Ginger Knowlton is the Executive Vice President of Curtis Brown Ltd. and represents many writers and illustrators of children's books.Ginger's been at Curtis Brown since 1986, starting her work with Marilyn Marlow.
Agents are looking for commercial, bestselling work, but Ginger is always looking for good storytelling, books that are engaging from the start.
"Storytelling is key. Take me away to a new place and I will be happy to represent you."
Comment on how you would describe the current marketplace:
Interesting times. Exciting, exhilarating, and exhausting.
When a manuscript comes across your desk, what would you like to see that would tell you that it has a place in the market? (other than a good voice)
You need a hook; something that she can incapsulate in two sentences.
Ginger gets right to the writing. The letter isn't what she's looking at. It's all about the writing.
Can you comment on a general trend you see in the marketplace that you feel is representative of publishing now?
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green is a great new book, mixing tragic with comic.
Ginger predicts a blurring of the genres, and that transmedia is probably going to be more prevalent.
Ah, yes. A blurring of genres. I think I understand.
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