Hi everyone, and today on the blog I’m delighted to welcome literary agent Alice Lutyens. Alice has been a literary agent at Curtis Brown since 2003, and joined me for an interview.
Read on to find out more about her journey into the industry, her aspiring advice for authors and what she looks for in the perfect crime/thriller submission. What Alice is currently on the lookout for is below the Q&A.
Over to you, Alice…
1) Did you always want to be a literary agent? When you left school, did you have any other career plans?
I had no idea what a lit agent was until I was told during one of my work experience placements (in a feminist bookshop when the owner said to me “never be a literary agent, they are SHARKS”!!)
2) You joined Curtis Brown in 2003. How has publishing and agenting changed over the years, from your perspective?
That is far too long an answer to go into … but the biggest change agenting wise is how huge our job is now. It used to be managing the author’s career with books. And now it is that AND film / tv / radio / anything that can spring from a book plus their social media plus (most difficult of all) being a jack of all trades and procuring quotes for the book, reminding editors at every step of the way about stages such as when the proofs go out, when copy edits come back, lots of things. Editors are very overworked and there are far too many books being published.
3) What does a typical day in the life of a literary agent look like for you?
Many emails – prodding editors, approving jackets, reassuring authors, sending edit notes on round 2 / 5 / 8 of manuscript edits, doing my instagram reels, mentoring younger agents, meeting editors and getting to know them, meeting the foreign rights team to discuss the next step on selling my authors translation rights … no 2 days are the same!
4) What do you look for in an ideal submission? What makes you request the full manuscript from an author who has submitted?
The cover letter has to be great – succinctly describe the book (genre, positioning, story)and give me a flavour of the author. Opening of ms needs to really pull me in to get me to carry on. That combined with the overview of the letter and the quality of the writing will make me request (or not). I only request maybe 10%.
5) What are you currently looking for from the crime/thriller market? What unique perspective would you like to see for a novel across the sub genres of crime fiction?
Looking for a good old-fashioned heart stopper of a thriller – think I Am Pilgrim, think Reacher … and for crime, I adore crime with relationships at the heart. Think Lisa Jewell!
6) Can you describe the feeling of ‘I really want to represent this author?’ What happens after you have offered representation?
Tingles. Utter thrills running through my body! I will have a lot of email comms with the author and send extensive notes on what i think needs work. This way we can make sure we have a meeting of the minds before offering / accepting rep – it is so important to be aligned.
7) Once you sign an author, what does the author/agent editing process look like for the manuscript? Is it in depth?
Very in depth. I will do as many revisions as it takes – books don’t sell if they are not spot on.
8) Is there anything that would potentially put you off signing an author?
Them not knowing what the book is. Them not allowing for practicalities of selling the book to help their vision. What I mean is, when someone is so wedded to their vision that they won’t listen about what we need to do to ensure we can sell it. This doesn’t abandoning the vision – not at ALL – it means being prepared to be pragmatic as well as lofty dreams!!
9) Do you ever get nervous pitching to publishers? How does the pitching process work from agents to editors?
Not after 15 years of pitching.
10) And lastly, on a weekend, what do you do to relax? What do you enjoy doing outside of your job?
I have 3 children – what is relaxing? But I read, walk the dog… we are all REAL foodies so we eat out a lot and also entertain a lot. We love exploring the world. Japan next!
Thank you for your time today Alice, it has been a pleasure to interview you.
What I’m Looking For:
I am currently especially on the look-out for a timeless story about families and / or friends, and love and all the things in-between – think Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano and The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo. Also, thrillers (fast & clever), horror (everything! Stephen King to Point Horror series to dark scary academia – nothing is off-limits) and very moving contemporary love stories (Talking at Night is a great example).
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