It Could Happen to You ... at Agentfest!
By Michelle Gagnon
Ironically, Graham Brown almost missed the Thrillerfest 2007 Agent luncheon. Thanks to a flight delay--on the red-eye, no less--he arrived late at JFK and made it to the Hyatt just as the event was about to begin. "I was completely wiped out at that point, and decided to skip the lunch. All I wanted was to check into my room and get some sleep." Graham confessed. "But another attendee got in the elevator with me, and by the time the doors opened on the ballroom level he'd convinced me to go. So I sat at the very last table and met Barbara, who was not only listening to pitches but helping authors make them better. My first thought was, 'This person had WAY too much coffee today.' I proceeded to come up with the worst pitch of all time, which she politely listened to."
By the end of lunch, Barbara Poelle of the Irene Goodman agency had invited Graham to submit his manuscript. "He was able to mark it with the coveted words 'Requested Submission,' insuring that his query would avoid the quagmire that can befall unsolicited manuscripts." Barbara said. "I read it within days of Thrillerfest, and didn't even make it to the bottom of page one before picking up the phone to request the full."
Ironically, Graham Brown almost missed the Thrillerfest 2007 Agent luncheon. Thanks to a flight delay--on the red-eye, no less--he arrived late at JFK and made it to the Hyatt just as the event was about to begin. "I was completely wiped out at that point, and decided to skip the lunch. All I wanted was to check into my room and get some sleep." Graham confessed. "But another attendee got in the elevator with me, and by the time the doors opened on the ballroom level he'd convinced me to go. So I sat at the very last table and met Barbara, who was not only listening to pitches but helping authors make them better. My first thought was, 'This person had WAY too much coffee today.' I proceeded to come up with the worst pitch of all time, which she politely listened to."
By the end of lunch, Barbara Poelle of the Irene Goodman agency had invited Graham to submit his manuscript. "He was able to mark it with the coveted words 'Requested Submission,' insuring that his query would avoid the quagmire that can befall unsolicited manuscripts." Barbara said. "I read it within days of Thrillerfest, and didn't even make it to the bottom of page one before picking up the phone to request the full."
Graham wasn't the only one lucky enough to land an agent thanks to the
luncheon. Jamie Freveletti, who recently signed a two book deal with
Harper Collins, also had a seat at Barbara's table that day. Despite
the fact that Barbara had initially passed on her manuscript, based on
her comments Jamie felt that an in-person meeting might help. "From the
moment she started talking, I was struck by her enthusiasm and spot-on
analysis," Jamie said. "When I got back home, I decided she was right.
I retooled the story, then sent the rewrite to Barbara. She loved it,
and took me on."
All in all, both writers felt that Thrillerfest provided the opportunity to meet with agents they otherwise would have had no face time with. Jamie said, "It was a pleasure to be able to ask them what they were selling, what direction they thought the industry was headed in, and what their toughest challenge was." Graham credits Thrillerfest with not only providing a unique chance to meet agents, but also writers. "Zoe Sharp was kind enough to read a section of my manuscript, giving me some character feedback that was profoundly helpful. It was fun talking motorcycles with her, too!"
When asked if meeting Jamie and Graham in person impacted her decision to represent them, Barbara said, "Absolutely, unequivocally yes." And she had some recommendations for Agentfest attendees: "Ideally you give me one line that captures the essence of your work, such as, 'A genetically engineered crocodile terrorizes a small Gulf Coast town.' If I like the idea, I'll ask to hear more, so have a five or six line summary prepared for follow-up questions. Something like: 'A young paleontologist returns to her hometown for the funeral of her father, the Sheriff, who supposedly died in a boating accident. Upon her arrival, she realizes that something doesn't ring true--not only about her father's death, but the behaviors of her family, friends, and former neighbors. With the help of the Sheriff's deputy, she uncovers the truth; the town has been shielding a billionaire's independent research company, and there are scientific perversions running amok in the waters of this sleepy bayou town.' Wait, I totally want to read that. Somebody get crackin' and pitch me at Thrillerfest!"
--Barbara Poelle of the Irene Goodman agency recently secured a two book deal for Graham Brown at Bantam/Dell for his debut BLACK RAIN. Jamie Freveletti's debut RUNNING FROM THE DEVIL is part of a two book deal with Harper Collins. Look for both books in 2009!
All in all, both writers felt that Thrillerfest provided the opportunity to meet with agents they otherwise would have had no face time with. Jamie said, "It was a pleasure to be able to ask them what they were selling, what direction they thought the industry was headed in, and what their toughest challenge was." Graham credits Thrillerfest with not only providing a unique chance to meet agents, but also writers. "Zoe Sharp was kind enough to read a section of my manuscript, giving me some character feedback that was profoundly helpful. It was fun talking motorcycles with her, too!"
When asked if meeting Jamie and Graham in person impacted her decision to represent them, Barbara said, "Absolutely, unequivocally yes." And she had some recommendations for Agentfest attendees: "Ideally you give me one line that captures the essence of your work, such as, 'A genetically engineered crocodile terrorizes a small Gulf Coast town.' If I like the idea, I'll ask to hear more, so have a five or six line summary prepared for follow-up questions. Something like: 'A young paleontologist returns to her hometown for the funeral of her father, the Sheriff, who supposedly died in a boating accident. Upon her arrival, she realizes that something doesn't ring true--not only about her father's death, but the behaviors of her family, friends, and former neighbors. With the help of the Sheriff's deputy, she uncovers the truth; the town has been shielding a billionaire's independent research company, and there are scientific perversions running amok in the waters of this sleepy bayou town.' Wait, I totally want to read that. Somebody get crackin' and pitch me at Thrillerfest!"
--Barbara Poelle of the Irene Goodman agency recently secured a two book deal for Graham Brown at Bantam/Dell for his debut BLACK RAIN. Jamie Freveletti's debut RUNNING FROM THE DEVIL is part of a two book deal with Harper Collins. Look for both books in 2009!
ThrillerFest
ITW's annual celebration of the thriller world is the largest event of its kind, a meeting place for authors, readers, budding writers, and publishing industry professionals.
This year we're in the heart of New York in July, with two special add-on events, CraftFest and AgentFest, where authors of all levels can meet the professionals.
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