Ann Collette was a freelance writer and editor before joining the Helen Rees Literary Agency in 2000.  Her list includes Skin River (St. Martin's), The Bone Factory (St. Martin's) and The Mirror's Edge (St. Martin's), all by Steven Sidor; Signs in the Blood (Bantam), Art's Blood (Bantam), Old Wounds (Bantam), and In A Dark Season (Bantam), all by Vicki Lane; and God Said Yes (Berkley) by Heather Hornback-Bland and Ninie Hammon.  She likes literary, mystery, thrillers, suspense, vampire, and women's fiction; in non-fiction, she prefers true crime, narrative non-fiction, military & war, work to do with race & class, and work set in or about Southeast Asia.

 

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: How did you get your start in publishing?

ANN COLLETTE: I was a freelance writer and editor for 15 years before becoming associated with the Rees Literary Agency. I’ve always been an avid and very opinionated reader so on my own started submitting book reviews to various publications. Eventually somebody published one and I used that clip as the basis for my entry into getting paid for what I wrote. I joined a writer’s workshop and other writers in the group appreciated my eye for detail so much they offered to pay me to critique their manuscripts outside of the workshop. From there word of mouth led to other jobs and eventually I built up enough references to be in a position to offer professional editorial services.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: How would you describe the mission of the Helen Rees Agency?

ANN COLLETTE: Before I joined the agency, Helen’s primary focus was on business, health, and other works of nonfiction. When she decided she wanted to do more fiction, she hired me to assess manuscripts. She liked my work and asked me to join the agency as an associate. Initially I was looking for literary and women’s fiction but over time I found my niche with category fiction, particularly mysteries and thrillers. Lorin Rees joined the agency a few years ago and represents nonfiction, literary and commercial fiction. Our newest associate, Nicole LaBombard, does literary fiction, some nonfiction, but also enjoys YA.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: How did the agency get its start?

ANN COLLETTE: Years ago, Helen Rees worked for then-mayor of Boston Kevin White and in that capacity made a lot of contacts. In 1983 she decided to both utilize these contacts and her love of books by starting the agency.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What are you most interested in representing?

ANN COLLETTE: I love literary and commercial fiction, particularly books suited for book clubs. But, as I mentioned earlier, I also love category fiction—mysteries, thrillers, suspense, urban fantasy, horror, and even western. I don’t represent YA or children’s, romance, sci-fi, and high fantasy (Lord of the Rings-type of books). Over time, I’ve also started representing nonfiction, including memoir, biography, anything to do with race or class and WWII (especially material set in the Asian theater). I also love fiction and nonfiction set in Southeast Asia.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What are your thoughts on eBooks and whether traditional publishing can thrive in an increasingly digitized world?

ANN COLLETTE: Right now eBooks make up about 9% of the market, but everyone knows that’s going to change; how much it’s going to change, no one is certain of yet. The only thing that’s clear is that eBook sales for major established writers are extremely good, whereas for a new writer breaking into the market, they are at the least, modest. When paperbacks were first introduced in 1939, traditional publishers thought it was the end of the business as they knew it. Instead, when the dust settled, paperbacks existed alongside traditional hardcovers and enhanced the sales of both. I suspect this is what eventually will happen with eBooks.

Right now, there’s a lot of enthusiasm for digital self-publishing, but readers of these books (when they’re aware of them, that is) are too often disappointed by their poor quality. So, as far as I’m concerned, there will always be a place for traditional commercial publishing because readers can rely on them to produce only the best of what’s out there.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What is the best way for prospective clients to contact you regarding representation?

ANN COLLETTE: Email me at agent10702@aol.com. For fiction, include a terse query and the first chapter of your novel in the body of an email (like most agents, I don’t open attachments from people I don’t know). For nonfiction, a detailed query is sufficient.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What is the best query letter you’ve ever read?

ANN COLLETTE: I can’t single one out, but I can tell you the elements of those queries that were the most successful. First off, the presentation was professional. The author recognized he or she was approaching me to enter into a business relationship. The author had done his or her homework and knew I’d be interested in the subject matter of the book. The prose was crisp and clear. A fresh twist was being offered or an unusually intriguing character was narrating. In nonfiction, an agent always is looking for a strong platform (basically, a way of selling the author along with the book and the author’s qualifications for writing it) but this wasn’t always the case for fiction. Over the last few years though, I’ve noticed editors have become more and more interested in a fiction writer’s platform too. It doesn’t mean the novelist has to have a platform, but it sure helps an agent sell the book if he or she has an established background in the field.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: When you pitch a book to editors, do you pitch by calling or is it usually written via email? Or both? What goes into a pitch letter to an editor? What makes for an effective pitch letter?

ANN COLLETTE: I pitch both via email and phone. I tend to email when the book is really good, but call when it’s really great. What makes a pitch stand out to an agent will also make it stand out to an editor.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: How much editing do you do with a client before pitching his/her book?

ANN COLLETTE: Every book is different. Carol K. Carr, author of India Black: A Madame of Espionage Mystery, presented me with a manuscript that only needed 5 minor edits. Other clients, though, have needed more extensive line editing. It’s never the same. If I fall in love with a book, I’ll give it everything I have, do whatever’s necessary. The bottom line is both the author and I want to have the best book possible on hand before approaching an editor.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What are a couple of the most effective marketing strategies you’ve seen newly published authors develop to spread the word about their books?

ANN COLLETTE: It’s important to develop a strong online presence and reach out to the community of bloggers who are passionate about books. An author also needs to have the best website possible.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: At the end of the day, what is the most satisfying thing about working in publishing? And what, if anything, would you like to see changed about how publishers work?

ANN COLLETTE: I just wish that everything didn’t take so loooong, including how long it takes me to respond to queries. As for satisfaction, absolutely nothing beats walking into a bookstore and practically breaking your neck doing a double-take when you see one of “your” books on display. Man, that is the best!

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