Interview with literary agent, Julia Churchill

Julia Churchill is a dynamic, well-respected literary agent with Greenhouse Literary Agency, an international agency, started by Sarah Davies in 2008. Greenhouse represents some of my lovely SCBWI-BI pals - Jon Mayhew, Sarwat Chadda, Harriet Goodwin and Leila Rasheed – and many more besides. Julia is also involved with SCBWI-BI and gives generously of her time. Although we’ve not yet met, we’ve had several email interactions and Julia always strikes me as being friendly, professional, helpful and very knowledgeable.

Today, I’m delighted to introduce Julia Churchill to Absolute Vanilla readers.

Literary agent, Julia Churchill, of The Greenhouse Literary Agency

Julia, what first drew you to the world of agenting and how did you start?

Hello everyone.

I started at the Darley Anderson Agency, which is one of the bigger independent agencies. I was Darley Anderson’s PA, then Agency Manager, then became an agent, then later Head of Children’s Books.

When I went for my first interview there, I didn’t clearly understand the agenting business. I had a notion, but in the meeting with Darley I realised I had to get the job. It sounded like such an exciting area of the business, and I wasn’t wrong.


What prompted you to join Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary?

It was an irresistible opportunity. There was something very special about Sarah, Greenhouse and the company’s ethos - which is about passion for excellence, with an emphasis on working creatively with authors.

Greenhouse was founded in 2008, and Sarah had such a great first 12 months, that she was looking for a UK agent to build the UK business so she could focus on the US. That’s where I came in.

Sarah is based in Washington, and I am in London. It’s a very elegant set-up in terms of English Language representation.


What is a typical “agenting day” like for you?

Let’s go with today.

I’m sending out a debut, which is very exciting. The third revision came in on the weekend, and is ready to roll. So I did my pitch and my submission list last night and just got it out moments ago. Emails are popping up from excited publishers, saying they love the sound of it. I have a good feeling.

First thing this morning I spoke to Kevin, our contracts supremo, about a contract we’ve been negotiating for three months. I think we’re nearly there, but I need to talk to the editor today as there’s one last point that Contracts can’t resolve between themselves.

We have an agreed contract with most of the big publishers, but this deal is our first with this house so it takes a while to get it hammered out. A key part of our job is converting a publisher-friendly contract into an author-friendly contract. A contract has a long life, so it’s important it’s negotiated well and carefully.

Lots of emails to get through this morning. I just managed to secure a great quote from a really big author for a debut book of mine, so that’s something of a triumph. Need to approve some sub-rights deals and special promotions, and a couple need to be talked through with author as they are ‘new frontier’. I’m finalising plans for two speaking events I’m doing next month. I have a couple of new book ideas from an author that I’ll think through today. Also have to agree some wording on an ebook addendum. And I have a revised synopsis I need to look at (I think she’s nailed it – yay!).

Today I need to start our Bologna ‘hot list’. The book fair is only a month away, and Sarah and I will sit side by side and pitch our new projects like demons. So much fun.

We have a great website, and I’ve just uploaded four new author interviews. Also need to check on my submissions. I’m up to date as of a few days ago, but every time I check there are loads more. That’s a good thing, but it means it’s hard to relax.

Having lunch with a publisher shortly. I have several authors with her, and we need to catch up and talk through a couple of things, not least a new deal for one of them. In some ways the second deal is more satisfying than the first (and often harder!). It’s our job to get an author writing professionally, and also to keep them writing professionally. With the second and third deals, you’re in longer term territory and that’s where we aim to get with every author.

I think I’m forgetting a few things, but I’m always busy and tomorrow will be completely different, no doubt.

Oh goodness, I’ve promised to get back on a couple of author mss this week. So that will be tonight and in the evenings this week.


What is the best part of your job – and – what is the worst?

Good news – and bad news.


How would you describe your agenting style – and that of Greenhouse Literary per se - and how do you like to work with your clients?

Supportive, honest and very hardworking.

I imagine that I’m a slightly different agent to every author, according to their needs and strengths.


How do you feel being part of what is clearly a very international agency works best for your clients?

In short, it means more money, as we’re very strong in both the English Language and translation markets.

Thankfully the world is a big place, and while one market shudders or shrinks, another grows. Some of our authors make more money in Germany or Brazil than they do in the UK or US.

Sarah and I share information constantly, so when I send out one of my UK debuts, I will have a sense of its value in the US and translation markets. Of course a book doesn’t have a real financial value until a publisher has placed an offer on it. Taking on an author is an act of faith. I might have been working on a book for a year, and think it’s HUGE, but until I get a publisher endorsing that, it’s still just an opinion. But having an impression of the international value from my colleagues means I can be clear-minded about a UK deal. For example, if I’m offered a lot of money for world rights, I can take an informed view about whether or not to accept that.

I focus on my home market, which is the UK, but I have an eye on the foreign markets too.


How to you set about sending out your clients’ work to a publisher – do you “match-make” or do submit widely?

I widely submit, on the whole. Of course, I sometimes have my favourites for each project, but often you can be surprised by who feels the passion, and who needs the book the most.


Many have said that given changes in the industry (the rise of e-publishing, the force of the likes of Amazon on publishing, development of new publishing business models, recessionary woes) the role of the agent must necessarily change. What is your view on this? And how do you see agenting going into the future?

It’s more crucial than ever, no doubt in my mind. Traditional publishing meant one type of landscape, and one type of contract. The world has got more complex and challenging. There are lots of ways to publish, and lots of ways to make money (or not…). Now more than ever you want an agent - and a team - who understand (and are able to adapt to) this developing business.


What, for you, is the key to a good story, and can you give some examples of books that really stand out for you?

A MONSTER CALLS by Patrick Ness. I was very moved by that.

AFTER THE SNOW by SD Crockett, one of my authors. Mesmerising. I sent that book out to publishers the day I read it – the first time that’s ever happened to me. It was that perfect. And the publishers agreed.

Almost everything by Roald Dahl, for its originality and boldness.

GOODNIGHT MR TOM by Michelle Magorian. Classic, quality storytelling with a big heart.

The MR GUM books by Andy Stanton. Hilarious and pitch perfect. I also really like the David Walliams books. There’s something quite gentle and sweet about them, as well as irreverent.

THE DARK IS RISING by Susan Cooper is a masterpiece. It’s so big and sweeping and strange and yet so controlled and focused and human. She makes epic look easy.

What do I look for in a submission? A book should have quality in its concept, voice, character, plotting, theme and setting. Of course, debut books seldom come in to us ready to be sold, but in a standout submission you will see potential in all of these elements.

Just a small selection of some of The Greenhouse's titles

Voice is inevitably hailed as the key ingredient in a strong story, how would you suggest a writer learns to discover and hone “voice”? Which authors stand out for you as having really strong voices?

I expect everyone develops their voice in different ways, but hard work and being true to oneself must always be part of that process. This is not an easy business. And the only thing you surely have is that you are yourself, and different from everyone else.


What do you think is the biggest mistake writers make in submitting material to agents or publishers?

Rushing.

Don’t send a first draft. Often a first time writer, or even an established writer, might not have a clear idea of what their book is, or what it’s trying to say, at that early stage. If you’ve finished your book, taken a break from it, looked at the whole and improved it as whole, those first pages, first chapters are going to be stronger. You will know clearly what your book is and where it needs to go – and you're going to get there more effectively.

A first draft is often a mess. Revision is about focusing and refining and that should happen before you let anyone read the whole, even a beta-reader in your writing group.


The publishing industry is continually on the look for the “next big thing” – what is your view about trends and do you look for stories which follow trends or do you look for stories that grab you?

I look for ‘forever’ books and tend not to follow trends too closely. I’m more concerned with a bigger picture. For example, at the moment there’s plenty of great YA but not enough great 9-12 debuts. And there are a lot of dark books, and not that many perky, life-affirming, heart-warming books.

There is plenty of opportunity in not following trends.


You’ve said in the past that talent doesn’t come along all that often, so do you feel the market is set to be dominated by a few big name authors, or do you feel that there is always room for debut authors?

The market will always be dominated by a few, but the bestsellers of tomorrow are today’s debut authors.

It’s also possible for an author to make a good living even if they’re not a big brand name. Mid-list isn’t a dirty word.


What is your sense of what publishers are looking for right now?

What they’ve always looked for, books to love. Something different, something exciting, something moving. Books that are conceptually strong with a great voice. Surprises, I suppose. And masterful storytelling.


What sort of story would grab you right now? Is there anything you’re specifically looking for?

Anything that’s wonderful! Even if it’s a hard sell, if I love it, I’ll do everything I can for it.


Are you currently open to submissions and if so, what is your preferred means of contact?

We certainly are. Take a look at our submissions page on our website.


Many thanks to Julia Churchill for this interview.

Thank you for thinking of me.



Please visit the website to find out more about The Greenhouse Literary Agency.

You can “like” The Greenhouse on Facebook.

You can follow The Greenhouse on Twitter.

You can follow Julia Churchill on Twitter.

You can follow Sarah Davies on Twitter.

And you can read Sarah Davies’ blog here.

And... here's a You Tube interview with Julia Churchill:

Talking YA fiction... Don't Worry, Be Happy...

I am going to be completely contrary today. I will no doubt piss off a lot of people – if you find you’re one of them, I apologise, but it needs to be said.

The first manuscript I wrote was YA fiction. The next three were a midgrade fantasy trilogy - which I have yet to complete because I was immediately distracted by yet another idea for YA fiction.

I love YA fiction. I love it because when I was a young adult there was none of it about and I always wished there was. I love it because the voices are so strong and so true. I love it because it deals with real issues, in multiple forms and genres, and because it is vivid and powerful, and more often than not, it is amongst some of the most well written fiction around. (More and more adults are reading YA fiction because of its quality.)

I’m currently working on two YA manuscripts. I read loads of YA fiction. I lead a YA critique group. My whole life, for the last several years, has been about YA fiction.

But here’s the thing. For the past little while I’ve noticed I’m reading less and less YA fiction. Instead I find I’m grubbing around on my shelves for midgrade fantasy. And it suddenly struck me last night that I am rapidly coming to loathe YA fiction.

When I sat down and thought about this startling development, I realized it is because so much of the YA fiction I read these days is gritty, it's edgy, it’s dark – and even if a story ends hopefully and even if it is beautifully written (and most are) there is just so much STUFF going on in the novels that they are enough to make me want to claw my eyes out!

It’s true; I am sick to death of YA fiction I’ve been reading. I’m sick and tired of the angst. I don’t want dark, traumatic and sombre stuff. I loathe and detest the dystopia. The world is a shitty enough place as it is, there’s enough angst and trauma out there. I don’t want to drag it into my leisure time. I want to read stories that are hopeful, happy, and maybe, God forbid, even just a little bit funny.

That’s not deny that young adults don’t go through a lot of stuff, it’s not to deny that the world is not, on far too many occasions, a desperate place. But where does it leave us, I wonder, if we only focus on the trauma, the angst, the trouble, the deeply complex and often destructive emotions and all the things that can go so badly wrong. As much as we need to reflect the darker side of life, it is equally, if not more imperative to focus on the happy things, the fun things, all the exhiliarating, wonderful things that being a young adult is also about. We need to find a balance. We need to find the balance in how individual books are written (grit needs to be balanced with lighter moments), and we need to find balance in what is published.

And it is not to say that lighter books are not out there, they are, or, they certainly were until the edgy, dystopian, dark fiction shoved them into the shadows.

So there, I’ve said it. Enough with the dark and the gritty and the troubled, I’m off to find me some love, some light, some laughter.

Any recommendations for recently published, light, hopeful, happy YA fiction will be greatly appreciated.

An interview with literary agent, Erzsi Deàk

I was fortunate enough to meet literary agent, Erzsi Deàk at last year’s South African SCBWI conference. The first thing that struck me was Erzsi’s humour, the second was her enthusiasm and willingness to give of her time, the third was her knowledge of the industry, and the fourth was her no nonsense approach.

Erzsi Deàk at last year's SCBWI South Africa conference

Having started out as a journalist, Erzsi has been part of the SCBWI scene for many years, starting the French chapter in 1995 and going on to run the international arm of SCBWI for nearly ten years. She founded and organized the SCBWI Bologna Conference and currently edits the SCBWI Bulletin international page, “Here, There & Everywhere”. She is a published author, and writes regularly for the Children’s Writers & Illustrators’ Market. In 2009 she began working with the La Martinière Groupe in France and acquired approximately 40 titles for two of their imprints.
She started her own literary ageny, Hen & Ink in early 2010 and represents authors from all over the world.
She appears to spend an inordinate amount of time on planes.


I’m delighted Erzsi (pronounced "aire-zshee") has agreed to be interviewed on Absolute Vanilla .


Okay, first off, I have to ask, how did the chickens get involved?

First off, I think they are funny, awkwardly beautiful creatures that just have to know that even as they preen, the world is giggling. Add to this, years ago, when about to hatch Daughter Number 2 I was repulsed by chicken on my plate. And everyone was serving it wherever I went. Then, I wrote a graphic novel script entitled CHICK HEN and fell in love with these gawky beauties and found myself writing CHICKENS IN TIGHTS, CHICKS IN THE CITY and COCK-A-DOODLE-DON’T! Chickens are elegantly hilarious and they wanted a voice! Finally, fluffing my own tail feathers, it was the obvious jeux de mot for the name of the agency.



Let’s talk about your involvement with SCBWI – what made you join the organization - and become so involved - and what do you believe the SCBWI gives its members?

I joined the SCBWI one lonely November about six months after Daughter Number Three was born (clearly my daughters have been turning points!). It was 1995 and Paris was under siege – bombings and transport strike (5 weeks). I’d been eying the SCBWI for about two-to-three years but had never been a good joiner. But when I read Rebecca Gold’s piece about her SCBWI launch in Argentina, an idea bubbled to the surface. I wrote and asked about starting a chapter. And retired from bossing everyone around in France in 2001 and as international godmother in 2008. Thirteen years was a lucky number!


You started out as a writer, and you’re a published author, so why the switch to a literary agent?

I’m still a writer, I just also happen to be an agent now. And some would say, finally an agent. I’ve been talking about it for at least 15 years! It was when I was scouting for a French publisher that I fell upon the amazing Siobhan Curham and her terrific self-published book, DEAR DYLAN, that had just surprised everyone by winning the Young Minds Award in Britain. When she didn’t have an agent, I pitched her my long-kept secret and we took off out of the barnyard together, selling her book + her next novel in a two-book deal over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays to Egmont UK.


How have you found the life of a literary agent? Has your life changed more than you expected?

Nope. I love it. I read all the time and wield a fairly opinionated editorial pencil. It’s what I’ve always done, now I can just put a name on it.


How would you describe your agenting style, and how do you like to work with your clients?

If you mean editorial v. non-editorial, see above. :-) I’m demanding and often require a number of revisions. But I’m thrilled when the CLICK happens and/or I receive something that is ready to go out the door with little editorial work. Communication is key and I try to keep in touch with each client as often as necessary. We’ve built a friendly and supportive coop at Hen&ink and I’m thrilled with my chicks and love working with them and seeing their projects … hatch (sorry).


Hen & Ink works with several partners, how do you feel this improves your business offering?

Since we are young, I like the idea of offering a loose consortium of partners to my clients (and anyone who visits the website). Eventually, I hope that we can all work together closely on joint projects. Recently, Hen&ink client Sarah Towle was lucky enough to work with our partner Raab Associates and the results for her app, BEWARE MADAME LA GUILLOTINE, have been phenomenal.


Many have said that given changes in the industry (the rise of e-publishing, the force of the likes of Amazon on publishing, development of new publishing business models, recessionary woes) the role of the agent must necessarily change. What is your view on this? And how do you see agenting going into the future?

My goal is to offer transmedia possibilities to my clients (the growing partnerships play into this as well). We are not looking to work as an e-publisher, or otherwise, at this time. We are working with those who know their fields inside and out and are, ideally, on the cutting edge of developing technologies. The point is to be relevant for each client.


What, for you, is the key to a good story, and can you give some examples of books that really stand out for you?


A beginning, middle and a satisfying end. A hook that won’t let you go and that you never forget, even after you’ve closed the book. Characters you love or feel for.
A YEAR DOWN YONDER by Richard Peck and LEGEND by Marie Lu stick in my head as terrific stories. There are tons of books I love. HOLES by Louis Sachar. THE PENDERWICKS by Jeanne Birdsall. THE PRINCESS BRIDE by William Goldman. MISSING MAY by Cynthia Rylant. WALK TWO MOONS by Sharon Creech. AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES by John Green. WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead. Lloyd Alexander’s THE PRYDAIN CHRONICLES. To name a few middle-grade and YA titles.



Voice is inevitably hailed as the key ingredient in a strong story, how would you suggest a writer learns to discover and hone “voice”? Which authors stand out for you as having really strong voices?

Well, everybody in the above list, for sure. As far as how I suggest a writer learns to discover and hone voice? Let down the self-editing defenses. Embrace revision. Really, let yourself go and your characters speak. It’s great when you have a VOICE to start with, but if you start with a plot and then fall into a story and then the voice is trailing behind, at some point, one has to pick up the battered voice, dust it off and give it a holier-than-thou position. Voice is everything. It’s what makes your work different from the next writer and it’s what makes readers keep coming back to that book. To you. With my clients, we generally beat the story till the voice sings.


You represent authors from all over the world, yet you have said that “foreign” stories tend to be too specific to a country. What then do you look for when you receive a submission from foreign authors and what is your view on multicultural stories?

A twofold question! First, some stories don’t have to be specific to a country and others do. Simple as that. Some stories specific to another country will travel, say, to the US, but others won’t. It’s all subjective, of course, but that said, if there is not universal theme within the story, it’s unlikely to travel. I’m all about the details in a story as well, so I wouldn’t want a story about diamond hunters in Africa transplanted to Wisconsin to stay local. But I would want there to be an emotional thread within that could reach across cultures, countries and other divides and touch readers anywhere.

Multicultural stories. Same answer, really. As long as there is an emotional thread that speaks universally, good. I’m not interested in any didactic or victim stories, but am happy to see a well-rounded manuscript about a character from another culture or background that speaks universally.


It is always said that getting published is tough, and it seems that it is getting still tougher. Many now say that it is imperative for writers to use the services of a manuscript assessment agency in order to get an agent or a publisher. What is your view on this?

Just write your best work and then revise it again and again til it shines and then put it away for a month or two and then take it out and polish it again til you can’t look at it’s so bright. Then let it rest. Read it. See if it still sings. If it does, send it to a few targeted agents or publishers. If it helps to use an editorial service, do. If it helps to attend a workshop that kicks you in the backside to write the story that’s been screaming to be written by you, then take that workshop. The main thing is to get the words out. And then embrace the revision process.


The publishing industry is continually on the look for the “next big thing” – what is your view about trends and do you look for stories which follow trends or do you look for stories that grab you?

I always look for stories that grab me! It has to be love, love, love. And if that is the “next Big Thing,” well, cool!


Do you feel the market is dominated by a few big name authors, or do you feel that there is always room for debut authors?

Debut authors are taking over! Everyone is just born and just published. Of course, there are still established authors, but much of the material I see on the scouting side of Hen&ink is blasting the news that this is a DEBUT author! And s/he is only 12 (can you believe it!?). S/he wrote it while everyone else was ice-skating. Etc. There’s always room for great work. And if you have a story attached to you, you are even more of a marketing tool, so that doesn’t hurt you, for sure! But if you aren’t a 22 year-old newlywed with a mega-deal for a sci-fi paranormal romance trilogy that will knock the socks off of everyone, just write your best book and send it out. For me, the work speaks more than the backstory. Though a good backstory is great to work with should the work prove worthy!


What is your sense of what publishers are looking for right now?

Original work. Stories well told. It doesn’t hurt to have a platform so they can find you, but many are really just looking for a good story.


What sort of story would grab you right now? Is there anything you’re specifically looking for?

Something original, well-written and obviously worked and crafted so that we don’t notice it’s been worked and crafted (that make it look “easy”!). Something that touches me, making me laugh and cry, possibly, making me cry from laughing (if it’s too dark without any light, it’s not for me). I’m not big on horror, nor am I interested in unnecessary or gratuitous violence. Can’t stand didactic or message-driven texts. Want the story to be the story to be the story that I come back to again and again – whether awake or in my dreams. Looking for FILMIC work – ie, visual and detailed with writing that sounds like a nightingale. Okay, I’ll stop there. No, wait, I want to smile and nod YES! when I read a manuscript.


Are you currently open to submissions and if so, what is your preferred means of contact?

We are going to be instituting the Open Coop Day, ideally starting in February. Please watch the Henandink website and the Hen&ink Literary Facebook page for announcements. This will be a policy one day a month accepting queries and submissions. We believe it’s important to stay accessible. But we are limited in time and our eyes are still crossing with the number of submissions waiting to hear back. And, we hate the leave-them-hanging policy. We want to get back to everyone. But we are human and if you haven’t heard, write us at submissions@henandink.com. For submission guidelines, please visit the website.



Many thanks to Erzsi Deak for this interview.

To find out more about Hen & Ink please go to: henandink.com

To read Henandinkblots, the Hen&ink Literary blog, visit henandinkblots.wordpress.com/
(guest bloggers welcome; send your pitch to info@henandink.com)

You can also "like" the Hen & Ink Literary Facebook page