If you're writing fiction, ask yourself, why should someone invest money in it, edit it, publish it? Will this story have a wider resonance?
As an editor—emerging or experienced—one of the truths you swallow on the job everyday is that editing is a backstage job, integral and constantly mutating, unnoticed, with the hour's need. You tease out an idea almost at the tip of the author's tongue (fingers?), probe them to reckon with the perspectives they're bringing to a work, look into the research, the formatting, the promoting—all the less romantic parts of getting a piece of writing out into the world. The labour of these tasks hangs hidden, in the spaces between the sentences we read in print, on our phones and computer screens.
If the job of the editor contains dozens of these tasks, the literary agent performs perhaps tenfold of that. It is the agent who, in mature publishing ecosystems around the world, guides the author through the stages of finding the right editor, preparing the manuscript for the right publisher, and then marketing the book to the right readers, all while protecting the author's legal, financial and creative interests.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Read more
‘Books must make you see things differently': Sunandini Banerjee of Seagull Books on the art of book cover design
Kanishka Gupta is a literary agent who founded Writers Side, Asia's largest literary agency based in India, and some of the authors he represents have been at the forefront of literary conversations in recent years, his and their work having taken South Asian literature to a global stage. Shehan Karunatilaka, Sri Lankan author of the Booker Prize winning The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, is represented by Kanishka in South Asia forThe Birth Lottery and Other Storiesas well as his forthcoming novel. Daisy Rockwell, translator of the International Booker Prize winningTomb of Sand,is represented by Kanishka for all her work globally, as is Geetanjali Shree, the author ofTomb of Sand, for the English translation of some of her backlist titles within the subcontinent. The list also includesAvni Doshi, the Booker Prize shortlisted author of Girl in White Cotton, Numair Atif Chowdhury, Bangladeshi author of the majestic, posthumously published Babu Bangladesh, and Iffat Nawaz, the Pondicherry-based Bangladeshi author of Shurjo's Clan,among others.
In person, Kanishka is as humble as his authors are prominent. It is his passion for storytelling that comes through in conversation, alongside an instinctive, entirely self-taught (and, in his words, utterly bizarre) understanding of the publishing system. Something interesting happens when I begin our virtual interview—unlike the authors, journalists, publishers and artists I normally have to ease into talking about their work, Kanishka rattles off answers to most of my questions about the South Asian publishing scene before I even have a chance to ask them.
What does the agent do for the author?
It marries a lot of professions—you're a reader, lawyer, counsellor, editor, friend.
An agent should have a very good understanding of the market and the requirements of all the editors and publishing houses. I would not want to work with an agent who has access to just one publisher in different houses in India—there are 8-10 commissioning editors at HarperCollins and Penguin, and each one of them is looking for a certain genre. Some of them are looking for a certain kind of book within a genre. So the agent should have a very good knowledge of publishing trends, of what kinds of books are selling.
At the same time, an agent should not be mercenary, they should not say no to good manuscripts just because they feel like it will face a lot of resistance from publishers. You have to be passionate about the book and sometimes you have to be okay with knowing that a book will not do well. But sometimes an auction that starts at 1 lakh can end with 10 lakh.
Authors also expect us to be very proactive about pitching their books to OTT platforms. And then you obviously have to make sure the contract protects the interests of the author in terms of the copyright, the royalty percentage, that there are no clauses which sound shady, etc.
Read more
Dhaka Lit Fest 2023: What the agent does for writers and actors
What do you look for in a manuscript, and how does that differ between genres?
Fiction is a very instinctive thing. Short stories are as hard to sell as poetry. But with fiction we make sure that the most fundamental things are correct—the quality of writing, storytelling; even if it is experimental, it should not be so for the sake of experimentation, and it has to be original. I'm happy to take works of fiction or creative nonfiction that work with hackneyed storylines as long as it's done in a new way. For instance, there are so many mother-daughter feminist narratives floating around, but some of them are done in such a fresh way.
If it's political nonfiction or biography, the research is more important than the writing. If it is a book on a historical figure or event, I like to ask the author what new thing he/she is bringing to the table.
So you've said yes to a manuscript. What happens next?
Sometimes we say a provisional yes—they work on it and get back to us. If we feel that it's next to impossible to pitch the book in its current state and we don't have the editorial and financial wherewithal to edit in house, we recommend freelance editors. If we're convinced after the authors come back, we do a standard author-agent agreement.
There are authors who want me to represent them in India only; some of them want me to represent them globally. There are authors who have 2-3 representatives in South Asia or globally.
So after the contract we do the pitch note—it's somewhere between a synopsis and the book jacket blurb. We work on the author bio, making sure that it focuses on the author's writing credentials and not just their achievements. Sometimes if we feel that a book is a hard sell, we get authors to prepare marketing plans. Then you kind of nudge other publishers and tell them that we've got other offers and give them a deadline for a response.
The publishing side usually takes 10-14 months.
I always tell the authors to make subjective, qualitative decisions. So many of my authors say no to higher offers from publishing houses if they don't feel comfortable with the publisher or editor. Some of them want to work with editors who are more hungry because they are new themselves.
What are some of the things an emerging or aspiring author should know about the publishing process?
Read a lot of books. If you're writing fiction, ask yourself, why should someone invest money in it, edit it, publish it? Will this story have a wider resonance? Or is it just a form of catharsis for you?
The story needs to have a universality, finesse in the plotting. Your research sources have to be more than Google search. You should have travelled to the places where some of your characters or stories are set.
Be open to feedback, don't be in a hurry to publish.
And—maybe this is a controversial statement—don't hero worship 2-3 writers and emulate their styles, and don't get so swayed by market forces that you are not experimenting enough. Just write.
Read more
In Iffat Nawaz’s debut novel, 1971 is not an open wound
Tell me about your work with Numair Atif Chowdhury and Babu Bangladesh.
Numair was introduced to me by Nadeem Zaman. He was not dismissive of me, nor was he reluctant. But for the longest time he was very wary of sharing the draft of Babu Bangladesh with anyone from publishing.
When I visited Dhaka after Numair's death to chair a session on Babu Bangladesh, I found his thesis for the novel at Lubna's house. You'll be surprised that there were not too many changes in that draft from 2007 or 08—we're talking about 8-10 years before the manuscript.
We had several conversations and it took me a long time to get the manuscript out of him, which would mean that he would have to let me read it. So the draft came to me. In a day—and it was a working day—I spent half of it reading the text, while I was supposed to be responding to mail and calls. A lot of people say that parts of the book feel like nonfiction. That's the compulsive, hypnotic quality of the book.
Read more
Farewell my friend: A review of 'Babu Bangladesh!'
Numair eventually said yes but he was not willing to do any paperwork. He was also teaching in a university and I remember he was deeply disturbed about the political unrest, the attacks on students that happened in 2018. I think somewhere down the line he started worrying about his safety because of the nature of the book—because it is explosive.
He passed away, and then I was very nervous that the book would go to someone else. I was also anxious to reach out to the family at a time like that. And this is where relationships come in—I repitched to the family.
Numair comes from a family of intellectuals and avid readers, they are very particular about quality, and they were very closely involved in the process [of it getting published]. The book was pitched and immediately I got an offer. None of them told us to make any changes. But I'm pretty sure that Numair would've wanted to work on it a little more.
Read more
Geetanjali Shree's 'Tomb of Sand': A woman and her many borders
Who else are you working with from Bangladesh?
I've just signed a collection of 14-15 stories by Kazi Nazrul Islam, who is also very big in India. His grandson is translating a selection of his stories culled from the short story collection. Not much is known about his short fiction. A lot of it is set during World War time and it's also about the experiences in the regiment. These are formative years so it's a glimpse into the factors that turned him into this poet.
Noor Jahan Bose's Daughter of the Agunmukha is out in July or August, published by Hurst Publishers and translated by Rebecca Whittington. Hurst is very excited about this book—it's basically her life written in a very novelistic way.
I represent Rifat Munim now, who is translating a novel by Shaheen Akhtar. There is also Phantom of the August, a novel by Mashrur Arefin translated by Arunava Sinha which will be published by Vintage India.
Shah Tazrian Ashrafi [a writer for Daily Star Books] is just 20 years old and he is writing short stories! His book was picked up by Hachette India and it'll probably get a global deal.
Among the writers I've worked with, I seriously feel that Babu Bangladesh was on another level. I liked Shurjo's Clan—it's the kind of book that can appeal to a large readership and Iffat has worked quite hard on it.
I do admire the works of Saad Hussain—he's wacky and has a lot of flair even though it's difficult to make it as a speculative writer. I have great admiration for Leesa Gazi, Shabnam Nadiya.
Read more
Piracy a main reason for New Market’s Zeenat bookstore closing down
What's your take on plagiarism in South Asia? It's become especially common in Bangladesh.
I think it's very bad in Bangladesh. I know Indian publishers refuse to let go of Bangladeshi rights because they feel that their books will be pirated. Publishing houses in Bangladesh have approached Indian publishers asking if they can print a novel in Bangla so that there is better distribution in Bangladesh. Every single time, there is only one reason cited for why the Indian publisher did not agree: piracy.
Piracy is quite rampant in some of the Indian language publishing scenes too. Forget pirated editions, PDFs are being distributed on WhatsApp.
The change has to happen at a government level. This is an industry which is not even recognised as an industry in India. There is increased GST on ink, on royalty—authors don't even want to publish in hardback anymore. I tell some authors to go for a paperback because for a new writer, the book will not sell at Rs 799. So the authors also need to be sensitised to this.
How has all this experience of working with books changed your sensibilities as a writer and reader?
It's killed the writer in me! All the time you're talking to writers who are, sometimes justifiably, convinced that their book is the greatest book ever. This is the kind of conviction that you hear day in and day out. So I don't have any writerly ego left. It has not been conducive to me as a writer.
But I do feel that in the long run, when I take a break—and I will—the richness of the books I've read, the people I've met and the encounters I've had by virtue of being a publishing professional will make me a much finer writer.
I don't find much time for pleasure reading but I've become very discerning. I do want to take a break and read the kind of books that I like to read—literary and experimental fiction. I don't like reading science fiction.
I think we don't read with that sense of lightness and wonder anymore, I don't find the time for this.
But one of the books that really stayed with me is called The Piano Teacherby Elfriede Jelinek. From South Asia one of my favourites is Temporary People by Deepak Unnikrishnan—experimental, crazy stories about the immigrant experience.
Sarah Anjum Bariis Editor ofDaily StarBooks. Reach her at[emailprotected] and @wordsinteal on Twitter and Instagram.
FAQs
Who is literary agent Kanishka? ›
Publishers Marketplace: Kanishka Gupta. Founded in 2010 by Kanishka Gupta, Writer's Side is a literary agency representing a wide range of authors from South Asia and other parts of the world.
Who is the literary agent for Netflix in India? ›Netflix Black White Orange, a brand licensing and consulting agency, has been chosen as Netflix's exclusive licensing and merchandising agent in India and South Asia.
How to find a literary agent in India? ›- Jacaranda Literary Agency.
- Red Ink Literary Agency.
- The Literary Agency.
- The Write Place.
- The Literary Consultancy.
- The Indian Literary Agency.
- The Literary Agency India.
- The Book Bureau.
Literary Agent Commission Fee
The exact percentage of commission a literary agent makes can vary depending on their experience and the services offered, but it's common to see literary agents asking for 15-20% of an author's advance, royalties, or overseas film rights, etc.
Monika Woods is a literary agent, writer, editor, and founder of Triangle House. She is a graduate of SUNY Buffalo and the Columbia Publishing Course, a board member of the AALA, and has worked closely with leading voices in contemporary literature over her decade-long publishing career.
How do I contact Netflix agent? ›- Tap More or profile .
- Tap Help.
- Tap the Call or Chat button.
Pitching an idea to Netflix
If you have an idea, game, script, screenplay, or production already in development that you'd like to pitch to Netflix, you must work through a licensed agent, producer, attorney, manager, or industry executive, as appropriate, who already has a relationship with Netflix.
Netflix doesn't have literary agents. They only have a team of executives and buyers.
Does it cost money to find a literary agent? ›Literary agents do cost money, but the good news is that reputable literary agents do not charge any upfront fees. They work on commission, which means they don't cost any money until they actually earn their clients—the writers they represent—money.
How much does a literary agent cost in India? ›A literary agent in India charges you based on the following three models. First, a fixed charge once a contract is finalized with the publisher. This could be anywhere between 10,000Rs – 20,000Rs. The charges vary based on the Agent's experience and level of engagement in the deal finalization.
Should you pay a literary agent? ›
Do You Need a Literary Agent? You need an agent if you want a traditional publisher. But for 99.99% of nonfiction authors, self-publishing is the better (and often only) option. If you want to write a nonfiction book and you're in that 99.99%, then you don't need an agent.
Why is it so hard to get a literary agent? ›Competition is very, very high.
So many authors. So few agents. Right now, the publishing market is flooded with writers trying to get their books published. While some are attracted to indie/self-publishing from the outset, many authors begin by approaching editors and agents first.
People in the industry should recognize the name of your agent. Again, publishing is relationship driven, so editors and publishers should know who your agent is. If you can't find any online mention or reference to your agent, and they're not a member of AAR, that's a red flag. Check their track record carefully.
How do you get accepted by a literary agent? ›- Start by getting your manuscript in good shape.
- Research literary agents and compile a shortlist.
- Personalize your query for each agent.
- Send your query letters in batches.
- Follow up 4-6 weeks later.
- Don't jump at the first offer.
In the USA, the Big 5 consists of Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster.
What is the best site for literary agents? ›PublishersMarketplace.com is the best place to research literary agents; not only do many agents have member pages there, but you can search the publishing deals database by genre, category, and/or keyword to pinpoint the best agents for your work.
How many clients do literary agents take on? ›An established agent may have between 30–70 clients depending on their workflow. They likely aren't submitting work for all of those clients at the same time, so that number is doable.
Who is Alia Habib literary agent? ›Alia hanna habib
Alia is a Vice President and literary agent at The Gernert Company, which she joined in 2017 after starting her publishing career as a publicist at HMH and working as an agent at McCormick Literary. Her tastes include narrative nonfiction, memoir and literary fiction.
Emma Bal is a Literary Agent specialising in non-fiction.
From debuts to high-profile, award-winning experts in their fields, she has launched and cultivated the careers of historians, poets, activists, polemicists, Nobel prize-winning economists, memoirists, journalists and novelists.
ka/) (Veronica) E. K. Janczuk [WEKJ] is the founder of the Janczuk Literary Agency. She began her work in the world of corporate book publishing as an editorial intern for a small imprint in the state of Minnesota, working also with a teen program at St. Paul's Loft Literary Center, then agented in NYC from 2010-2012.
How much does Netflix pay for a script? ›
The median guaranteed total pay for a screenplay deal was $325,000, with a maximum of $5 million with Netflix. This is higher than the first draft median for traditional studios of $293,750 for a one-step deal or $262,500 for multiple guaranteed steps.
Do you need an agent for Netflix? ›Do You Need an Agent for Netflix? In short: absolutely, YES you should have an agent when working (or trying to work) with Netflix! Having an agent (or film lawyer) will greatly increase your ability to work with Netflix.
What is my Netflix code? ›From the Netflix home screen, go to your Account. At the bottom of the page, select Service Code. Your service code will appear.
How can I sell my script to Amazon? ›Submitting your script to Amazon Studios is as simple as going to the Storywriter dashboard and clicking the three dots on the script you want to submit and choosing, “Submit to Amazon Studios”. Does Amazon want to hear your story, idea, and script even if you're not a professional?
Is it hard to get hired by Netflix? ›If Netflix doesn't hire you, remember that the company is very competitive and you should not take it personally. You can always try again the next time a position in your field opens up. There are also many other top tech companies that you can turn your attention to.
How to sell a script to Hollywood? ›- Sell/Option to a Producer or Production Company. ...
- Get Management Representation. ...
- Attend a Film Market. ...
- Get into a Development Program. ...
- Connect with an Up-and-Coming Director or Producer to Get the Film Made. ...
- Create Your Own IP. ...
- Use a Pitch Platform.
Believe it or not, there are times when a writer needs a literary agent to accomplish their goals. And there are times when a literary agent is not required. In fact, there are some projects that don't make sense for agents, because they work on commission.
Where do I send Netflix scripts? ›Per the Netflix Help Center: “Netflix only accepts submissions through a licensed literary agent, or from a producer, attorney, manager, or entertainment executive with whom [they] have a preexisting relationship.”Any idea that is submitted by other means is considered an “unsolicited submission.”
What are the red flags of literary agent contracts? ›Red flags are usually in these areas: term, books represented, termination, renewal, commission, expenses, and payments. Language including every book you've written and/or every book you'll write during the contract term: Author representatives usually pitch one book (or series) at a time.
Did JK Rowling have a literary agent? ›Christopher Little, who ran the agency, also managed Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling from 1995 until 2011 and has been credited with single-handedly managing Rowling's career and turning the Harry Potter franchise into a multi-million pound industry.
How much royalties does a literary agent get? ›
Generally speaking, literary agents take 15% of your total income from the first sale of your book before taxes. For example, if you receive a $10,000 advance on the first sale of the book to a major publisher, your literary agent will take a commission of $1,500.
How many literary agents should I send my book to? ›Getting Your Numbers
As you're writing your book make the list of agents who represent books in your genre and who you want to query. Honestly, 100 should be the absolute cap, but in most cases, I think you're going to be somewhere around 50.
DON'T SUBMIT TO MULTIPLE AGENTS AT THE SAME AGENCY
No ifs, ands, or but's about it: you should only query one agent per literary agency. It's not cool to email multiple at once. However, once an agent declines an offer of representation to you, you can feel confident querying another relevant agent in the same agency.
- What NOT to Say to a Literary Agent (or Editor).
- The DON'Ts:
- Don't say your book is the next best seller.
- Don't be informal. ...
- Don't pitch a book in a genre the agent doesn't accept.
- Don't say, “My book is for everyone.” That's just not possible.
If you self-publish, you can simply print and publish your book or even publish it as an ebook online. You don't need an agent to self-publish. However, if you self-publish, you can still employ an editor and a marketing team to help refine your book and get the word out about it.
Should a first time author get an agent? ›Literary agents for first time authors are essential for writers who want to be commercially published. A literary agent will represent and sell your book to the commercial publishers.
How long does it take to get a response from a literary agent? ›Now, a lot of people will say, you know, it's between six to eight weeks is, I would say an industry-standard expectation for response time. Some agents run a lot faster, some run slower. Some agencies run faster, some run slower. If they have it posted, again, you can check in if you haven't heard back.
What to do when you get an offer from a literary agent? ›- Thank the agent and set up a different time to talk. ...
- Follow up with the other agents who have your work. ...
- Triple-check once more that the agent is reputable. ...
- Prep your list of questions. ...
- Go with your gut.
Keep the pitch-letter short. It should be no more than three brief paragraphs ... ... one which pitches your novel; one which tells the agent a little about you; and one which talks about why you've chosen to target this particular agent.
Do literary agents look at social media? ›If you're a journalist: Beyond looking at clips of your published writing online, publishers and agents will look mainly to Twitter for a sense of how you present your personality or expertise, your following, commentary, and whether you're in conversation with others.
What will a literary agent ask you? ›
So some questions a literary agent might ask: Are you savvy and humble? Are you realistic? Are you prepared to work hard to see your goals to completion? This is what I'm really asking here.
What happens when you get a literary agent? ›What does a Literary Agent do? A Literary Agent is someone who helps writers get their stories made into books. Their job is to read as many stories as possible and find the best ones and then find a publisher who is willing to pay the writer to turn the story into a book which is then sold in bookshops or online.
How much does it cost to pay a literary agent? ›Cost. Generally speaking, a literary agent will take around a 15% commission on your published work, which includes everything from audiobooks to film rights. This percentage is usually higher for things like translations and foreign rights sales.
How much does it cost to publish a book? ›The average cost to publish a book falls within the $200-$2500 range and includes publishing costs such as cover design, editing, formatting, and book printing. However, it's important to note that the publishing type you choose will also factor into the overall cost to publish a book.
Do you need a finished manuscript to get an agent? ›Finish Writing Your Book
Please do not attempt to find a literary agent until you've finished writing your book. You'd be surprised how many writers send out a query with an incomplete manuscript and a bucket full of dreams. Many agents will ask for a sample from your manuscript.
Agents: The Wylie Agency (UK) Ltd.
Who is Salman Rushdie's literary agent? ›Main Article. The fatwa that Iran issued in response to Salman Rushdie's 1988 novel The Satanic Verses affected his agent, Andrew Wylie, directly.
Who is Stephen King's literary agent? ›Chuck Verrill
He was widely known as Stephen King's longtime agent.
Aragi, a literary agent whose formidable roster of writers includes Junot Díaz, Edwidge Danticat, Colson Whitehead and Jonathan Safran Foer. She was born in Tripoli in 1962 in what was then the Kingdom of Libya.
Who is Mark Malatesta literary agent? ›MARK MALATESTA is a former literary agent turned author coach. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children's books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company Literary Agent Undercover and The Bestselling Author.
Who is Maggie Stiefvater's literary agent? ›
Maggie Stiefvater | InkWell Management Literary Agency.
Who is Samar Hammam literary agent? ›She founded Rocking Chair Books Literary Agency in 2013 after six years as a Director at Toby Eady Associates. Prior to that she worked as a literary scout in New York City for Linda Clark Associates.
Who is Samantha Hayward literary agent? ›Samantha Haywood is President of the Transatlantic Agency. She has extensive experience selling authors in North America for publication and TV/film representation.
Who is John Wright literary agent? ›Book Agent John W. Wright worked at Oxford University Press as senior editor for over a decade. He resigned to pursue a career in writing and to start a new business as a packager of reference books, including: The New York Times Almanac and The New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge.
Who is Richard Paul Evans literary agent? ›Laurie Liss, Literary Agent for Richard Paul Evans.
Who is Mitch Douglas literary agent? ›Mitch Douglas is a veteran literary agent who has represented Tennessee Williams, Graham Greene, Arthur Miller, John Kander and Fred Ebb, Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, Lanford Wilson, Robert Anderson (Tea and Sympathy), Howard Koch (Casablanca, War of the Worlds), Frederick Knott (Dial M for Murder), Reginald Rose ...
Who is ayanna coleman literary agent? ›Book Agent Ayanna Coleman studied English and marketing. She also earned a Master of Science degree in Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois. She has worked in the publishing industry at literary agencies, a publishing house, as a book reviewer, and as a children's librarian.