Hi everyone, and today on the blog, I’m delighted to be chatting to Catriona Paget.
Catriona works as a literary agent for C&W and represents contemporary book club fiction, upmarket or literary fiction. Read on for what she looks for in a submission package, her advice for authors seeking representation and the nitty gritty of the pitch to publishers.
Over to you, Catriona…
1) Did you always want to be a literary agent when you left school? Did you have any other career plans?
I always loved the idea of working with books but wasn’t familiar with the publishing industry and had no idea agenting was a job at first. Initially, when I started to get serious about publishing, I was looking at publicity and marketing jobs as I had a better understanding of those. But then I came across an ad for an agency position and the more I looked into it, the more interested I became. The chance to shout about great books was what drew me to marketing, and the chance to work closely with those authors was what had interested me in publicity – here was a role that let me do both those things, and more!
What really appeals to me about agenting was the fact that our job is to support the writers at every step of their publishing journey. Agents help writers navigate a business that’s known for being opaque. It’s my job to offer clients the business support they need so they can focus on doing what they love – writing! Whether it’s providing editorial support, fighting for the best contract terms, guiding them through the publication process, or even strategizing about their long-term career, I get to work alongside authors throughout their journey. It’s a privilege to do what I do, and I’m so very lucky to do it and work with so many fabulous authors in the process.
2) What do you look for in a submission? How can a prospective client make their submission stand out?
I’m looking for a concept with a hook, a strong voice, or an unusual premise in a pitch letter. Clarity and a deep knowledge of your project are always important, as it’s hard for an agent to get excited if we aren’t sure what you are pitching to us! I’d also encourage writers to research how to compose a pitch letter. It’s like a cover letter for your book, so there are best practises that will help your submission stand out. There are lots of resources online to look at and it does have a big impact!
One major thing I would flag is that it’s important that the pitch letter is always primarily focused on the novel they are pitching. It might sound obvious, but a lot of the time I read letters that focus more on who the writer is, or what their inspiration is, or why they are writing the book, than on the book itself. It’s good to include those details, but they should never obscure the novel. So, if those things take up most of your letter and you only have a line or two about the novel, you’ve probably gone a little wrong. If an agent loves your work, they will want to hear everything about you and your inspiration, but that can come later in a meeting or call. The pitch letter is primarily for the pitch so that should always be the focus.
3) When do you know that you are going to love this author’s work? How do you feel when you offer representation?
It depends! Sometimes, I just fall so completely for a voice, style of writing and set of characters that I know from a short extract. It’s rare, but it does happen! Most of the time though, I will need to read the full manuscript to see how the novel pans out to work out if I am the right person to pair with this writer.
Sometimes, I will read something that I know is fabulous, but my reader brain is turning on instead of my agenting one. Maybe it’s in a genre I don’t work in, or I’m loving the writing, but I can’t see a vision for the project. Perhaps I can see a vision for it, but it’s turning it into a completely different direction to what the writer intends. When that happens, I know that I’m not the right person to work on it, but I will always have a think about whether it would be a good fit for one of my colleagues and pass it along if it is.
It’s always a thrill to offer representation, but afterwards it can be nerve-wracking if other agents are also in the running and you are waiting for a decision!
4) Do you have a view of the literary fiction market at the moment?
It is definitely a harder market at the moment for literary fiction, but I don’t think this will last forever. With the rise of trends of digital minimalism and the push back against AI slop and brain rot content online, I feel hopeful that new readers will be turning to literary fiction for content that is thoughtful, engaging and at times challenging, which will bring the market to a better place.
I also think writers shouldn’t be put off writing in a space they are interested in because it is a slower market. Things change, and it is a long road to publication (often 18 months to 2 years after you’ve got an agent) so you never know, you might be hitting a trend that is just emerging and hasn’t yet hit bookshops! Even if that’s not the case, literary books are selling to publishers every day and books that are not necessarily ‘on trend’ can and do find success.
5) What would you like to see more of, within the genres that you currently have on your list?
I’d love to see more energetic and life-affirming contemporary fiction that reveals the upsides and everyday joys of life, even while it explores its difficulties. I always love writing that makes me laugh, whether that’s a more serious wry literary novel, or a laugh out loud rom com, or just anything with razor sharp dialogue and witty cast.
I read because I’m interested in people, so I always want to see more messy character dynamics, whether that’s love stories, breakup stories, family dramas, or a story that pulls back the lid on a friend group. Throw in a few contrasting characters on a collision course in unusual circumstances, and I’ll desperate to read on to see the fall out.
At the more literary end, I love close character studies that are elevated to the incredible by the author’s voice, or novels that follow someone grappling with the pressures of society or a rapture to their status quo. I’d also love to find a novel that speaks to the zeitgeist in an unusual way through a hooky premise.
6) Do you have any advice for the unpublished author? At what point would you recommend that they start sending out their work?
I’d encourage writers to work to get their manuscript to the most polished version they can before sharing it with agents. Among other things, agents offer a fresh pair of editorial eyes that can identify and help strengthen weaker areas of the manuscript, but that is less impactful if there is still a lot of work to do that you already know about. Agents are also less likely to get excited about the novel if there are still obvious problems with it, so it is always best to get it to as good as you can make it before you start querying.
You also want to be able to maximise your chances of securing agent interest. If they like your opening, they will want to read on, so you are in a stronger position when you can provide the whole polished manuscript to them when they ask.
If you haven’t finished the novel, but still want to start sharing your writing, I’d encourage you to look into the different competitions that don’t require a finished manuscript. For instance, there is Discoveries, which is a writing development programme run by Curtis Brown in partnership with the Women’s Prize, Curtis Brown Creative, and Audible. Discoveries is open to any unpublished and unagented female writer in the UK and Ireland and only requires an opening extract of no more than 10,000 words. It is also free to enter, so it can be a good way to put your work out there without any risk!
7) What do you like most about working editorially with your client’s manuscripts and can you give an example?
I find editorial work one of the most enjoyable parts of my job. I like to look at a manuscript as a sort of puzzle, where to solve it is to strengthen the story. So, I’ll consider the story from different angles and see what that throws up. For instance, I might pick it apart structurally, looking at different timelines, character arcs and POV’s and play with the order to find the best way to convey the story.
Just as I read to get into other people’s heads, my favourite part about editing is getting into the characters heads, looking at their motivations and how these translate to their action. I want to find anything that feels out of step with who they are, or doesn’t feel backed up by their intentions, and dig into why that is. Is a part of their personality not being shown on the page? Is this action being shoe-horned in for the sake of the plot? Is there another way we can get the story there while still staying true to the characters?
But my favourite thing of all about editing is the collaboration part of it. While I will go through and write my notes and come up with a plan for an author, it is all up for discussion, because while it’s my job to identify the problems, it is up to the author to fix them. Perhaps they agree with the issue but have a different idea about how to fix it – that’s great! When you have a shared vision for a project, editing is a conversation, and I love the chance to dive into a story with a client and come up with the best fix together.
8) Do you ever get nervous pitching to publishers? How do you plan your pitch?
When I’m drafting a pitch, I like to think about the aspects of the story that get me excited – what is the tension at the heart of the conflict? What makes it different from other novels in this space and how can I show this (rather than just say it) in the pitch – can I give a sense of the voice, the atmosphere, or the character’s personalities? I’ll especially think about what got my attention when I first read the novel. Then I tend to just put all these features into bullet points, and from there, I start to move it around, edit and shape it into a full pitch.
Pitching to editors isn’t something that makes me nervous, because at the end of the day, I’m someone who loves books, talking to someone else who loves books, and I’m telling them about this amazing book I’ve got! It’s such a fun part of the job because at the heart of it is a shared passion for great stories.
9) What was the last book you read, that wasn’t one of you client’s and did you enjoy it?
I recently finished THE BOY FROM THE SEA by Garrett Carr. It’s a beautiful, heartfelt, and surprisingly amusing story about community, family, and the changes brought on by industrialisation set on the wild coast of Donegal. It’s a close character study of a family dynamic, which I always love to see.
I particularly fell for the voice, which was a perfect embodiment of the gossipy nature of a small town and was full of quiet moments of humour. I’d wholeheartedly recommend it!
10) What is a typical weekend for you, and what do you enjoy doing outside of your job?
I love to wander and explore, so often on a weekend I’m in some corner of London with friends and a coffee in hand and seeing the local sights. I also enjoy hiking, particularly in spring (I’m a fair-weather hiker to my core so I won’t be out in rain, snow, and sleet!) I love London so much, but sometimes, there’s no better feeling than getting out and being in the middle of nowhere surrounded by green! Bliss!
I also always try to make time for some non-work reading because even though I’m doing it so much during the week, I still want to dive into more stories! I’m really enjoying audiobooks at the moment, although I have rules about what I like to listen to, as I find too many narrators can get in the way of my enjoyment when it’s a literary novel.
Thank you for your time today, Catriona. It has been a pleasure to interview you.
Bio:
Catriona Paget joined C&W in 2022 having worked previously as a bookseller. She works with Susan Armstrong, supporting on her list of authors including ML Stedman, Miranda Cowley Heller and Joanna Cannon. She is also building her own list, with a particular focus on rom coms, contemporary upmarket or book club novels, and insightful literary fiction. She is part of the team behind the Discoveries Prize and helps run the Curtis Brown and C&W joint outreach program Project North, which focuses on expanding connections with northern literary and publishing communities.
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