ELIZABETH KRACHT
Elizabeth Kracht joined Kimberley Cameron & Associates in the fall of 2010 to broaden her perspective on the publishing industry. She
represents both literary and commercial fiction as well as nonfiction, and brings to the agency experience as a former acquisitions
editor, freelance publicist and writer.
Elizabeth's career in publishing took root in Puerto Rico where she
completed her BA in English and worked as a copyeditor for an English-language newspaper. When she returned to the mainland
she found her "vein of gold" in book publishing. She thrives on working closely with authors and researching the
potential market for new books.
HOW
TO PUBLISH A BOOK: How does the experience of having lived in Puerto Rico inform your tastes as a literary agent?
ELIZABETH KRACHT: Puerto Rico informed my tastes as a literary
agent in many ways. Living in Puerto Rico gave me a radically different perspective on life as I embraced a different culture.
One of the reasons I went to Puerto Rico was to improve my writing. As an American living in Puerto Rico, I was pretty invisible,
so I spent a lot of time paying attention to my surroundings, trying to understand the culture, politics, subcultures...
I don't think I'd appreciate quirky characters quite as much if I hadn't met so many of them while living in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico was a bittersweet experience for me, but I'll always feel connected to the island, especially the water on a calm
day at Ocean Park beach. I would love to represent Puerto Rican or Hispanic authors. My experience in Puerto Rico also drives
my general interest in multicultural settings and settings as characters.
HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Tell us about your experience working as an acquisitions editor. Specifically,
what are some of the practical skills that taught you that translate into your job as a literary agent?
ELIZABETH KRACHT: I bring many skills to my job as a literary
agent from my experience as an acquisitions editor. Some of those skills are: evaluating the marketplace, identifying niche
markets, negotiating contracts, developmental editing, focusing the market of a project, working closely with authors...
Having worked as an acquisitions editor, I understand the perspective of the publisher, which I am able to use as I evaluate
new projects. Working for a small publisher often gives a person experience in other departments as well. I also worked closely
with marketing and publicity, giving me not only a well-rounded perspective of the industry, but also the ability to direct
my clients on career development/self-promotion, which is important in today's publishing climate.
HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: You completed your BA in English. Did you ever consider teaching
as a career path? What about publishing was particularly attractive?
ELIZABETH KRACHT: I have never considered a career in teaching; I'm not sure why. I've always been
interested in publishing, but mostly from a writer's perspective. I figured the more I knew about the publishing industry,
the better. When I began work as a copyeditor/proofreader for a newspaper, I realized I had skill working with other people's
writing, and really enjoyed it; it was an epiphany of sorts. Written communication is probably the biggest and most important
theme in my life, and publishing is the industry that gives me an opportunity to live my life's work. I also love being a
part of helping people fulfill their dreams.
HOW
TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What are you most eager to see?
ELIZABETH KRACHT: I'm open in terms of what I'm interested in and looking for. Of course, I'm looking
for compelling, well-written projects. I love voice-driven works and strong settings. I would like to find a great piece
of women's literary fiction. I never thought I would represent chicklit, but recently found a quick, fun read. I would like
to find a memoir so compelling that author platform is a nonissue. I would love to represent a Native American author. I'm
interested in helping disprove the notion that cat books don't sell. I would like to find an author like Carlos Castaneda,
Dan Millman or Paulo Coelho (magical realism/spiritual quest). I would also like to see more nonfiction projects, maybe even
a graphic novel. I'm very eclectic in my tastes, so I'm eager to see many different kinds of projects. Kimberley is eager
to find a great horror manuscript, and we'd both like to represent some high-concept nonfiction.
HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What types of books do you see too much of?
ELIZABETH KRACHT: I'm not sure we really see too much of
any one type of book, but there are common qualities many manuscripts share that we see too much of. We see too many adverbs,
clichés and gimmicky query letters. We also see word counts from debut authors that the current publishing climate
doesn't support. We do see too many vampire and zombie manuscripts. In general, we see too much fantasy, since we don't represent
fantasy.
HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What
is the best way for prospective clients to contact you?
ELIZABETH
KRACHT: The best way to contact me is at a conference or by e-mail. Our submission guidelines can be found on our
website at www.kimberleycameron.com. We do accept unsolicited manuscripts. We ask to see the first fifty pages of the manuscript
and a one-page synopsis as a Word attachment or PDF, along with a query letter in the body of the e-mail. Also, be sure to
look over the associate bios on the website in order to decide which associate is the best fit for your project.
HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What are your thoughts on the recent
impulse of some literary agencies becoming eBook publishers for their clients' books?
ELIZABETH KRACHT: I think this is something literary agencies have to consider as
the publishing landscape changes; our clients require this of us. We recently published our first eBook at the request of
one of our clients. This has been an experiment for the agency and our client. We are committed to maintaining our focus on
the traditional publishing route, but as the definition of traditional publishing changes, we have to be prepared to change
as well.
HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What
are your thoughts on agents withholding digital rights from publishers when negotiating print deals for their clients? (Mostly
in the case of writers who have broken out as self-published eBook authors, and as such, already have an established following
in that market.)
ELIZABETH KRACHT: This
is a tricky question to answer. We would not consider representing an author who has already published an eBook unless they
could show impressive sales and a following. If we did represent a writer who was in this position, it may be a requirement
of the publisher that the original eBook be taken down and digital rights granted as part of the print deal. Publishers want
digital rights.
HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK:
What advice do you have for aspiring writers regarding writers' conferences?
ELIZABETH KRACHT: Conferences are a great boon for writers of every caliber (I'm currently at the
Surrey International Writers' Conference, getting ready for my next pitch session). I signed four clients from the last PNWA
conference (and am still considering other works). Conferences are a great way to interact with agents and editors looking
for new work; they are a place to get truly objective feedback from people who understand the industry from a commercial perspective.
Writers can also find freelance editors in attendance, who can help tighten up that last pass before submitting to an agent.
And there are also great teachers and speakers to help bolster confidence and improve writing skills. Conferences are a
worthy investment. If finances are limited, a writer may want to be strategic about which conference(s) he or she chooses
to attend. I'm a sucker for personal connection, and personal connection goes a long way in publishing.
HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: At the end of the day, what is the
most enjoyable thing about working in publishing?
ELIZABETH
KRACHT: The most enjoyable thing to me is working in a creative industry with a lot of history where I can apply
all of myself. Working closely with writers is also enjoyable. I love it when a manuscript makes me see everyday things through
a new lens. It's also a blessing to be able to work with someone like Kimberley and be part of an agency with a great legacy.
HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Thanks so much
for speaking with us, Elizabeth!
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