Victoria Marini is the newest member of the Gelfman Schneider Literary Agency. Victoria can be found on twitter and her website which includes her blog, client list, query updates and more. She began taking on clients in 2010, and she has begun to build her own client list which includes literary fiction, commercial fiction, pop-culture non-fiction, and young adult. She is very interested in acquiring engaging Literary fiction and mysteries / suspense, commercial women’s fiction (romantic suspense, sci-fi, fantasy), and Young Adult (contemporary, sci-fi/fantasy, thriller and horror ). Above all, she is looking for anything with an engaging voice, compelling narrative and authentic characters.
1. What is the best part of being a literary agent?
Getting and delivering good news.
2. How would you summarize your personal agenting philosophy? What do you expect from an agent-author relationship?
I have an “open-door” policy. I’m transparent, honest, and cordial and I generally expect the same from my authors. Communicating with my clients is a priority.
3. What’s something coming out now/soon that you’ve represented and are excited about?
Oh man, so Steven Parlato’s THE NAMESAKE just came out and it’s heartbreaking and stunning and brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Lucas Mann’s CLASS A comes out in May and I couldn’t be more thrilled. He’s going to be a literary powerhouse, truly. He was compared to Joan Didion and Gay Talese! He’s an absolute master of creative non-fiction. And Corey Haydu’s OCD LOVE STORY comes out this July and I. Can. Not. Wait. Corey is one of the most talented, original, stunning YA authors in a decade. She’s incredible.
4. What are the primary mistakes you see writers make in the query process?
Not doing their homework. And talking about themselves too much and their book too little.
5. With fiction partials, what makes you stop reading and start skimming-or stop reading altogether?
Any number of reasons. The plot gets too crazy. The plot gets too boring/slow. Multiple sub-plots aren’t connecting. I can’t understand why the characters are doing what they’re doing. There’s no mystery left, no sense of “what happens next!”
6. Your agency website says that you’re interested in young adult, can you elaborate more on YA subgenres that you might consider?
All of them, honestly. I love big, splashy, commercial or intimate and literary. I love sci-fi, fantasy, contemporary, horror, historical, and suspense. Some examples: I loved HEIST SOCIETY, CODE NAME VERITY, WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND, CREWEL, BEFORE I FALL, THEN YOU WERE GONE, THE PECULIAR, LIAR, LOOKING FOR ALASKA, and I’m especially looking forward to 17 & GONE.
7. When accepting fantasy and sci-fi, what subgenres do you lean toward?
It’s hard to nail down, but think “Firefly” rather than “The Hobbit,” or as my friend and fellow agent Sarah LaPolla coined: “’Star Wars’” rather than ‘Star Trek.’”
8. Will you be at any upcoming writers conferences where people can meet/pitch you?
I’ll be at the Midwest Writer’s Conference in Muncie Indiana this summer, and I’m doing writeOn con, too.
9. Is a writing platform important for unpublished writers? Does it weigh in on your decision to represent? Are you a fan of social media?
It depends on what you’re publishing. Non-Fiction Lifestyle / How-to/ Arts etc… yes it’s absolutely important. Fiction, I don’t generally care about platform, but I do think it’s essential to maintain an online presence to connect with your readers, peers, booksellers, industry professionals, etc…
10. Best piece(s) of advice we haven’t discussed?
Alright. Tough truth time: If you’re wondering whether or not something matters enough or is impressive enough to put in your query, it probably doesn’t and it probably isn’t.
Aspiring authors are terrified to just write “My name is Victoria Marini. SCENTED CANDLE is my first novel. I hope you enjoy it.” And I get it. You’ve been told that you need to stand out. But, I respond better to “I am an as yet unpublished writer,” than “ My book was published by [insert vanity press].” Or “and I have 5,000 twitter followers.” Or “I self-published and received several four star reviews.”