HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Before becoming a literary agent, you worked in a library. What about working in a library made you want to work as a literary agent?  How easy/difficult was the transition to being an agent? 

KATIE GRIMM: It was great exposure to the current marketplace.  There’s something special about seeing the physical manifestation of the “marketplace” in a library or bookstore.  And you realize “audience” isn’t something abstract, it’s a patron staring you in the face, searching for something good, new, different.  It was wonderful training for entering the business, and I keep this perspective of the market in mind when I’m choosing projects.   

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What advice would you give to someone close to graduating from college who wants to become a literary agent? 

KATIE GRIMM: The most logical step is to get an internship or assistant position at an agency to see if you have the office skills and editorial eye to guide writers.  Remember there are two sides of agenting: the business and the editorial.  Agents must be extremely organized and have the business savvy to juggle submissions, negotiate contracts, and manage the individual careers of their clients.  They also must be well-read in new titles to know what’s selling now and to whom, as well as what makes a good story.  To work on these skills, I suggest getting a job at any type of office, working at a bookstore or library, reading slush at a literary magazine, and keeping an eye on the blogs and websites that speak to others in the business. 

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

KATIE GRIMM: I want to read and represent books that push my emotional boundaries and teach me something about the world beyond, or even better, myself.  I’m looking for fiction that is both of the moment – speaking to this particular period of time – yet timeless in its emotional truths.  I’m also searching for non-fiction with voice and authority.  Keeping that in mind, I want strong literary fiction, up-market women’s fiction, thrillers with bite, cohesive short story collections, and narrative non-fiction from qualified authors.  In young adult and middle grade, I look for high-concept with emotional honesty – they can be contemporary or more fantastical, but they have to have relatable characters.  There are certain genres like high fantasy, sci-fi, or romance that I don’t represent, but I think a touch of these elements in both adult and children’s keep things interesting.     

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: How much editing do you do with your clients before pitching a book to editors? 

KATIE GRIMM: I am an editorial agent, so I’ve been known to go several rounds of edits with a project if it warrants it.  In this marketplace, editorial board meetings are especially competitive, so you have to arm editors with a manuscript that is polished.  The bar is high, and we should strive to pass it, not just submit something that is “good enough.”  

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What is the secret to an excellent pitch letter from agents to editors? What goes into that pitch letter? 

KATIE GRIMM: I base my pitch on the hook that originally lead me to request the novel, which I will often pull from the query letter or synopsis.  I’m looking for something that is short and zippy that showcases how the book is both intriguingly unique and pleasantly familiar.  A clone of another book is going to be a difficult sell, but on the other hand, something too unusual is difficult to market, so you have to toe this line.  A good pitch letter also tells the editor why I love the project – authors might get frustrated by the standard line “I didn’t fall in love” with a project, but do you want an agent who isn’t head-over heels?  The pitch is where we can showcase that enthusiasm.  

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Do you ever pitch manuscripts to editors you don’t know? 

KATIE GRIMM: Of course!  I know some editors better than others, but if there is an editor who I don’t know whose sensibility seems match a new project I’m submitting, I will introduce myself.  

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: How important is it for agents to take editors out to eat and travel in the same social circles? 

KATIE GRIMM: It’s important to get to know editors personally – it can happen deliberately through one-on-one lunches or agent-editor cocktail parties, but industry friendships are also just a natural outgrowth of having similar interests.  While editors can tell you they bought this book or adore that book, I will be better at predicting what they will want in the future if I know where they come from as a people and what excites them outside of publishing.

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

KATIE GRIMM: Query letter and first chapter in the body of an email – no frills and gimmicks – I want to see that you can pitch your book and that you’re an amazing writer.    

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

KATIE GRIMM: I can’t point to “the best” query letter I’ve ever read, but a great query letter speaks to me out of the slush pile with a fresh concept that is conveyed professionally.  While I don’t have a favorite, there is a certain satisfaction in looking at an old query from a bestselling author and noting that the query isn’t that different from the jacket copy or book trailer – I urge writers to strive for that sort of longevity. 

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: A handful of small publishers have gone out of business in the past year or two. Borders is on the verge of financial collapse. How much of this is the result of eBooks, and what are your thoughts regarding whether traditional publishing can thrive in an increasingly digitized reading world? 

KATIE GRIMM: E-books are not solely responsible for the failings of certain publishers or booksellers.  E-books just represent a new stage of publishing, and I think they’re making reading books “new” again.  Everyone wants the latest gadget, and thankfully, people want to fill up those gadgets with books.  Developers are looking at books for ways to make apps or enhanced e-books, backlist authors are seeing a revival in their electronic editions, and people with kindles buy more books than they did before.  Of course people are afraid of change, and a lot of the old models need to be updated – especially pricing and royalty rates for authors – but I see this as a new era where we can exploit rights in completely new ways and reach new audiences.  Borders did more harm to itself than e-books did, and there will be casualties – we must learn to “innovate or die.”  I think the key factor for us is that content is still king, and authors aren’t going anywhere. 

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: If you could fix one thing about how traditional publishing works, what would it be?

KATIE GRIMM: I still don’t understand why a bookstore can order a book, fail to sell it, and return it for a full refund.  I remember being shocked when I found out many returned books get pulped.  Ending returns might have some unforeseen consequences, but I’d love to get rid of the “returns” section on royalty statements.   

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: At the end of the day, what is the most satisfying thing about working in publishing?

KATIE GRIMM: I get to discover my new favorite authors and books – who isn’t looking for the next “life-changing” read?  I was already a book evangelist long before I came to publishing, but now I am on the front lines – nurturing authors and creating a space for their voices to be heard.  I learn and grow through books, and it is so satisfying to share these experiences with those who are just as passionate.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Thanks so much for speaking with us, Katie!  

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