Molly has been working closely with Folio authors’ projects since 2008, and is now aggressively and selectively building her list of clients. She is thrilled to be part of the recent launch of Folio Jr., a division within the agency dedicated to developing and nurturing the careers of YA and children’s authors.
In addition to agenting, Molly utilizes her editorial background, previous work experience in the e-publishing industry, and intimate knowledge of the Folio list in her position as Subsidiary Rights Associate. She actively pursues sales of all unsold subsidiary rights, helping Folio clients’ books reach wide audiences in as many formats as possible. Molly is an avid reader, and when she’s not devouring manuscripts, she can usually be found camped out in the aisles of her local bookstore (until they kick her out at closing time). Molly says: I focus exclusively on middle grade and young adult fiction. I’m looking for books that challenge the reader intellectually and emotionally, from the high-concept and fantastical to the frank, fresh, and contemporary. I love fiction set in another country, time, or place (real or imagined!) that opens up a rich new world for the reader to discover. Stories featuring characters with strong passions, talents, or smarts – or characters in search of theirs – resonate with me. I’d also like to see: Edgy YA that’s not afraid to explore complex social issues, historical fantasy, smart adventures (I’d love a modern-day Indiana Jones with a female protagonist!), dystopian fiction, and – most importantly – books with a voice that makes the reader think, “This narrator gets me.”
The Interview
1. What is the best part of being a literary agent?
For me, the best part of being an agent is waking up each morning knowing that I’m doing exactly what I want to be doing with my life. I get to help facilitate the publication of books that have the potential to enrich, even change, young people’s lives. I love reading, writing, being a part of the creative process-and I’m passionate about the business aspect of the industry, too, from pitching editors to negotiating deals. Publishing is a vibrant, exciting community, and I’m so happy to be a part of it. As writers well know, it’s an incredible blessing to be able to do what you love. That’s part of why I enjoy working with writers: we’re both doing something we can’t live without! (Also, you can’t ignore the added perks of being able to read books before they’re published and getting tons of free books. In many ways, I still feel like a kid reading under the covers with a flashlight, giddy as though she’s getting away with something.)
2. How would you summarize your personal agenting philosophy? What do you expect from an agent-author relationship?
I’m a very hands-on, editorial agent, so good communication is key! I work with each client to figure out what kind of contact is most helpful to them as a writer. I’m always available to talk by phone or email, any time of the day or night. I’m always happy to read backstory or deleted scenes so that we’re on the same page, so to speak. Since this is a very competitive market, I often go through several rounds of revisions with a writer before submitting a project. We both want the best for the manuscript, so it’s important that we can talk things through in an open, honest way. I don’t expect my clients to agree with everything I say in my editorial letters-they know the world they’ve created better than I do, and I’m always astounded by their work. But if I didn’t quite understand what the author intended to convey in a certain scene, there’s a good chance their readers might not, either. We can work together to peel back the story’s layers and make sure the author’s vision is coming through as clearly as possible.
3. What’s something coming out now/soon that you’ve represented and are excited about?
As a new agent who also handles subsidiary rights like foreign and audio for our agency, I’m building my client list very selectively. I have several really exciting projects in the pipeline, but the one that’s coming out this year is something I coagented with a colleague: Gever Tulley and Julie Spiegler’s groundbreaking Fifty Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do). Though it’s a nonfiction/parenting title, it’s absolutely reflective of my overall philosophy on books for young people. Young readers need to be exposed to some danger in order to decide what’s “safe” for them on a personal level. I believe that YA novels are a great way for teens to explore complex situations and establish their own boundaries and opinions. Censorship is a terrible thing.
4. What are the primary mistakes you see writers make in query process?
The most common are the little mistakes: not following the guidelines on my webpage, misspelling words, misattributing a quote or client to me, or addressing me by the wrong name. These are silly errors, to be sure, but they’re not the end of the world if your query material is otherwise great. A writer once called me by another agent’s name, then wrote a quick “oops!” email afterward-I was intrigued by her writing, we laughed about the mistake, and I requested her manuscript.
The most problematic mistake, in my opinion, is querying before your manuscript is ready. Sometimes I’ll get a query, be really excited about it, and request the manuscript only to find that it could have used another round of edits. This especially seems to happen after conferences. Query workshops are great, and I love seeing the well-polished letters that come to me as a result, but the manuscript has to be equally polished. It’s disappointing, because I’m always hoping to fall in love when I start reading a new manuscript. So before you query, ask yourself: Am I sending this query because I’ve made the manuscript the best it can possibly be, or am I just sick of looking at it and anxious to get it out the door? If it’s the latter, don’t query-sit on it for awhile, or pass it to a fresh pair of eyes!
5. With fiction partials, what makes you stop reading and start skimming-or stop reading altogether?
Dialogue that’s stiff or unrealistic. There are a few dialogue issues that let me know a writer’s not quite “there” yet in his or her writing journey. Repeated use of verbs other than “said” in dialogue tags (i.e., everything is “screeched,” “cried,” “squeaked,” etc.) is one. It shows me that the writer probably hasn’t developed her characters and world fully enough. If a manuscript is well-crafted, readers won’t need fancy dialogue tags to understand the character’s emotional state. Characters who constantly address each other by name (“What should we do, Billy?” “I don’t know, Jane, but the water is rising faster!” “Oh, Billy, we’re going to drown!”) is another tip-off-people don’t do that in real life. These dialogue issues may seem like easy fixes, but I’ve found that if a writer hasn’t yet honed these basic skills, the manuscript is likely to have other issues, too. It’s true that a high-concept plot is a huge plus in YA, but don’t scrimp on the nuts and bolts of writing in your hurry to get there! Great writing trumps everything. We can work on tightening the plot or developing characters together, but you’ve got to bring your best writing skills to the table. That’s something each of my clients does very well.
6. Your Folio profile says that you’re interested in historical fantasy, can you elaborate more on other fantasy subgenres that you’re drawn to?
I love all kinds of fantasy! It’s what I grew up reading. Sci-fi/fantasy, alternate history, and urban fantasy are particular favorites. I’m least partial to high fantasy, though, because I feel like it’s one of the hardest sub-genres to write well. A lot of world-building needs to be done for high fantasy to feel original. It’s a rare writer who can balance all that world-building with solid character development.
7. When accepting young adult, what subgenres do you lean toward?
For me, it’s more about the writing than the genre. I lean toward projects that feel “big”, that elicit an intense emotional reaction as I read. When I’m so invested in a character that I have chills down my spine or tears in my eyes as I read, then I’m hooked! I have an amazing group of clients, and they’re all very different writers-one is working on a heart-poundingly suspenseful post-apocalyptic novel; one is honing a gorgeously epic science fiction/fantasy project; another is writing a laugh-out-loud contemporary piece. There’s very little that, if written well, would be an automatic “no” for me (though I’m not a fan of vampires or werewolves).
8. Will you be at any upcoming writers conferences where people can meet/pitch you?
My conferences are updated here: http://foliolit.com/molly-jaffa/
9. What’s the best way to contact you?
Via email, at molly@foliolit.com . Please include your query letter and first ten pages in the body of the email. I don’t open unsolicited email attachments, and I don’t accept snail mail submissions. You can read more about Folio’s query guidelines at www.foliolit.com .
10. Best piece(s) of advice we haven’t discussed?
That’s hard-you’ve asked such good questions! I’d have to say, make sure you’ve established your stakes in the novel’s opening pages. What does your character stand to lose? What does he or she want? Make it big; make it vital. If it’s not, your readers won’t be able to invest fully in the novel’s outcome. The stakes don’t actually need to be life or death-the fate of the world doesn’t need to hang in the balance-but to that character, whatever she stands to lose or gain needs to feel that important.
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