10 Questions for a “Terrifyingly Blunt” Literary Agent By S.L. McInnis

The Helen Heller Literary Agency has been in business for over thirty years. Though based in Toronto, it’s a worldwide success story and it’s just as likely you’ll find Helen making deals in London or New York. Her hit clients include Shari Lapena, Gilly Macmillan, Linwood Barclay and others who regularly appear on the NYT and Sunday Times bestseller lists. She’s also a fixture at all the major book fairs and I can vouch for the fact her advice about the business – from manuscripts to contracting – is priceless. 

I feel so fortunate to be working with her, but I know how daunting the process of finding an agent can be. To learn more about how Helen selects clients, I put together ten questions to help authors write better queries. Because as successful as she is, Helen still reads query letters and spots new talent all the time.  

1. What’s the best way to get your attention with the first few lines of a query letter?

Be straightforward and professional.  Don’t tell me how much you’ll make for me!  The query letter is very important.  It gives me an indication of how well you write even before I look at the submission.

2. Do you have a preference for “tone” for queries? (Friendly, professional, witty, etc.). 

I prefer a straightforward tone.  I’m a fairly formal person on first acquaintance! 

3. What are the most important aspects of an author bio? 

Previous publications—and don’t try to pass off self-published work as ‘published’!  Other writing credits.  Who you are and where you’re from… 

 4. What’s the biggest mistake new authors make in query letters?  

Telling me they’ve got the new ‘Girl On The Train’ and I should jump on the bandwagon fast before anyone else grabs them up…

5. How do you “know” when you read sample chapters from an author with commercial potential?  

Extremely quickly!  It’s always immediately obvious if someone can write to publishing standard or not.

 6. What’s the ideal logline length or synopsis in a query? A couple of sentences? A paragraph? Does it matter?

 It shouldn’t be too exhaustive.  I’d keep it to 3 paragraphs if possible.

 7. You were the agent to discover #1 international bestseller, Shari Lapena, who cold-queried you with the manuscript for her debut thriller, The Couple Next Door. In a few short years, Shari has gone from that query to literary superstardom, selling millions of books. Can you tell us a bit about how that deal happened and what writers can learn from her query to you?

Shari sent me a very good query letter.  And 2 pages in I know I wanted to represent her!  Her voice was so fresh.  And the story moved so fast from the very beginning.  

8. Do you have any advice for authors who’ve pitched you before, but want to try again?

People can always pitch me again! 

 9. What literary trends do you see coming in women’s fiction in the next few years?

 I’m not that good at forecasting trends.  I spent 9 years saying ’surely this is the end of vampires’…I just try to handle books I love.

10. What’s your best advice to new writers about improving their chances of success in this business?

 Practice!  Just keep writing.  And don’t be discouraged no matter what.  Publishing is a hard industry and it’s easy to feel down after a rejection.  But we’ve all rejected authors who have gone on to be huge hits!

By the way, according to her own Twitter profile, Helen is a “terrifyingly blunt” literary agent. She has to be. She accepts only one out of every 500 queries she receives. Agents are among the busiest people on the planet, so my advice would be not to waste their time – ever. And if it’s a pass, don’t expect “notes” on a manuscript. Agents rarely have time to give notes on a rejected manuscript and if they do, take that as an encouraging sign. 

As for listing self-publishing credits in a query, unless you’re an indie writer who’s hit the bestseller lists on your own, I’d use a different pen name for traditional queries. The two businesses are very different. 

But I wholeheartedly agree with her advice to never be discouraged. Write a lot, read a lot and never give up. I know many successful authors who were rejected by countless agents before they found the right fit. If you take time to develop your talent as a writer, then put together a professional query, you’ll find your dream agent someday soon, too. 

Incidentally, I don’t have a query to share because I met Helen through a mutual acquaintance years ago and pitched her over the phone. She doesn’t do that anymore – and be grateful she doesn’t, because it was much more nerve-wracking than writing a letter! But you can find all her submission guidelines on her website. https://thehelenhelleragency.com

And here are some links to other popular Women Writers posts about querying agents.

http://booksbywomen.org/me-and-my-agent-by-holly-seddon/ 

http://booksbywomen.org/me-and-my-agent-christina-mcdonald-and-carly-watters/ 

Remember, as tough as finding an agent can be, everyone in this business is looking for a fresh new voice – including readers themselves – so if you don’t give up and you keep writing, that fresh new voice could be yours. Good luck! 

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FRAMED

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Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips