I was drawn into the world of literature by default when my sister's growing collection of books in our tiny room began to overflow onto my bed. Bewildered by her fascination with these musty, decaying volumes, I decided to experience them for myself—and instantly fell in love.
Literary agent Saba Sulaiman’s passion is working with writers to hone their craft and build long-lasting literary careers. She describes authors as small business owners, requiring an entrepreneurial approach. We talk to her about what makes a manuscript memorable, hybrid publishing careers and upcoming trends in the publishing industry.
Please give us a brief overview of yourself.
Hi everyone! I’m Saba, I’m an agent at Talcott Notch Literary. We’re a boutique agency located in Milford, CT (about a 1.5-hour train ride away from Manhattan) and there are four of us here, acquiring a wide range of categories and genres. My list is primarily focused on Children’s literature (Picture Books through Young Adult, Fiction and Non-Fiction) so far but I am actively expanding my Adult Fiction and Non-Fiction list now as well, because why not? You can find a full list of what I’m looking for here.
What made you want to become a literary agent?
Lots of factors, but in no particular order:
- Realizing that I could make a career out of both reading books quietly in a corner as well as yelling about said books -- it’s really a perfect fit for me, personality-wise. I’m reading, I’m editing, I’m managing, I’m researching, I’m teaching, I’m promoting, I’m networking – there’s not a single dull day in this job and I love it.
- Understanding that I could impact the publishing landscape in some small way by advocating fiercely for my talented, deserving authors and ensuring that both their needs are met and their voices are heard.
- Assisting (and being inspired by) the inimitable Gina Panettieri, my boss, my mentor, and one of the best humans I will ever meet.
Let’s begin with the question all writers want to know, what makes a manuscript/author stand out?
A confident, immersive voice that commands attention and reflects the author’s mastery over their craft will almost always make a manuscript stand out, but beyond that, I’d say any kind of innovation or risk-taking that’s palpable on the page (via characterization and/or plotting) will also help tremendously. For authors, when someone reads a fair amount of recently released books in their genre (as well as outside of it, preferably) it always indicates that they’re passionate and serious about publishing in a way that goes beyond just wanting to place their own book. This is ideal because as agents, we’re looking to build careers and not just sell one book.
Is having an established author platform an important factor in taking on an author?
For fiction: no. Even though it can help drum enthusiasm for your project in-house, it’s not at all as important as being able to write well, knowing what kinds of book you want to write, and being able to execute them reliably and at reasonable intervals.
For non-fiction: absolutely yes. Non-fiction relies on author platform almost exclusively (unless it’s a memoir, and even then it’s a tough sell unless the author is known in some capacity or has a truly extraordinary story).
When should authors start querying agents?
When they’ve finished writing and revising a manuscript to the point where they aren’t able to make any more changes to it that haven’t already been made via personal reflection and external critiques from writing peers; and after they’ve spent some time thinking about whether they can feasibly establish a career in publishing – have they talked to other authors about the process? Asked for informational interviews with anyone who’s had any exposure to the publishing industry to get a sense of whether it’s a field they can thrive in? Of course, if they have limited access to these resources, then they should absolutely go ahead and take a leap of faith and start querying (your agent can guide you through it all) but not before your manuscript is ready – that is paramount. But I mentioned reaching out to people familiar with publishing because I think many authors spend a lot of time querying before truly understanding how to manage their expectations through the process. And anyway, seeking advice and weighing one’s options is always the best way for anyone to go about embarking on any major undertaking, especially if they don’t personally know anyone who’s done it before.
Many authors are now turning to self-publishing. Why should an author still hire an agent?
First of all, these are not necessarily mutually exclusive choices! I know plenty of agented authors who maintain what we call a hybrid publishing career – they self-publish some of their books and are also traditionally published via their agent. It depends entirely on what you’re writing, what the market for that kind of book is, and whether or not you need an agent to gain access to the gatekeepers of that market. Now I personally (and, of course, I am totally biased) think that every author should have an agent because it’s like having a dedicated manager who is qualified to find you opportunities to publish your work and monetize your writing talent, vet your contracts, and advise you through all the tumultuous vagaries of this industry. All of this can be fairly hard to navigate without an agent because every author has different experiences and different circumstances and it can be difficult to extrapolate meaning from them as it applies to you, but your agent will make it their entire job to know you, your books, and your circumstances, and will be able to advise you accordingly. It’s the safest option, and very few very successful authors don’t have agents, which speaks volumes for how indispensable I think they are for if you want a long-term career in publishing.
When you sign an author with a traditional publisher what should they expect in terms of marketing their work?
I wish there was a standard expectation but it really depends on how much support you get from your publisher. They may put you on an extensive nationwide tour and fly you off to various conferences and events, or they may… not. Publishers have their own incentives to meet when it comes to which authors they choose to support, and this has little to no bearing on how deserving the author is. All I can advise my authors is that they should ask for what they can expect (and then ask for more) before buckling down and being as involved as possible when it comes to marketing their work. Book marketing can take a lot of time and energy and usually creeps up on authors who assume they won’t have to think too much about it once they get that book deal, so it’s best to be prepared to be able to tackle it on your own because that is what most publishers tend to expect these days.
The publishing industry continues to change rapidly. What trends excite you?
I’d say that editors and houses are willing to support projects that are difficult to define, genre-wise, more readily these days, and that excites me a lot because we’re seeing some truly original, inventive stories coming out so it’s an exciting time for literature. Traditional publishers are more willing to take on topics, narratives, and approaches that were previously considered too risqué or too niche and I am all for supporting stories and creators that are on the margins in some way, so that is what excites me the most.
Are there any particular characteristics or habits that you believe help to make an author successful?
Authors are essentially small business owners. So those who are entrepreneurial in every sense of the word (innovative, hardworking, driven, good at problem-solving on the fly, good at soliciting customers and advocating for their products) have a leg up. Of course, it’s difficult to embody all those characteristics, which is where being wise enough to recruit a strong, balanced team of supporters and well-wishers (your agent, your editor, your publisher, your writing partners) also always goes a long way.
What advice do you have for authors seeking representation?
Do your research! Talk to as many people as possible about anyone you’d consider working within any capacity, as you would for any other aspect of your life. You don’t have to do any of this alone – there are warm and welcoming communities just waiting to take you in, both online and local to you – you just have to seek them and nurture those relationships so you can best determine your next steps with your eyes wide open.
You can find out more about Saba via her website and Twitter.
