HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: How did you get your start in publishing? How did the job at Folio Literary Management come to you?

MOLLY JAFFA: Folio gave me my start in publishing, and I never left! I started assisting founding partner Jeff Kleinman several years ago, and absolutely fell in love with agenting and Folio in general. My role has evolved considerably since then: now I’m Subsidiary Rights Associate and am building my own list of clients. It’s been great to see Folio grow, and to grow with it.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What is “Folio Jr.”?

MOLLY JAFFA: Folio Jr. is an initiative within the agency that focuses on nurturing and developing the careers of children’s and young adult authors. Children’s publishing is a vibrant, ever-changing, and competitive space, and my colleagues and I are dedicated to providing 360 degrees of care to our clients. It’s been just over a year since we established Folio Jr., and we have a Newbery Honor winner, Caldecott medalists, and New York Times-bestselling writers on our list.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What does a Subsidiary Rights Associate do?

MOLLY JAFFA: I assist our Subsidiary Rights Director and Senior Vice President with the management of our clients’ foreign rights. We aggressively pursue the sales of our clients’ books across the globe. I also handle our clients’ audiobook rights. Our subsidiary rights team and its initiatives—foreign, audio, film, digital, and speaking—help our clients’ work reach a wide audience in a variety of formats.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What are your thoughts about eBooks?

MOLLY JAFFA: I love eBooks. I’m never without my e-reader—it’s wonderful to have my library with me at all times. It’s my job to stay on top of what’s being published, and having an e-reader makes it easier for me to keep up with new releases. I read more books in more varied genres than I would otherwise, and I know I’m not the only one. Ebooks are definitely game-changers. At Folio, we’re working with our clients to embrace the digital space as a key part of their careers. Our digital rights team meets regularly with e-publishers and content developers.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What should aspiring writers understand about selling their eBook rights to a publisher versus self-publishing their eBooks?

MOLLY JAFFA: While there are a handful of impressive self-publishing success stories out there, the most important thing to remember is that, for most people, self-publishing an eBook is not the solution to a steady stream of rejections from print publishers or agents. People want to read quality stories regardless of the format.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: As an agent, what are you most interested in representing?

MOLLY JAFFA: For now, I work primarily with children’s and young adult authors. I love a good story above all else—something that sucks me into a world I’m not familiar with and makes me long for it to be real. I find myself particularly drawn to middle grade novels because I have a real affinity for that readership. I remember what it was like to beg my mom to take me to the bookstore to buy a new novel, only to devour it in a day, and then having to beg her to take me back to the store the next day. (After a few too many rounds of this, we got a library card.) I still get that excited about books! 

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What are some of the processes you use to work with your clients as an editorial agent?

MOLLY JAFFA: The revision process is all about helping the author convey her vision for the book and her characters’ voices in the most beautiful, polished, and compelling way possible. After an initial read, I’ll go back, re-read the manuscript, and use the comments and track changes features on Word to add notes as I go, looking for rough patches of dialogue, inconsistencies in voice, or places where a character’s motivations aren’t quite clear to me. Then I’ll write an editorial letter, which addresses the bigger-picture questions (pacing, narrative tension, character development, etc.) and send the client my line-edited comments. If what I’ve said resonates with the client, or touches on a larger issue she’s been concerned about, then we’ll work together to figure out how to address those things.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: For someone completely new to publishing, what are the basic steps you would tell them they need to take in order to publish a book?

MOLLY JAFFA: Do your research. A simple Google search will reveal everything you need to know, from the appropriate word count for books in your genre, to how to write an effective query letter, to which agents are looking for projects like yours. Websites and online writers’ groups like Backspace, AbsoluteWrite, QueryTracker, and Publisher’s Marketplace are good resources. Pick up magazines like Poets & Writer’s, Publishers Weekly, and Writers’ Digest. Even Twitter is packed with publishing tips! In our super-connected age, there’s no excuse for being unaware of the publishing process. Writers spend years of their lives writing and polishing their novels; they should put similar effort into seeking publication. Agents love to get submissions from writers who have clearly done their research. It shows us that the author takes his or her career seriously.   

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: How important are writers’ conferences? How should new writers learn which conferences to attend? How did you learn?

MOLLY JAFFA: It’s not imperative that writers attended conferences, but when they do, they should look for ones that focus partly on craft—not just pitching or marketing. Learning about the business of publishing is great, but it’s also important to hone your writing. For children’s and YA authors and illustrators, I highly recommend attending the SCBWI’s conferences.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Describe your dream client.

MOLLY JAFFA: An author who takes her writing career seriously (it can’t just be a hobby—it’s a career), recognizes that publishing is a business, is open to revisions when necessary, communicates openly, and has a good sense of humor.  

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Where do you see yourself in ten years?

MOLLY JAFFA: Still in publishing.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: At the end of the day, what is the most satisfying thing about working as a literary agent?

MOLLY JAFFA: There are so many things! Knowing that you’ve had a hand in creating something that’s bigger than yourself; something that could hold a lot of meaning for a lot of people. Knowing that you helped someone’s lifelong dream of becoming a published author come true. Knowing that you have the kind of job your childhood self would be proud of.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Thanks so much, Molly, for speaking with us.

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