Digital Book World Asks: What Do the Readers and the Gatekeepers Want? - Publishing Trends

Next up was a different set of industry gatekeepers: literary agents. Agent Regina Brooks said, "I found I have to be a crisis manager...I'm agent as producer and agent as manager," explaining the additional tasks literary agents must do to keep their clients' careers on the move. Agent for Curtis BrownSee Curtis Brown listing Ltd., Ginger Clark noted that there are a lot more "beauty contests" in agenting now because several agents often end up competing for the same talented author. What it comes down to, she said, is sometimes what each agency offers. For instance, a larger agency like Curtis Brown Ltd. has its own accounting team and a dedicated contracts person, while a smaller agency of one or two might offer much more personalized, hands-on attention for clients. But at the end of the day, what are agents looking for in a new client? "95% of the time it comes down to ‘how compelling is the material?'" said agent Brian DeFiore. "It has to be the right material that makes the right transition to book."