Pooja Menon joined Kimberley Cameron & Associates as an intern in the fall of 2011, with the aim of immersing herself in the elusive world of books and publishing. She soon realized that being an agent was what she was most drawn to as the job was varied and challenging. She represents both fiction and non-fiction for Adult and YA markets.
1) What is the best part of being a literary agent?
I love everything about being an agent. My favorite part, though, is the process of discovering manuscripts in my inbox that make my heart slow down considerably. When I find myself savoring each word in a manuscript, that is when I know I’ve got to represent that particular book and author. I also love the process of editing. It’s like putting together a puzzle, and making sure the right chapters and scenes go in the right places, in a way that makes the book even stronger. Being a chronic reader, this profession allows me to think, breathe, and talk about books to people who are equally obsessed with the publishing world. That is a truly enjoyable experience. Makes me thankful for each day!
2) How would you summarize your personal agenting philosophy? What do you expect from an agent-author relationship?
There are four things that are very important for a successful agent-author relationship–communication, trust, respect, and honesty. As an agent, I envision my relationships with my authors to be long-term ones. I want to represent them for the entirety of their career, if possible. Which means, the author and I should be able to communicate, right from the beginning, what the both of us expect from each other. I would also like for us to have an interactive relationship where she feels comfortable calling or emailing me whenever needed, without any reservations. In terms of being an agent, I am the kind of person who will not hold back in terms of editing and revisions. Sometimes, this might be hard for the author to accept. I understand this. But as a third person, she needs to trust that I will be able to help her by giving her a reader’s perspective. She should know that the only reason I’m representing her is because I LOVE her work and want to get it into the best shape possible, so that I can get it into the hands of the right people. People who will appreciate her work as much as I do.
On the author’s side, I would expect her to be aware of what is going on around her, in the world and in the publishing scene. I would like her to have an inexhaustible well of future ideas that are current or prolific. She needs to be a social media junkie, to be actively building her platform (fiction or non-fiction), and to be writing every day. This is extremely important in today’s publishing climate, to build a base of followers or friends within which to promote your body of work, and to hone your craft. I would also expect us to have a mutually respectful relationship where we can bring our thoughts, feelings, ideas, and opinions to the table, knowing that we’re in a partnership, and it’s okay to have disagreements sometimes. In the end, I will be the fiercest advocate for her work.
3) What’s something coming out now/soon that you’ve represented and are excited about?
Since I’m a new agent (about two months new), I’m still in the process of searching for the right projects and building my client list. I was an intern/assistant for the past ten months before I became an agent, so I’ve been honing my editorial skills by helping Kimberley and Liz with their projects. Now I’m ready to find my own. As of now, I’m excited about two women’s fiction projects and one memoir that have come across my lap. If things go well, I should be able to begin shopping them out soon.
4) What are the primary mistakes you see writers make in the query process?
Going through all that effort to create the perfect query letter, synopsis, and sample chapters…then sending it to the wrong agent. Writers should research widely and make a list of agents that deal specifically with their genres before sending their query letters out. They’ll have a lesser chance of getting rejected.
5) Your agency website says that you’re interested in young adult, can you tell us what you’re seeing a lot of and what you’re not seeing enough of? (Your “dream projects, so to speak.)
I see a lot of YA crowded with vampires, werewolves, faeries, demons, and lately, psychics. These days, it’s not just enough to be in possession of a well-written manuscript. You have to ask yourself how your book is different to the countless others that saturate the market. There needs to be a whole fresh angle that hasn’t been done before. In terms of what I’d love to see more of in YA, stories with edgy new concepts and flawed but lovable characters would be it. I’m open to YA in ALL genres. But there has to be something different about them for me to get really hooked. That would be my dream project.
6) When accepting fantasy, what subgenres do you lean toward?
That’s a difficult question. In general, I’m looking for a good story. It can be in any genre. Contemporary, historical, fantasy, steampunk, urban fantasy, adventure, dystopian, romance, paranormal romance, historical fantasy…are there any subgenres I’ve missed? I prefer not to lean towards anything, as I do not want to restrict myself.
7) Will you be at any upcoming writers conferences where people can meet/pitch you?
I’ll be attending the TMCC Writers’ Conference in Reno, which is on the 27th of April. I expect to add some more to the list as the months go by. But for now, Reno it is!
8) Is a writing platform important for unpublished writers? Does it weigh in on your decision to represent? Are you a fan of social media?
Yes and no. I think it certainly helps if a writer has some writing credentials to his name. Their queries are looked at with an extra layer of curiosity when we see that they’ve been published in journals and literary magazines prior to querying us. That being said, if the writing is strong, credentials and platform will be the last thing on our minds. However, in the case of non-fiction, platform is detrimental. Editors at publishing houses do not consider proposals without a solid platform. So, unless the non-fiction query is extremely zoned into what is going to be HOT in the market in the next two years, and is superbly written, I may decide to pass up on it. As for whether I’m a fan of social media, since I started at KC&A, I’ve begun to be stricter about keeping up a blog and twitter account, because it’s the easiest way to reach out to writers and people in the publishing community. Therefore, it’s become very important to be adept at social media, to keep up with the changing technological trends.
9) Best piece (s) of advice we haven’t discussed?
One, read a lot. Read across all genres. This builds up your vocabulary and keeps you current on what’s hot in the market. Two, write everyday. Doesn’t matter what you write—it could be journaling, writing outlines to possible stories, poems, lists of ideas—keep that hand moving. Third, when writing and polishing your manuscript, be consistent with the entire book. Most often, I see that the first fifty pages of a manuscript are tight, clean, and well written. But after the fifty-page mark, things start to slide downhill.
Contest Details:
One person will receive a query critique from literary agent, Pooja Menon. The contest will run from October 5th - October 31st.
How to Enter: