Literary Spotlight: Evan Marshall

By Carlotta G. Holton

Evan Marshall is an independent literary agent specializing in fiction. Previously, he was a book editor at Houghton Mifflin, New American Library, Everest House and Dodd, Mead. He is the author of The Marshall Plan® writing guides, recently released in software form, as well as a nonfiction book about nonverbal communication.

Q: When considering a manuscript for representation what specific qualities do you look for? In your experience what is that extra “wow” factor that makes a book more marketable?

A: The most important thing for me is a fresh idea. So much of what we receive is derivative of what’s already out there. The wow factor would be a concept that is new and intriguing and also fits a specific genre.

Q: You may have heard the “Catch 22” dilemma: "you can't get published without an agent, and you can't get an agent unless you've been published." Is this the rule and if so are there exceptions? Explain.

A: I hear this a lot, but it’s not really true. Agents take on unpublished writers all the time and make that first sale. The key is simply to write the best possible book and find the right agent for it. In the meantime, placing stories with magazines can increase a writer’s chances of being taken on by an agent.

Q: What is the best way for a writer to find a literary agent? What specific credentials should a literary agent have? E.g., Association of Authors’ Representatives, etc.

A: A good agent doesn’t necessarily have to belong to the Association of Authors’ Representatives, though membership does indicate that an agent is legitimate and follows a strict code of ethics. The organization’s website is a great place to start looking because it lists agents’ areas of interest. Writers can also meet agents at writers conferences and conventions.

A good place to find out which agents not to approach is a website called Preditors and Editors™, at http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/pubagent.htm.

Credentials are simply a track record of selling books in a writer’s given genre. A writer should never pay an agent a fee of any kind (reading fee, handling fee and so on) other than a commission and sometimes expenses such as international postage or photocopying agreed upon in advance.

Q: How important is it to check on an agent’s track record of sales? It’s been said that a respectable figure is 10 sales within 18 months. Would you agree or disagree and why or why not?

A: It’s important to check an agent’s track record because you want to know that agent has the contacts and expertise necessary to place your book. However, I don’t think it makes sense to set a certain number of books within a certain amount of time. All agents work differently, and a “boutique” agency that places only a few books a year can be just as effective as one that places hundreds.

Q: What questions should the writer ask of the agent before signing on for representation?

A: Who are some of your other clients? What are some of your recently placed projects? Will I be working with you, or with one of your associates, or both? Will you send me copies of editors’ letters regarding my projects? How quickly do you turn money around? Do you object to having the publisher split payments? How do you like to work with an author in terms of communication? Talking when necessary? Periodic check-ins? What’s your preferred method(s) of communication? Are you interested in handling just this project, or in my career on an ongoing basis?

Q: Talk about literary agents that charge a “reading fee” of hundreds or even thousands of dollars to edit a manuscript before they agree to represent the writer.

A: As I mentioned above, no legitimate agent charges fees other than commissions and sometimes expenses over and above the normal course of doing business; but these fees are never paid up front. If an “agent” asks for any kind of fee in advance, a writer should run in the opposite direction.

Q: What are the hottest genres being bought by publishers? Are trends cyclical? Any predictions for future trends?

A: Publishers are still hungry for paranormal fiction—every variation on vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, demons and other creatures. Paranormal is very big in romance right now. Some other hot genres are urban fantasy, erotic historical romance, erotica, domestic thrillers, international thrillers, historical fiction, and women’s fiction.

Q: What is the average time it takes an agent to place a book with a publisher? What happens if after a year, the agent cannot sell the book? What options are open to the author? To the agent?

A: There’s really no average time. I have placed books in a week and others in a year. To me, it’s not about how much time I’ve spent trying to sell a book, but whether I still have publishers in mind to try. If an agent gives up on a project, the author can either give the agent something else to submit (if the agent’s willing) or find representation elsewhere. When I take on a writer, I’m interested in his or her career, not just a single book; so if I don’t place a project, I’m likely to ask what other projects the writer has for me to try.

Q: What, if any, is the relationship of a literary agent and a publicist? Do they ever work together?

A: I often cooperate with an author’s publicist, whether that person works for the publisher or is independent, to help promote my authors. Some new authors expect an agent to also play the role of publicist, but that isn’t what agents do. The author, agent, editor, and publicist should work together as a team.

Carlotta Holton is the author of Salem Pact, Touching The Dead and Vampire Resurrection, and is a member of the National Federation of Press Women and an affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association.