Directory Writing Workshops

Writers Workshop: Literary Agent Answers Author Questions

Dancing Word Writers Workshop

with Literary Agent Joyce Hart

March 2002

 * Chat has been edited for clarity

Anne McDonald: Lord, thank You for Your grace and mercy. Thank You also, for giving us the opportunity to meet tonight. Bless our guest as she answers our many questions. Guide and guard our conversations. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Protocol reminder: type ! for comments, ? for questions and ga when you are through. Please remember to wait to be called on in turn.Tonight, I have the pleasure to introduce to you Literary Agent Joyce Hart (also president of Hartline Literary Agency). Joyce has been a literary agent for more than a decade, and she has graciously agreed to field our questions tonight. Welcome, Joyce.

Joyce Hart: Thank you

Anne McDonald: Joyce, what are you looking for in a manuscript?

Joyce Hart:  What we're looking for right now is suspense in fiction, women's fiction, non-fiction of all kinds, especially self-help and women's issues.

bee: Do you want synopsis, outline, sample chapters, or the whole manuscript?

Joyce Hart: Yes, at first just a proposal, also your bio/vitae

jeanne: I have heard from other agents that they prefer not to represent Christian romance writers unless they already have several books published. Is this true with your agency also?

Joyce Hart: All agents prefer published authors. However, we've been successful in getting some new authors published. It helps if you've been published at all, articles, etc. Also, education helps, any classes you can take, critique groups, anything you can do to hone your skills.

Anne McDonald:  It often seems very scary for writers to approach agents. Any tips?

Joyce Hart:  I can't speak for other agents, but our agents are just people and we're very approachable.

LindaMae: When you say 'published' you don't want us to list our letters to the editor and such do you? You are talking magazine articles and such?

Joyce Hart: Yes, articles, short stories, novellas, Sunday school paper stories and you don't have to list them, just tell me you've published 100 articles <g>

krisbeck: How informed do you keep authors of the process with editors? Are you in touch during the downtime?

Joyce Hart:  I try to keep in touch with my clients often. E-mail is a great way, also I never mind them e-mailing me and asking questions or reminding me of things.

Anne McDonald: What can an author expect from an agent?

Joyce Hart: You can expect them to know the publishers well enough to be able to fit your manuscript to the right publisher. Publishers get irritated if you don't know their guidelines. Agents should know the business. They should get back to you in six or eight weeks after you've sent a submission. However, I've been guilty of taking longer as all agents are. Then just e-mail the agent and ask her what's happening.

jeanne: I was wondering how a writer would know which agent to try to submit their work to. Is there specific guidelines writers need to know to find the right agent?

Joyce Hart: I can't answer that question, because I don't know the answer. I get submissions all the time because they like my name, they like what I've put in a directory, they feel led of God, etc.

LindaMae:  I came in late so forgive me if this is a faux pas question...what is the typical fee rate structure? Does an author pay an agent only when something is sold? What do agents typically charge authors for - postage? Phone calls?

Joyce Hart:  Typical fee is 15% commission. We charge for actual postage costs and for making copies if the author wants us to do that. We get paid when the book is sold. Most publishers pay the agent and the agent sends the money to the author. Some publisher split it and sent to the author and the agent. Back to the question about tips. The agent should be able to give you references and it helps if they are known in the industry.

krisbeck: This doesn't apply to you Joyce, but how do you know if an agent has a bad rep with editors?

Joyce Hart:  If you know any editors ask them. Ask your friends who have agents. Network. Otherwise I don't know how you find that out BTW I don't charge for phone calls.

Anne McDonald: What is your personal goal as an agent, Joyce? Do you hope to someday discover a best-seller?

Joyce Hart:  Of course. I think Jane Kirkpatrick is on her way to becoming a best selling author.

Wanda:  Joyce, Were you referring to phone calls to your clients or to editors?

Joyce Hart:  Both I don't charge for phones at all.

jeanne:  I know Bethany House and a couple other "big" publishers are only accepting agented submissions now. Have you placed authors with these companies?

Joyce Hart: I've placed books with Waterbrook, Multnomah, Thos Nelson, Revell, to name a few. Not Bethany, Tyndale (except for a novella) or Zonderan. I'm determined to do that.

melly:  I've heard that you should avoid agents who advertise for manuscripts. Any comments on that?

Joyce Hart:  I've never had to do that. Most of my submissions come from Sally Stuart's directory, Writer's Digest and from referrals. I suppose if someone is starting out new they might advertise.

LynetteS:  How much change in a client's manuscript is negotiable? As if an agent recommended changes?

Joyce Hart:  The agent knows the publisher and she/he knows certain things they will not look at. I had one client that I loved the book but it died in the middle, so she did a pretty major rewrite. She read books, talked to her critique group and now it's ready to go out. Sometimes there is too much description or not enough, sometimes there is too much tell and not enough show. Some manuscripts don't require any rewrites.

Anne McDonald: Are there any rookie mistakes that authors should look out for when contacting an agent?

Joyce Hart:  Most important thing that is missing is the bio. Also I get manuscripts with no slug (name and title of book on right hand corner of every page). We have guidelines on our web site www.hartlineliterary.com

bee: Do you recommend any book doctors?

Joyce Hart:  I don't recommend any. I have some friends that are editors, but that is usually up to the author. I don't want to be unethical.

Anne McDonald: How did you get into the literary agency field?

Joyce Hart: I was in Marketing at a Christian Publisher - the VP of Marketing and quit my job. Started Hartline Marketing and sold books for several publishers. People kept asking me to look at their manuscripts so I decided I might as well make it part of the business.

Anne McDonald: You still do marketing?

Joyce Hart: I do special markets & key accounts for two small publishers. I've been in the industry since 1978 so I'm pretty well known. One of the old timers <g>

jeanne: Would an agent be able to help an author who had a bad experience with a publisher? I mean, if the author wishes to find another publisher for the rest of the books in the series, would an agent be able to help with that? Or would that be off-limits?

Joyce Hart: We could help. We've done that before. We all have bad experiences in this business once in awhile.

Anne McDonald:  Joyce, how do agents go about selling foreign rights?

Joyce Hart: I usually let the publishers do that. I know the ABA agents sell rights, they go to the overseas book fairs and sell rights. I've never done it. I did that when I worked for the publisher, but not on my own.

jeanne:  How often does an agent submit a writer's work? Until they find a publisher, or is there a time limit?

Joyce Hart:  It depends. I try all the big publishers first and then smaller ones, but once you've been turned down by everyone, it's time to go on and maybe try a different manuscript.

melly: What's the longest you've worked with one manuscript?

Joyce Hart:  Probably about 18 months.

jeanne:  Did that ms. you worked with for 18 months get published?

Joyce Hart:  Nope

Wanda:  Do you think publishers respond quicker to agent submitted manuscripts than if an author queries on her own?

Joyce Hart:   They do, because they know the agent has screened what has come across her desk. The agent has to build a reputation with each publisher .

jeanne:  How many new authors do you take on each year?

Joyce Hart:  This year we've taken on about 25 simply because I'm spending more hours doing the literary agency and I have 3 other agents working with me. We have about 40 clients.

Anne McDonald:  Joyce, what is the longest time a publisher should keep a ms for consideration?

Joyce Hart: Ideally 2 to 3 months. If they haven't contacted us with in six or eight wks I call or e-mail them. Some take 6 mos to a year. That's why we send out six proposals at once.

Anne McDonald: What advice would you give an author whose ms has been on an editor's desk for over a year?

Joyce Hart:  If they won't talk to you, they might have lost it. A year is too long to keep an author waiting. I'd move on.

Susette: Do you place most of the mss. that you take on to represent? If not, around what percent would you say?

Joyce Hart:  Lately we've been placing a higher percentage. That's hard to say. I haven't really thought about it.

Anne McDonald:  It is advisable for an author to get an agent even after he/she has sent a ms/proposal to a publisher?

Joyce Hart:  That is a great question!! If it hasn't been rejected that is fine. However, if the author has been rejected by several publishers the agent can't really send it to the same ones unless the author knows they haven't even looked at it.

Anne McDonald:  If an author gets an agent before hearing back from the publisher, can the agent, then contact the publisher if the ms has been held for too long?

Joyce Hart:  She can do that. Another advantage of having an agent is we can negotiate a better contract for you, not only a higher advance, but other things like buy back discounts, percentage of royalty, we'll see things in the contract you might not.

Anne McDonald:  sounds great

honey:  This might be a silly question--I'm known for them <G>--but what is a "buy back discount"?

Joyce Hart:  It's not silly. The publisher will allow the author to buy her books at a discount. They like to sell you your book at 40% off the retail. I try to get much higher than that. If you speak and sell books, you can make a nice profit if you sell your books at retail.

honey:  Oh--cool! Thanks, Joyce.

Anne McDonald:  Is there ever a time when you advise an author not to sign with a particular publisher?

Joyce Hart:  There have been. There was one publisher that I would not work with at all. I don't know if they are still in business, they are a smaller one.

Anne McDonald: What do you look for in making matches between writers and publishers?

Joyce Hart:  I read a lot of books, I look at their catalogs, I attend CBA and peruse their booths and look at product. For instance some publishers are more conservative than others and if the book doesn't fit their guidelines it's useless to send it to them.

Anne McDonald:  Joyce, thank you so much for coming tonight.

Joyce Hart: You're very welcome. I've enjoyed being here.

Anne McDonald:  I've learned a lot.

Susette:  Thanks Joyce. I would have been here sooner if I'd known about the chat. :-(

Wanda:  thanks, Joyce! Great workshop

jeanne:  Thank you, Joyce.

honey:  Thanks, Joyce. :-) Great answers to some tough questions.

Joyce Hart:  Glad you all were here

LynetteS:  Thanks, Joyce!

JillS:  Thanks Joyce - Great info

Anne McDonald:  How can writers reach you?

jeanne: Joyce, would you put your web address up for us again, please?

Susette:  Can I throw in a pitch for Joyce and one of her agents? I've had two requests in the last month on work they subbed for me. :-) Yippee!!!

Anne McDonald:  hooray!

Susette:  Praying for those to turn into sales!!!

jeanne: Yay, Suzette!

Joyce Hart:  joyce@hartlineliterary.com My phone is 412-829-2483, web site www.hartlineliterary.com

Anne McDonald: you have guidelines on your website (hartlineliterary.com)?

Joyce Hart: Yes we do. Also I'll put in a pitch for the Mid-Atlantic Christian Writers Conf in Gaithersburg, Md. Both Janet Benrey and I will be there and we're both doing workshops if anyone is in that area.

Anne McDonald:  Thanks again, Joyce. I hope you can come back to visit again soon.

Joyce Hart: I would like that

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