Sarah Davies and Rubin Pfeffer: Acquisitions Panel

Sarah Davies

Rubin Pfeffer

Sarah Davies and Rubin Pfeffer are both literary agents with deep editorial experience honed over many years working as editors at various publishing houses.

Sarah is the founder of The Greenhouse Literary Agency. Rubin Pfeffer founded Rubin Pfeffer Content.

They spoke to us today about opportunities and challenges in publishing, with Rubin asking all of the panelists a variety of questions ranging from terminology to process and working styles.

Sarah's career in children's publishing in London lasted for 25 years. She moved to Washington, D.C. to found her agency, and is now back across the pond, where her agency is an international presence. She loves cultivating new talent and selling books all around the world (including Iran and the republic of Georgia).

What is an auction? 
Sarah explained this happens when more than one editor wants a book. Agents might set a time by which offers need to be received. Sarah likes to hold her auctions on Fridays (there was disagreement on the panel about this). Offers come in with their basic terms in addition to a lot of love from editors. To Sarah, the editor's passion for a project is a significant factor.

What does rejection signify?
To Rubin, rejection doesn't mean your writing wasn't good enough. There are factors beyond your control.

What kind of control do you have over the projects you submit?
Everything is done on behalf of your clients, Sarah said. One of the first questions she asks is about which editors clients already have relationships with. But she's also going to search her frequently updated database and use what she's learned in her frequent meetings with editors. "I'm making notes all the time and updating those."

She also runs submission ideas past her clients to make sure the best decisions are made.

How do you cope with losing a project that you love? 

Sarah Davies doesn't often fall in love with a new author. "I'm quite sparing in my love... when I fall in love, I want to get it." But it sometimes does happen that potential client chooses someone else.

Rubin Pfeffer on respect
It's easy to wear your emotions on your sleeve, but showing professionalism will take you very, very far. "It will cut you off short if it's not there."

How much work do you do on a manuscript before submitting it to an editor? 
In eight years, there have been only about two times Sarah has sent out a manuscript she hasn't given some feedback on. "My goal is to sell it as well as it can be done. My editorial role is working on it until we can get it to where it stands the best chance of being acquired by an editor."

What is joint accounting? 
When an editor makes an offer for more than one book, joint accounting is where both books have to earn out before royalties are paid. Agents don't want this situation to happen, but it's the house policy at certain publishers. At Little, Brown, series are jointly accounted, which is more reasonable to agents.

When should you submit to a junior vs. a senior agent? 
There are merits to both. Often a senior person such as Alving Ling might be well placed to give it to a less senior editor on her team. If Sarah has a large submission list, it's more likely to work that way. Many of the less senior editors have worked a long time as assistants, and have excellent experience.

Final words of wisdom 
A client was devastated by the rejection of her dark, edgy YA novel. She felt as though there was no future for her in publishing. She decided to recapture her joy in writing again, which she was starting to lose. "It's so easy to do in the frenzy of deal-making."

Some months later, she came back with a nonfiction picture book text and a chapter book series. Neither of which she had attempted before. These were her "peach sorbet" projects. She took delight in them, and Sarah told them fast. "This is a story not only of determination, but of flexibility... she's my heroine."

The Acquisitions Panel Begins!

From left to right, Rubin Pfeffer (Agent, Content, standing at podium), Alvina Ling (VP and Editor-in-Chief, Little Brown Books for Young Readers), Sarah Davies (Agent, Greenhouse Literary), Ginger Clark (Agent, Curtis Brown), Liz Bicknell (EVP, Executive Editorial Director & Associate Publisher, Candlewick Press), Alessandra Balzer (VP and Co-Publisher, Balzer + Bray/Harper Collins.)

Sarah Davies: Writing Salable Middle Grade

Sarah Davies is the founder of The Greenhouse Literary Agency, which represents authors of YA, MG, and picture books.

Sarah loves literary fiction with a strong commercial hook. Middle grade fiction is really the first that immerses young readers in new worlds and introduces them to empathy. These books often are among the most important people read.

We are in a fabulous, golden time for middle grade. Librarians and educators play a bigger role in linking readers with books, and it's sometimes a slow process.

How can you raise the level of your writing and make your manuscript stand out?

She has identified eight common denominators of great, salable middle grade. Here are a few things she looks for:

1. Know your market. What is middle grade? Her submissions inbox tells her a lot of people don't know what they're trying to do or who they're writing for.

At the younger end, it's chapter books that are typically 15,000-25,000 words long and illustrated with line art. Her client Tricia Springstubb writes these. They can be character led or concept driven. Clementine by Sara Pennypacker is an example. The Magic Treehouse is concept driven.

Novels for older middle grade readers run 30,000-60,000 words. (If it's longer, ask yourself why.) These core middle grade novels are about characters from 10 to 13, with a sweet spot of 11 to 13. THE TRUTH ABOUT TWINKIE PIE by Kat Yeh is an absolutely delightful middle grade that received a lot of buzz.

There's also a "tween" category that tends to be pinker and fluffier and deals with crushes, clothes, and friendships. Aladdin does this sort of book well.

2. Know your reader. How is MG different from YA? The YA protagonist is older, with a protagonist who is 15 to 17. But it's not just simply about age. The interior world of the pre-teen child is different from the older teen. If all good fiction has some rite of passage in it, the older teen's right of passage is "who will I be as an adult." For a middle grader, it's about firsts, the beginnings of finding an identity separate from your parents. Asking who am I, what am I?

3. Voice. Her client Mark Maciejewski had a funny voice. His submission needed work, but that voice struck her. Sometimes she can hear the adult behind the voice--and adult who is trying to remember how they think children sound. "Can you access the real thing? If you can, you're two-thirds of the way there. If you can an agent will spot you."

Let your voice shine through in the opening, rather than dumping plot info up front.

Read a lot and listen to children speak and understand their phrasing and logic. "You've got to develop your voice muscle."



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Pre-#NY16SCBWI Interview: Agent Sarah Davies Talks to Team Blog's Martha Brockenbrough

And the first of our pre-conference faculty interviews is in (and it's awesome!)

Agent Sarah Davies talks with Martha Brockenbrough about middle grade fiction, what makes books "saleable," and when a writer can know their book is ready to submit.

Their interview is packed with great advice and suggestions, like,

"focus on developing the two big ‘C’ words — Concept and Craft." 

and

"Don’t be frightened to be radical — rewriting can be far more powerful than tweaking, as it allows you to pull in fresh thinking in the strongest possible way so the new draft feels fully coherent."

Check it out at Martha's blog here.

Sarah Davies will be on faculty at the #NY16SCBWI conference, giving a breakout workshop Saturday morning and afternoon, "Saleable and Memorable Middle Grade Fiction," and participating in the Sunday main stage panel, "Acquisitions Today: Opportunities and Challenges."

You can see Sarah in person and learn from all the amazing faculty (and fellow writer and illustrator attendees) by joining us at the 17th Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in New York. Registration and details here.

What Hooks Me: Sarah Davies & Erin Murphy

Sarah Davies

Sarah Davies is the founding agent at The Greenhouse Literary Agency, which has bases in the USA and the UK. She worked as a publisher for many years before founding Greenhouse. Meg Cabot, Karen Cushman, and Judy Blume are among the authors she published. Her agency clients include Lindsey Leavitt, Kat Yeh, and Sarwat Chadda.


The agency represents the range from picture books through YA, and Sarah has a special focus on MG and YA. Her agency philosophy is summed up in the name: It's a place where writers grow.

Erin Murphy

Erin Murphy is the founder of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency, which is based in Arizona but also has offices in Seattle. After working at Northland Publishing/Rising Moon Books for Young Readers, Erin founded her agency in 1999. The bestseller Robin LaFevers is among her clients.

The agency covers everything from PBs through YA, and tends to prefer lasting classics over trendier works. EMLA is legendary in the business for the close relationships clients enjoy, with an annual retreat that generates potentially dangerous levels of fun.

What do you look for? 

Erin Murphy: I look for authenticity, both in the author and the work. She likes characters that feel true. "You can't feel the hand of the author pushing them around on the page."

Sarah Davies:  She's hooked by ambitious writers. "And I'm not talking her about money and deals, much as we love them." She wants writers to crave mastering the craft, who have a big idea even if it might not pay off. She likes experimentation with structure. She's also an editorial agent who works with writers to get their work ready.

"I just love people who work hard," she said.

 What would you like to see or not see in a cover letter? 
 
Erin Murphy: She wants to see where you are in your career. She wants to get the sense that you've been at this for awhile, and how you're evolving.

Sarah Davies: The sole purpose of the query letter is to point the way to the writing. Keep it below a page, and keep your pitch below three paragraphs. Two is better. Make it intriguing, and make the reader want to go on and read the story. "But it's all about the writing that follows."

How do you see your role when you take on a client? 

Erin Murphy: Revision is as important a skill as writing. She often asks people to revise before she'll take them on as a client. If she doesn't know they can revise, she can't talk them up to editors.

Sarah Davies: She does a lot of work with her clients on their manuscripts. "If the bar can be raised, then I will do whatever I can do help that author get there."

Is it better to work with one publisher? 

Erin Murphy: If you're doing a book every few years, it makes sense to stick with one house and build that relationship. If you're a picture book author, you might publish with more houses, especially if you are prolific (which many picture book authors are).

Sarah Davies: Publishing contracts sometimes have limitations that determine this. Publishers want to make sure authors aren't overexposed, and they want to make sure authors aren't selling similar books to different houses. She likes knowing what clients are working on to make sure they're not hamstrung by contracts.

What doesn't hook you? What makes you cringe? 

Erin Murphy: If you're in prison, don't submit to her. Also, if a project is presented with outsize ambitions and celebrity dreams, that's a flag. "Your ambition should be about you growing as a writer or an illustrator."

Sarah Davies: She doesn't like cut and paste queries. She also sees the same beginnings again and again. Particularly prologues—prologues with car crashes. Then Chapter 1 is different in tone, and it starts with the character getting out of bed. In any given day, a third of her submissions start that way. She likes to be surprised. She likes fresh language and different ways to get into stories.

What's the children's publishing landscape look like today? 

Erin Murphy: Children's books are a bit insulated from some of the changes in publishing, because it's still about getting books into kids' hands. Everyone in the business cares most about story.

Sarah Davies: Her agency is having great year. The last two or three years, she's been a lot about YA. This year, she's done really well with middle grade. The international marketplace is improving slightly as some countries come out of recession.

The Agents Panel Begins!

From the seats...

And close up!

Left to Right: Sarah Davies and Steve Malk

Left to Right: Erin Murphy and Aleandra Penfold

Left to Right: Rubin Pfeffer, Linda Pratt and Laura Rennert

Sarah Davies: Writing and Selling for a Global Marketplace

Sarah Davies is a literary agent at The Greenhouse Literary Agency.

She has deep experience in this business, both as an editor and an agent. For more than 25 years, she was a publisher in London, working with the likes of Judy Blume, Meg Cabot, and Karen Cushman. Her agency, launched in 2008, is based in both the U.S. and London. She considers both the U.S. and U.K. her domestic market, and represents writers in both places, although most clients live in the United States.

Greenhouse's affiliate Rights People is the top seller of international rights in the business. Being international is part of the agency's DNA.  

She gave us a detailed talk about the international aspects of publishing, which she finds "quite exciting." She also walked us through the anatomy of a complicated deal simultaneously struck on both sides of the Atlantic.

Some excerpts from her remarks: 

Why care about foreign sales? 

These sales mean more income for writers. The biggest contenders are Brazil, France, and Germany. Your advance can equal or exceed a U.S. advance. They can also lend prestige and profile.

"Success breeds more success," she said.

Territory is where all negotiations begin, she said. Publishers want as much exclusive territory as they can get for as little money as possible. Her agenda as an agent is different, but there are three types of territorial contracts she can make:

• One for North American rights (usually U.S. and Canada)  - the publisher can publish in English in those two places, their dependents, and the Philippines.
• World English language - the publisher can sell your book anywhere in the world in the English language.
• World rights in all languages. Subsidiary rights are potentially very valuable. There are good reasons for your agent to sell them to your publisher, e.g. if your publisher has a good track record of selling your rights. These count to erode your American advance, which is good for the writer. There are also good reasons to retain those rights, and Greenhouse tries to do just this.

When a sale happens, percentages are divided. If Greenhouse sells for you, as opposed to your publisher, you will end up with a bigger percentage.
 
In terms of book publishing, all sales play into making your brand and your book bigger, she said. Buzz goes on internationally and nationally. And the book business is a small, interconnected world. 

A book called HALF BAD by Sally Green holds the record for foreign sales: 40 countries before it was even published.

On how books get buzz (a few of her observations):

She told us about some "shadowy figures" known as book scouts who live in NYC and London network with agents to find the hottest upcoming properties. They usually represent foreign publishers and film clients. "They are desperate for early information and hot tips," she said.

Book fairs also spread buzz—Bologna and Frankfurt (which is all books, not just children's books).

Publishers Weekly lists deals. There's a free newsletter you can subscribe. Publishers Marketplace also has a subscription service.
  
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Learn more about The Greenhouse Literary Agency

Sarah Davies: THRILLERS

That's not a conference badge—that's a knife! Sarah Davies with her latest victim

Sarah Davies is a thriller addict. Her first taste was as a kid in England, she loved books by Willard Price, Agatha Christie. Some of you purists will say those are adventures and murder mysteries, not thrillers, but Sarah is here to tell us that action and ammunition alone will not make a good thriller, they need mystery and intrigue.

How do you make a thriller for kids? It's easier to do in young adult: YA thrillers can have elements of sexy romance, and bloodier action, which allows for bigger stakes.

A middle grade thriller is more action adventure, clue solving, and platonic friend relationships, with external vs. internal danger taking main roles in building the book's thrills.

The best thing you can do to learn how to write a great thriller is to read a great thriller, here are two Sarah recommends (and reps!) (Sarah also gave attendees a great handout on tips for thriller writing.)

Sarwat Chadda's (available in UK, edited by fellow faculty member Cheryl Klein for forthcoming edition) SAVAGE FORTRESS: 

And Megan Miranda's FRACTURE:

For something less scary, but just as intriguing and thrilling: follow Sarah on Twitter to see pictures of her dachsunds sleeping.

Sarah Davies: A Recipe for Writing the Breakout Novel: 5 Ingredients for Success

Sara Davies is an agent with Greenhouse Literary. They see 150 per week.

Sarah is a lover a language. “When I discovered language it gave me the path for my whole life.”

She mentions that publishers make 90% of their revenues form 10% of their books, there is great dependence on those 10%.

There are certain common denominators for a great story, certain ingredients.

1. An inspired concept
2. Larger than life characters
3. A high-stake story
4. A deeply felt theme
5. A vivid setting

Oh, no…she’s forgotten. There’s a number 6.

VOICE!

Davies says writing is a craft. It’s like cooking or playing the violin. Then she poses the question, “Would get up and play a huge venue when you’ve just learned A and C?”

“I think it takes a long time to master this craft. But I say persevere.”

POSTED JOLIE STEKLY

Agents Panel: Sarah Davies

Lin: How much time and effort do you spend on the editorial process?

Sarah: She tend to look more for potential than for something that's finished. She can wrestle with plots but she can't create a voice. She's gone through complete rewrites, from scratch, with authors she's gone on to successfully sell.

It would be lovely, she said, if she didn't need to do that, but she wants to get each manuscript to it's most salable form.

POSTED BY ALICE POPE

Agents Panel: Sarah Davies

Lin: What's the state of the market?

Sarah: Many wonderful editors have gone. List are being cut. Publishing staff really has to justify where they spend their money.

That said, "I'm selling lots of books and I know my colleagues are too."

Note: She specializes in tween, and teen, no picture books.

POSTED BY ALICE POPE

Agents Panel: Sarah Davies

Sarah Davies introduces herself and discusses her agency (in her lovely accent).

She's founder of Greenhouse Literary, based in DC and also London. She was pub director of Macmillan in the UK. The agency launched in January 2008, and had sold 16 or 17 writers so far on both sides of the Atlantic.

Sarah is a hands-on editorial agent. She rep American and British authors to both markets directly herself. She made a deal for a conference attendee from here in LA.

If you want to submit, visit greenhouseliterary.com.

POSTED BY ALICE POPE

Greenhouse Agent Sarah Davies: "Writing (and selling) in the Global Marketplace"

SARAH DAVIES, "Writing (and selling) in the global marketplace"

Sarah Davies, founder of the Greenhouse Literary Agency, is having a great day. First of all, TODAY IS HER BIRTHDAY!!!! So please tell Sarah "Happy Birthday!" today!

Secondly, one of her clients' book submissions started getting a lot of attention from interested editors. It turns out last night during the faculty dinner, Sarah was receiving a ton of texts from editors about it. And there's nothing that makes an agent happier than multiple editors interested in their client's book! (I do remember seeing her busily text away on her cell phone during our dinner because I sat next to her!)

So clearly Sarah is having a WONDERFUL week in Los Angeles. :)

Her panel focused on how to write and sell in a global marketplace - and how her background reflects a global life because she is a London gal living in D.C. :)

She had a handout for everyone that detailed the business behind the global marketplace. Some highlights from her handout include:

-- "Why bother with other countries when the USA is so big? Income, prestige, profile of 'international property.' Biggest brands become bigger through foreign sales. Buzz, buzz! - the synergy of today's international marketplace."

-- "What work travels? Middle grade novels with strong home sales; YA with unique premise/voice. Also - ideas that can't be created as easily within foreign market; strong sales and wards back home; being one step ahead of a trend (eg, Potter/fantasy; Meyer/goth romance); filling gap in market; concepts/settings that transcend indivdual cultures."

She also listed advice on "Tips for writers on navigating international writers." One important tip stated, "Focus on the story only YOU can write - don't settle for poor craft or derivative storyline. If it's great, it'll find its market - wherever."

Every single panel, I have noticed, has been packed. Including Sarah's panel - the room was practically full, which reflects the increasing international membeship of SCBWI and also shows a strong interest in budding writers trying to find an audience not only at home but abroad. 

Posted by Paula Yoo