Jennifer Laughran: Best Practices to Maximize Your Book's Success

Jennifer Laughran joined Andrea Brown Literary Agency in 2007 after a long career as a bookseller, buyer and event coordinator. Always on the lookout for sparkling YA and middle grade fiction with unusual and unforgettable characters and vivid settings, she loves funny books, thrilling books, romantic books, books that make her cry, and all-around un-put-downable books… and her true favorites are all of the above. Some clients include author-illustrators like Giselle Potter, Don Brown, Raul the Third and Phoebe Wahl; middle grade authors like Daniel Pinkwater, Kate Messner, Alex Gino and Linda Urban; YA authors like Erin Jade Lange, Paula Stokes, Karen Rivers and Ellen Emerson White, among others. Visit www.andreabrownlit.com.

Prolific agent extraordinaire Jennifer Laughran, an actively acquiring agent at Andrea Brown Literary, has an awesome, engaging presence, online and off. And you can, too. Here are some of her kickass tips about how to prime your book for success. 

1) Be easy to find. If you're not published, have a simple site with social media links, a bio, and contact information for yourself (and your agent when you have one). When you are published, add relevant book information -- including your buy links (don't forget an indie!), ISBN, pull quotes from reviews, blurbs, a press kit and publicist information. If you're an illustrator, include an easy-to-navigate portfolio with a variety of samples. 

2) Social Media! You don't have to be everywhere. "Don't do it if you hate it." If you don't enjoy it, no one else will either. Figure out what you enjoy and focus on that. Use it chat and interact, not to promote yourself all the time. 90 percent of your social should not be about your books. Boost and promote others, join conversations. And be positive and professional. "Nobody like an Eeyore."

3) GoodReads.com. (And most other reviews/blogs.) As an author, do not engage. In fact, "treat Good Reads like a porn site." Do not go there. Block if necessary.

4) Find Community. Go to your local bookstore or library, ask for advice. Buy and read books. Engage as a reader. While you're chatting, tell them you're an author, too. If you are already friends, they will be happy to support you and your books. 

5) Be gracious. Publishing is a small world. These people are your colleagues, they know each other -- and they talk. A little kindness goes a really long way. 

Agents' Panel: Jennifer Laughran (Andrea Brown Literary)

Jennifer Laughran joined Andrea Brown Literary Agency in 2007 after a long career as a bookseller, buyer and event coordinator. Always on the lookout for sparkling YA and middle grade fiction with unusual and unforgettable characters and vivid settings, she loves funny books, thrilling books, romantic books, books that make her cry, and all-around un-put-downable books… and her true favorites are all of the above. Some clients include author-illustrators like Giselle Potter, Don Brown, Raul the Third and Phoebe Wahl; middle grade authors like Daniel Pinkwater, Kate Messner, Alex Gino and Linda Urban; YA authors like Erin Jade Lange, Paula Stokes, Karen Rivers and Ellen Emerson White, among others. Visit www.andreabrownlit.com.

I loved Jennifer's story about meeting Kate Messner at an SCBWI conference, and signing her as her first author about ten years ago. (They've sold forty books together!) While waiting to sell her first novel with her new agent, Kate drafted a poem  on the back of a brown paper bag that quickly became Over and Under the Pond.

While Jennifer reminds us we can't replicate any author's success, she says: Absorb the SCBWI anecdotes shared by agents, editors, authors, and illustrators, but know your path in publishing will be unique, too.

That said, some of the traits she credits Kate for bringing to their successful partnership are:

• Flexibility: she rolls with the punches and isn't afraid of revisions. 
• When an idea isn't working, she's willing to try something new.
• Communicative
• Actively working on new projects
• Attending an SCBWI Conference! That's how they met.

Catch more of the conference highlights this year through blog posts tagged #LA17SCBWI or as-it-happens on Twitter.

The Agents Panel!

With Lin Oliver moderating, the panelists are (from left),
Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary
Tricia Lawrence, Erin Murphy Literary
Alexandra Penfold, Upstart Crow Literary
Quressa Robinson, D4EO Literary
Kate Testerman, KT Literary

Agent Jennifer Laughran's Portfolio Showcase Tips

SCBWI Team Blog #LA17SCBWI member Susie Ghahremani interviews Jennifer Laughran and gets the scoop on how an agent looks at portfolios in the show -- there's lots of great advice in there (like including a page turn, and remembering that illustration isn't just needed for picture books!)

Check out the full interview here.

Jennifer Laughran: Agents' Panel

Jennifer Laughran is a senior agent at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. She joined ABLA in 2007 after many years as a buyer and event coordinator for an independent bookstore. Jenn is always on the lookout for sparkling YA and middle grade fiction with unusual and unforgettable characters and vivid settings; the common thread in all her favorite stories is an offbeat world-view. She loves funny books, thrilling books, romantic books, books that make her cry, and all-around un-put-downable books.

Jennifer Laughran on the big screen - and on the Agents Panel

Jennifer talks about the scope of her agenting, from big picture to deals to day-to-day author/illustrator care. A few highlights:

She goes into detail about the ways she helps her illustrator clients get their work in front of art directors and agents. Hint: make sure you have a good website with an online portfolio, showing a broad range of styles, action, movement, kid characters...

In fielding a question about how she feels about clients who want to write in two different genres, Jennifer says it depends: "Are you good at both?" She cites her client Kate Messner's range of titles, genres and categories and how they strategize Kate's releases with a color-coded calendar! (p.s. - she's sold 30 books for Kate!)

Query letters: Long enough to cover what she needs to know, but short enough to intrigue her.

On success: "George" is a middle-grade debut novel by Alex Gino that Jennifer sold overnight to Scholastic. They got it Monday evening and made an offer Tuesday morning. It's being talked about as an overnight success. Except for the eight years Alex spent writing it. And the additional year the author worked with Jennifer on the book before it was sent out on submission. So it's really "a decades-long success."

Jennifer represents a lot of established authors and also a lot of debut authors. She looks out at the room of over 1,000 authors and illustrators and tells us she's always looking for new people, and hopes some of her future clients are in the room.

The Agents' Panel begins!

Agent Brenda Bowen (at podium, right) moderates the panel - right to left, Barry Goldblatt, Jennifer Laughran and Tina Wexler.

The LGBTQ Q&A

With conference faculty guest agent Tina Wexler, agent Jennifer Laughran, Art Director and Author Laurent Linn, Best-Selling and Award-Winning Author Jane Yolen, editor Emma Dryden and editor and publisher Arthur A. Levine, our group of more than forty attendees gathered to share and talk about  writing and illustrating LGBTQ characters and themes in works for children and teens.

In moments ranging from hilarious to somber,  topics covered included picture book art notes (dos and don'ts), gender non-conformity, gender challenges in the English language, and the urgent need for more books with LGBTQ diversity.

At one point, an ally voiced a concern about writing from a queer perspective, and the consensus was to not hold back about writing from other points of view (outside your own.) To do your homework, to run it by people who are members of that community...

Arthur: "I urge you to not be self-conscious"

Jane: "In terms of getting it right. In terms of getting the feelings right."

It was a great conversation and the room was filled with a sense of warmth and community. We sat in a circle, each person sharing their name and what they're working on, with our conference faculty (and myself) chiming in with thoughts, advice and insights.

Once the session ended, many participants stayed to exchange contact information and mingle. The pictures are from that part of the evening:

I was honored to host - my thanks and appreciation to the panel and all the attendees!

Lee

LGBTQ&A

Hosted by Team Blog's Lee Wind, the LGBTQ&A was an inspiring event that brought together a group of writers/illustrators to discuss the market for LGBTQ literature. This time Lee welcomed editors Alvina Ling and TS Ferguson, agent Jen Laughran, and special guest Ellen Hopkins.

The panel discussed some of their favorite books with LGBTQ themes or characters. They also had a candid discussion about the lack of submissions with diversity. TS, Alvina and Jen all said they would LOVE to see more submissions with LGBTQ characters and themes. Although any book has to be well-written, having diverse characters could only add to their interest level.

(Some of their favorites)

Ellen Hopkins spoke to the group about the responsibility she feels as an author to the teens she writes for. She said that we're all here together--not as gay or straight--but as human beings. She urged authors to "write bravely."


The session ended with a great mixer as attendees began to discuss their own favorite books, and the lively conversation really topped off the evening. The first time conference goers were excited about the opportunity to share their thoughts and experiences with such a respected panel, and with each other.


Be sure to join the next LGBTQ session in LA at the annual summer conference!

Jennifer Laughran: Fiction

Jennifer Laughran joined Andrea Brown Literary Agency in 2007. Her clients include Daniel Pinkwater, Calef Brown, Matt Faulkner, Jackie Dolamore, Ilsa J. Bick, Eric A. Kimmel, L.K. Madigan, Adam Selzer, Tara Kelly and Kate Messner, and many excellent debut authors.

Jennifer Laughran speaking to a packed room

Jennifer starts her session with sharing her background. She was a bookseller (her family owns an independent bookstore), then a buyer for a major bookstore and an events coordinator.

She became an agent in 2007 and finds the jobs are very similar – matching the right books to the right people… just in a more macro way.

Andrea Brown Literary has nine agents, Jennifer is their NY agent (the main office is in the San Francisco bay area.

They're the #1 children’s agency in the country, and they only represent children’s, PB to YA

Her focus is MG and YA
with a few authors who do PB also,
and a few author/illustrators.

Jennifer has a wonderful blog here's the link and has sold 78 books as of this month since 2008! (27 or so are out already.)

She covers a number of different metaphors and definitions of fiction, positing that fiction is always true, some element of truth, some part of the human condition that you’re exposing – that’s where “write what you know” comes in. It means “write what you know about the human condition to be true.”

She talks about many of the “rules” as a reader, and how you really need to ignore the rules.

A writing tip via author Holly Black:

“Write to please a reader self and not a writer self.”

Jennifer explains that means don’t write things that are boring.

“If you do get dressed in the morning, don’t tell me about it, I’ll take it on faith.”  Tell her about what happens when you leave the house and have an adventure.

Her Advice:
Write the book that you would have held close to your heart when you were a kid,
a book that only you can write.

Trends?
“trends suck. I hate them. I think you should be setting trends, not following them.”


The fact that the marketplace has contracted is a good thing for readers, but it’s tough for writers, means we have to work that extra hard. But she praises those of us here doing our work, saying we’re already one step ahead.

She’s running down different kinds of MG and YA books, and urges us to figure out how to differentiate our take on the subject if we’re going to write in a genre that’s well-known. Writing about vampires? How do you have a different take on it?

She explains how each of us can find our voice, defines high concept, and tells us

“There’s always a market for awesome books.”

Her tastes are “at the intersection of beautifully written and highly commercial,” saying the greater a manuscripts un-put-down-ability, the easier it is to sell, and that’s the book she wants to represent. She adds, “I am always interested in fresh unique funny MG and
mysterious, scary YA.”

She took a lot of questions from a very enthusiastic and interested audience, making us laugh many times and sharing so much great information.