the court meeting for adoption proceedings, Marin starts a secret and clever hunt for her birth mother. Readers will fall in love with Marin, which makes it all the more worrisome as she dives head-first into danger!

Crowder’s writing is beautiful and engaging. If hearts had a chamber for loved books, then Three Pennies would fit perfectly in that chamber.

Don’t take my word for it. The stars shine bright from the reviewers, too:

STARRED REVIEW FROM KIRKUS: “As tectonic plates shift underneath San Francisco, 11-year-old Marin rearranges the spaces in her own heart for the woman who wants to be her mother. A beautifully written and thoroughly modern family breaking-and-making story. (Fiction. 9-12)”

STARRED REVIEW FROM SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: The language of this short and intense story is spare and evocative, and the chapters are brief and impressionistic. VERDICT This tender tale of human frailty tugs at heartstrings and will satisfy tweens who like to read with a tissue handy.

Where to buy:

Second Star to the Right

Book Bar

Boulder Bookstore (EVENT!  Book signing with Melanie Crowder, Tara Dairman, and Jeannie Mobley September 26, 2017 at 6:30 pm. Boulder Bookstore, Pearl Street, Boulder CO)

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

• Age Range: 8 - 12 years
• Grade Level: 3 - 7
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (May 2, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1481471872
• ISBN-13: 978-1481471879

Two Picture Books with Great Page Turns

Fact: The page turn is important. Librarians and story time readers select books that are engaging to their little listeners. Tired parents and grandparents often select books that don’t seem daunting and wordy, especially when they’ve promised three stories. And children and publishers select books they want to read over and over again. Key to everyone’s taste, cue the page turn: Did something happen on the page you’re reading that makes you excited to flip to the next page?

Two releases (one just a week old, and the other from 2016) that master the art of the page turn include WHOBERT WHOVER Owl Detective (Margaret K McElderry books  July 18, 2017) written by Jason Gallaher and illustrated by Jess Pauwels; and DEAR DRAGON (Viking Books for Young Readers, 2016)written by Josh Funk and illustrated by Rodolfo Montalvo.

WHOBERT WHOVER:  Whobert is a bumbling detective always on the search of his next case. And since he's searching for a clue, so is the picture book audience who is alerted (a-la Find Waldo) to figure out what's wrong starting on the very first page. Here, illustrator Jess Pauwels offers a lovely smorgasbord for the eyes. Throughout the story, she delivers colorful creatures with delightful expressions—art that truly inspires the reread. Book-lovers will want to comb the pages over and over again to search for what they might’ve missed—a worthwhile effort, especially when you find the spider and the crawdad!

Adding to the reread is the text, of course! Gallaher's mystery has page turns to guide readers through the necessary qualities of a good detective (find a clue, follow a trail, etc.), plus the fun play on colloquialisms make the story twice is fun to hear aloud (of course a fish says "Glurgle blurp").  Each page turn engages the child to be part of solving this mystery.

In short, it's sparse text, adorable illustrations, and the audience engagement factor makes WHOBERT WHOVER Owl Detective a winner!

DEAR DRAGON (Viking Books for Young Readers, 2016)written by Josh Funk and illustrated by Rodolfo Montalvo is another must-have for your personal library.

From the book jacket:

A sweet and clever friendship story in rhyme, about looking past physical differences to appreciate the person (or dragon) underneath.
"George and Blaise are pen pals, and they write letters to each other about everything: their pets, birthdays, favorite sports, and science fair projects. There’s just one thing that the two friends don’t know: George is a human, while Blaise is a dragon! What will happen when these pen pals finally meet face-to-face?"

"When I was a kid, my best friend was Josh Funk. Now he's becoming a friend to a whole new generation.”--B.J. Novak, author of The New York Times bestseller The Book With No Pictures

Dear Dragon may have more words than Whobert, still every single word matters. Furthermore, Dear Dragon's has an absorbing play between the words and the art; between what the pen pal reader assumes vs. what's really happening. The misunderstandings make the pages in the story flip faster and faster as excitement builds and readers wonder how this will resolve in the end.

Not only is Dear Dragon a fun read, but according to an Amazon reviewer, “The book is a good way to talk to children about finding similarities where we might otherwise only see differences.”

Watch Your Toes! I'm Reading COURTSHIP OF THE MONSTER UNDER THE BED by Barry Solway

Just like Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer written by Robert L. May, Courtship of the Monster Under the Bed by author Barry Solway started out as a poem created as a gift for his niece.

The beautiful text, unique approach and clever nature of Barry's story were all factors that helped spread the word of his work, and soon he was receiving standing ovations to the chorus of, "Read it again!" Barry had no choice but to turn the tale into beautiful picture book. Kids love this empowering story, and adults get a chuckle at each twist and turn. Courtship of the Monster Under the Bed is fresh, original, and full of delightful surprises. Trust me--you have not seen a book like this one!

In the spirit of giving, Barry is making the book available this coming weekend only (Friday, December 19, 2014-Sunday, December 21, 2014) as a free download. Of course I couldn't resist
purchasing a print copy, too.

Visit this link for both Kindle and print copies: CLICK HERE 

If you'd like to know more about Barry, please visit his website at http://www.barrysolway.com/

Dispelling the Rumors and Myths about Pitches, Queries and Synopsizes

Pitches, Queries, Synopsizes, Oh My!

Twitter is an amazing social networking tool that offers the opportunity to engage people with whom you wouldn’t meet unless traveling to a conference.   #Kidlitchat moderators Bonnie Adamson and Greg Pincus host a weekly forum for those interested in children’s literature. Authors (both published and unpublished), agents and editors show up online at 6 p.m. Pacific Time to discuss a weekly topic. In order to view the conversation a person need only login to Twitter and search #kidlitchat. To participate, type your tweet and add #kidlitchat to the end of your post. Because of the hashtag, both followers and non-followers will see your post if they are participating in the forum.  

Last night’s #kidlitchat covered a topic that often keeps writers up at night. Pitches, queries and synopsizes, oh my! The conversation covered the daunting question of what to include in your pitch to adequately express the essence of your 50,000 word manuscript while using only a few lines.  Here are highlights from the discussion:

Advice:

“Focus on major plot points. Clearly define character conflicts.” Debbie Ohi writes, draws kidlit/YA. Illus I'M BORED (@SimonKidsYA, 2012). Rep: Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown. 

“You always need a pitch. Even when your neighbor asks you "what's the book about?" Pitch=30-second commercial.” Kristine C. Asseline Author of contemporary YA & MG fiction & non-fiction. Organizer of Central MA Kid Lit Gatherings. Repped by Vickie Motter of Andrea Hurst Literary Management.

“One thing my crit group has joked about is writing each other's pitches. should do it!” Amber Keyser. Amber is the Go-to-girl & YA novelist for action-adventure transmedia saga, Angel Punk. Rep'd by Stephen Fraser. Wielding pen & pitchfork from Portland, OR.

“I have a 60-word limit on the summary reviews I write for publications. I try to write one before and after I finish a project.”  Also “Synopses = plot; queries = plot + emotion; pitches = hook + plot + emotion crammed on the back of a matchbook (or in a tweet!)”  David Elzey  David is a writer and reviewer of books for children and young adults, currently unagented, working on a YA comedy set in the 1970s called THE EROSION PROJECT.

“Synopsis is about the emotional arc: what the MC wants, the struggle to get it and the resolution.” Shevi Arnold. She also said, “Plot is this happened, then that happened. Emotional arc is about the meaning behind actions.”  Shevi is an Author and illustrator of the literary fantasy, Toren the Teller's Tale, and the humorous middle-grade novel, Dan Quixote: Boy of Nuevo Jersey. 

“My wisdom on pitches is here. press Kurtis Kurtis Scaletta is a kid lit author, online ed manager at @loftliterary, baseball fan, dad. Rumors that I'm building an army of robots to take over the world are unconfirmed.

“Great resource from Georgia McBride - head to http://YALITCHAT.org to see real pitches and responses from Agents and Editors.” Greg Pincus Greg Pincus writes poetry, novels, and screenplays, blog kidlit at gottabook.blogspot.com. He also talks social media strategy at the Happy Accident.· http://www.thehappyaccident.net

“Leave out all extraneous detail. Make sure you focus on what's at stake for your protagonist.” Danielle Rumore Danielle is a PR exec by day. Aspiring YA novelist by night. Part-time runner. Defender of boy books. Repped by John Rudolph of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.

“1st tip is to remember queries and synopses are different things. Queries should not try to tell "the whole story." And “For the pitch in your query letter, just the tease, not the resolution.” E.M. Kokie E.M. Kokie’s  debut YA novel PERSONAL EFFECTS to be published by Candlewick in 2012. Represented by Chris Richman of Upstart Crow.

“Agree with E.M. Kokie - queries are meant to "hook" someone. Get them interested enough to request MS - but don't tell too much!” Danielle Rumore

“For pitch-make sure you have something in there about what is interesting/different about either character or situation” Dee Garretson  Dee is the author of WILDFIRE RUN & WOLF STORM HarperCollins teacher's/bookclub guide http://bit.ly/gaYWr9 GARGOYLE IN THE SEINE, his. mystery, repped by Michele Rubin Writers House

“It's all about....who is this character? What do they love (and fear) more than anything?” Crissa Chappell Crissa is the author of TOTAL CONSTANT ORDER (HarperTeen). Next up is NARC (Flux summer 2012).

“Pitch=what is your book about? Synopsis=tell me the plot, who is the book about and what happens, including  the ending.” Jill Corcoran Jill Corcoran is a Literary Agent with Herman Agency. Editor of DARE TO DREAM...CHANGE THE WORLD, Kane Miller Books, Fall 2012.

“Even when I don't need official synopsis, I always write a pitch during process to keep writing on track.” Jody Feldman Author of books even boys will read. Thanks AZ and GA for making The Gollywhopper Games your winner! And look for The Seventh Level, now in paperback.

My favorite tweets of the night include advice for writing a one page, three paragraph query letter:

“@mimicross: @crissachappell my fav query formula is, The Hook, The Book, & The Cook, basically 3 paragraphs”

“The three paragraphs of a query are: 1)Why this agent 2)the book's hook 3)Why you” Shevi Arnold.

Questions:

Q: “I've been told not to ask questions in the pitch/hook. Agents/editors please weigh in on that.” Julie F Hedlund, Julie is Author of Children's Picture Books + Freelance Writer, Essay Writer, Travel Writer.  

A: “Don’t ask questions in your pitch/hook” Jill Corcoran.

Q: “How about questions in the query? Questions like, "Will Susie make it to the palace in time to catch her prince?" Been told it's a no-no.” Julie Hedlund

Q: “Why is that a no-no?” Katie Davis  Katie writes books. Draws pictures. Records podcasts. Makes movies. Has webinars. Gives speeches. http://www.katiedavis.com

A: “It isn't, if it is at the end.” Jill Corcoran

Q: “Some say PITCHES aren't for kid lit and only queries and synopsizes are used to land an agent. Is it true that PITCHES are for adult lit only?? True or False? #kidlitchat” Kim Tomsic @bkshelfdetectiv (that’s me!)

A: “False.” Jill Corcoran

A: “Don't know who told you that. I've been to pitch sessions at SCBWI conferences.” Shevi Arnold.

Q: “Jill, have you moved next step with someone (now a client) based on starting with an elevator pitch or only w/ queries?” Kim Tomsic

A: “Oh yes, I have been moved to action by an elevator pitch, but the ms has to stand on its own.” Jill Corcoran

Q: “Hi, Tommy Greenwald. Did you personally Pitch Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading to agent or Nancy Mercardo or did you query?” Kim Tomsic

A: “I pitched CJJ to agent as PB called THE BOY WHO HATED READING, her advice was to make it MG.” and also “then I sent her new title (CCJ's GUIDE etc) and first couple chapters and she was interested... “Tommy Greenwald Tommy is the author of Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading (Roaring Brook Press). He is also an ad guy and kids book writer, father of charlie, joe, jack and charlie joe jackson.

Q: Should your query represent/show your main characters voice or even be written in the main character’s voice?

A: “Voice is like salt in a query = a little goes a long way. Get the flavor of the MC's voice, but don't overpower.” E.M. Kokie. E.M. Kokie’s  debut YA novel PERSONAL EFFECTS to be published by Candlewick in 2012. Represented by Chris Richman of Upstart Crow.

General Thoughts:

“Pitch sessions are like speed dating--harrowing concept, IMO :-).” Bonnie Adamson Children's writer/illustrator, represented by Marietta B. Zacker; ARA/IC, SCBWI-Carolinas; co-host of #kidlitchat and #kidlitart.

“Pitches are not hard unless you don't have a clear understanding of what your book is about. If you do, just answer that question.” Jill Corcoran

“Weird to (1) write novel ~80K (2) distill to 1 page synop (3) 1 paragraph hook/pitch (4) 1 sentence for elevator. Whew!” Amber Keyser.

RESOURCES:

Jane Friedman's blog includes a fantastic article called  "The Basic Pitch Formula for Novelists" Here she provides step by step instructions for crafting a perfect pitch.

My wisdom on pitches is here. press Kurtis Kurtis Scaletta is a kid lit author, online ed manager at @loftliterary, baseball fan, dad. Rumors that I'm building an army of robots to take over the world are unconfirmed.

“Great resource from Georgia McBride - head to http://YALITCHAT.org to see real pitches and responses from Agents and Editors.” Greg Pincus Greg Pincus writes poetry, novels, and screenplays, blog kidlit at gottabook.blogspot.com. He also talks social media strategy at the Happy Accident.· http://www.thehappyaccident.net