Hey everyone, and happy May! Glad to have you stop by. 

I'm extra excited to have Jaida Temperly of New Leaf Literary join us today! I've had the pleasure to correspond with Ms. Temperly a few times, and she's always been extremely polite and encouraging (did I mention I'm excited to have her here?). And now, settle in and join me for a behind-the-scenes look at what really goes on as agents are sifting through their query inbox, reading submissions, and, of course... signing a new client!

Queries

MR: What is your query-reading process? Do you read them as they come in or do you designate certain times of the day? Do you sort them out, or just plow through all at once?

It depends on my schedule. But I usually try to review queries on Friday and then read through requested query manuscripts on the weekends or during after-work hours.

Manuscripts 

MR: If you request a manuscript, do you always request a partial first, or do you sometimes ask for a full right away (and why?).

This differs from agent to agent but I usually request the full manuscript right away. Part of this is because if I do end up falling in love with the ms., I want to be able to keep reading (and not have to email the writer / wait for their response). But the other part is because I like being able to see the full arc of the story. (For example, I’ve seen many manuscripts that weaken after p. 50 but then pull it together a few chapters later. But I can’t see this improvement if I only have a partial.)

MR: Do you read manuscripts in the order they’re received or in order of what looks most appealing?

This depends on the turnaround timeline. For example, if I’m backed up on reading requested materials, I’ll read in order so I can get a response to the author on time. But if I have a few weeks to play with, and if something really caught my eye, I’ll read out of order. You can’t deny the power of a stellar query!

MR: After reading a MS do you know right away that you want to represent that author or is there a certain process you go through to reach that decision?

 I’ll usually set up a phone call with the author to get a sense of who they are as a person, because to me, their writing is just as important as their personality. I also like having phone calls so we can make sure that we’re both on the same page for revisions, career trajectory, communication style, etc.  

New Clients:

MR: What happens after you sign a new client? What's the next step for that author?

It depends on the status of the manuscript. Sometimes the ms. only needs light editing; sometimes it needs a full round of revision. (This is all discussed via the phone call.) But ultimately the goal is to polish the ms. to its full potential and then submit it to editors.

We’ll also begin “big picture” discussions on career goals, working style, communication style, etc.

For fun:

MR: Your ultimate vacation: 

 The Scottish Highlands. If I could live there in a cottage, with a garden, and endless supply of coffee, I’d be one happy lady! (For now, I just watch endless hours of Monarch of the Glen.)

MR: If you could be dropped into any story (book, movie, or tv), where would you want to go, and why?

It’s a tie between Hugh Lofting’s The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle and Ellen Raskin’s The Westing Game.

For Lofting, it was my childhood dream to become a naturalist. (I once asked for a microscope, metal detector, and telescope for Christmas.) And I love the whimsical adventures the Dr. Dolittle goes on – it’s so easy to get lost in the story!

For Raskin, I am obsessed with codes, mystery, and logic puzzles. (Escape the Room is my latest obsession.)

MR: Who's your role-model (literary or otherwise)?

My Grandma Sharie. She’s an incredibly smart, strong, and driven woman. She also taught me persistence, which is a necessity living and working in NYC!

What are you looking for right now?

MR:  What would you love to see land in your inbox right now?

I would love to see more Adult and Middle Grade, specifically:

Middle Grade: Just about anything – it’s definitely my favorite age group! But I do tend to gravitate towards stories that are darker, quirky, and whimsical. Some of my favorite titles are:

-          The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

-          The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire LeGrand

-          Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers

-          A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

-          A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle

-          Coraline by Neil Gaiman

-          Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Adult: I would love to see more adult queries, specifically those with a mystery, high fantasy, or religious undertone! Some of favorite titles are:

-          The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein

-          Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

-          And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

-          The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling

-          Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

-          The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown

-          A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

-          The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Prior to joining New Leaf, Jaida moved from Wisconsin to NYC to intern at Writers House. Before that, she had a brief stint in medical school and milked cows on her family's dairy farm. Jaida is currently Literary Assistant to Joanna Volpe but in her down time, you can find her practicing yoga, downing coffee, or searching for the city's secret bars and cemeteries.

You can follow Jaida on Twitter. Submission details to query Ms. Temperly are here.Thanks so much for stopping by. Jaida seems absolutely wonderful to work with, so good luck to all who are querying her!

First of all, hi. I haven't seen you in a few months, blog friends. It's not because I don't love you (I do!). It's because I'm a teacher and the first few months of school are always c.r.a.z.y. (plus throw in the fact that I have a toddler and an infant--I am basically a zombie. Who doesn't eat people). 

Anyway. It's nice to see you. 

So. Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes in a Literary Agent's slush pile? Me too!

Here's  Lindsay Ribar of Greenburger Associates to spill the beans. Welcome, Ms. Ribar, and thank you for taking the time to stop by. 


MR:  What is your query-reading process? Do you read them as they come in or do you designate certain times of the day? Do you sort them out (saving some for later, perhaps) or just plow through all at once?

LR: I definitely don’t read them as they come in; given the volume of queries I receive, if I did that, it would take up my entire day and then some! I usually read large batches of queries all at once and set aside the ones that I want to look at more closely.

MR: Roughly how many of your current clients came to you via query?

LR: All except one! The one in question was a referral from one of my boss’s clients – but all the rest came right out of the slush pile.

MR: If you do request a manuscript, do you always request a partial first or do you sometimes ask for a full right away (and why?).

LR: My submission guidelines indicate that authors should send a partial (first three chapters) attached to their query, so when I request something, I always request the full based on the partial I’ve already read. I ask for the partial with the query so that I can get a taste of the author’s writing style before I commit to reading a full manuscript – and after that, I go right for the full because it saves time! (Time never goes more slowly than when you’ve just finished an amazing partial, and you have to wait for the author to get back to you with the full.)

MR: Do you read manuscripts in the order they’re received or in order of what looks most appealing? Do you always read the whole thing or do you stop when you lose interest?

LR: I generally try to read them in the order I receive them, but that depends a lot on my mood. Like, I may be burnt out on fairy tale retellings for a week, or I may not be in the mood for SF one day. If that’s the case, and one of those things is next on my list, I’ll skip (for now) to something I have a better chance of connecting with. It’s better for my sanity that way, and it means I give every submission much more of a fair shot.

MR: After reading a MS do you know right away that you want to represent that author or is there a certain process you go through to reach that decision?

LR: It’s different for every book and every author. With certain books, I’ve known halfway through that I’m going to make an offer, no matter what. With others, I’ll ask for a revise-and-resubmit. But my usual M.O. is that I’ll finish a book, having taken notes while reading, and I’ll ask for a phone call with the author to talk revisions. The author and I will compare notes on our respective visions for the book. If my notes aren’t at all in line with what they wanted the book to be, it’s often a pretty good indication that I’m not connecting with their writing in the right way, and we probably won’t be a good author/agent match. But if my notes are in line, and the author’s willing to work with me on making the book into the best possible version of itself, then I’ll make an offer.

MR: How important is building a platform (or online presence) for a debut author?

LR: Middling. On the one hand, it’s great for an author to be on Twitter (or Tumblr, or whatever) in order to interact with book bloggers and other authors, which makes it easier to drum up buzz for their forthcoming books. On the other hand, everyone has an online presence right now, so unless an author is really going to make the effort to stand out from the (increasingly huge) crowd in some way, it doesn’t make nearly as much of a difference as it used to.

Please note, though, that I’m talking specifically about authors of fiction. Having a platform for nonfiction (which I don’t represent) is far more of a necessity.

MR: Do you ever “Google-stalk” authors the way we Google-stalk agents? :o) At what point—if ever—do you look at author blogs, websites, twitter profile, etc (‘Cause darn it—we writers put so much work into those!)?

LR: Absolutely. Usually if I reach the point of wanting to request a full manuscript, I’ll take a few minutes to see what kind of online presence an author has. Not because I’m checking out their “platform,” as you said above, but because I want to get a sense of the author’s personality, and what they might be like to work with.

MR: What would be your ideal vacation and what books would you take with you?

LR: If you want to know exactly what my ideal vacation looks like, check out TheRockBoat.com – it’s a music festival on a cruise ship! As far as books I’d bring, though… that depends entirely on what I’m in the mood for. Actually, yeah, that sounds like a very ideal vacation: being able to read whatever I want!

MR: What kind of story you’d love to see in your slush pile right now?

LR: What I’m looking for right now: character-driven YA and MG with deadly secrets, high stakes, realistic character relationships (this goes for friendship and romance), and killer dialogue. Bonus points for music- and theater-related stuff, and extra bonus points for LGBTQ characters.

You’re very unlikely to grab my attention with dragons, elves, vampires, angels, faeries, or systems of magic that rely on Capitalizing All The Things or spellyng thynges strangelie to make them look unyque…
…but I’m still looking for good stories about ghosts, werewolves, mermaids/sirens, small-town magic (think Nova Ren Suma’s Imaginary Girls, April Genevieve Tucholke’s Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, or even that movie Practical Magic), or cool systems of magic that you made up on your morning commute one day.

Thank you so much, Ms. Ribar, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions! Best of luck to you and your clients (current and future)!

If you are looking to query Ms. Ribar, you may do so via e-mail, using the criteria listed on the SJGA website: greenburger.com/agent/lindsay-ribar-2.

Also, check out another great interview with Ms. Ribar here.

Thanks for stopping by, friends. See you soon!

So, in the spirit of building an online community of writers, I want to get to know YOU. 

I thought a fun and easy way to do this would be to have a post where you can leave a comment, introducing yourself. 

I am hoping that the comments' section will grow over time and... who knows... maybe you'll find a kindred spirit or two. 

(Anne of Green Gables. LOVE this movie! And the books are great too)

So. On to the interview! 

In the comments section answer the following questions with as little or as much detail as you'd like:

1. Who- Who are you? Introduce Yourself! 

2. What & Why- What genre do you write and why is it your favorite?

3. Where & When- Where is your favorite writing spot and when is your most creative time of the day? 

4. How- How do you write--what is your writing process? (do you plan everything beforehand or just write blindly?)

And that's it! Consider yourself interviewed!