Agent of the Month: Scott Treimel – Part One Interview

Scott Treimel is February’s Agent of the Month.

He is closed to unsolicited submissions, but if you are a follower of my Writing and Illustrating blog you can submit a full picture book manuscript or a query with the first three pages of a chapter book, middle grade, or young adult novel in the month of February.

PLEASE NOTE – changed information:

To take advantage of this opportunity, please use this email address: kathy(.)temean@gmail(.)com. You MUST put SCOTT TREIMEL FEBRUARY SPECIAL SUBMISSION in the subject box and note you are a follower (you automatically receive a daily email).

Of course format your submission using one inch margins, 12 point New Times Roman font, double spaced, plus don’t forget your name, address, and contact information. Please include genre, word count, and paste text into the body of the email.

DEADLINE: February 28th. Please check last Friday’s post for the first page guidelines.

See bottom of the page for guidelines to participate in the First Page Critiques.

S©ott Treimel NY is a full-service boutique agency representing the intellectual property rights in the work of authors and illustrators of books for children and teens, only: Picture books – Chapter books – Middle Grade books – Young Adult novels – Non-fiction and fiction – all genres. He also represents selected children’s illustrators.

HERE IS PART ONE OF MY INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT:

How did you get interested in becoming an agent and starting your own agency?

I like working with authors, and their deepest publishing relationship is with their representatives. I like being the first professional to see a project. I believe agents have the furthest reaching say-so, both with talent and publishers, and I get to talk authoritatively with both. As an author’s advocate, I get to fight for the underdog.

Do you have a limit of the amount of clients represent? 

Not all clients demand equal attention: one writes a book a year, another every ten years, one book has ten foreign editions, another has none. STNY is not numerically limited.

What are your favorite genres?

Mysteries, Contemporary Realism, Magic Realism, select Historicals (no more Civil War! Or Europe during WWII), dark and scary anything.

What are your favorite genres?

Mysteries, Contemporary Realism, Magic Realism, select Historicals (no more Civil War or WWII in Europe), Humor, dark and scary anything, excellent non-fiction.

Editorial Taste?

I like third person narratives above first-person narratives, and I generally feel claustrophobic reading close first-person narratives, typically written in present tense, which makes for less immersive reading.

Are there any story or themes you wished someone would submit?

This changes all the time. Right now I want a m-g nonfiction exploring fingerprints, a nonfiction picture book about the Taj Mahal, and a Stephen King-esque creeper. I want stories set in India (where I lived) and China, especially during the Cultural Revolution.

I know you specialize in children’s books, but would you represent a YA author who writes a story about a college age character?

Maybe.

Do you think it is okay for an author to write picture books, middle grade novels, and YA novels? Or do you feel it is better to focus on one age group and genre?

Authors should write what they want, but even accomplished authors rarely succeed across categories: the “skill set” varies so widely. More importantly, publishing across categories stymies “brand awareness” among librarians, booksellers, and the reading public, so it generally disserves an author’s career.

What do you like to see in a submission?

I want a succinct and modest introduction to the author and the Work, which will speak for itself. I want the work summarize in a couple paragraphs. I do not like to be “pitched” about the market and a ms’s prospects.

How important is the query letter? 

Extremely.

Any tips on how an author can get you to ask to see more?

1) Write well.

2) Create an original premise, and

3) Present characters, situations, themes with fresh observations.

How far do you normally read before you reject a submission?

Is this a trick question? Bad writing is instantly evident, and half a page is often all I can stand. If a ms is well-written, suggesting an author can capably revise, I will read the entirety.

Any pet peeves?

Lordy, do I ever!

CHECK BACK NEXT FRIDAY TO READ PART TWO OF SCOTT’S INTERVIEW and see if I can get Scott to expand on his pet peeve teaser.

HERE ARE THE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR FIRST PAGE CRITIQUES FEBRUARY:

In the subject line, please write “FEBRUARY 2018  CRITIQUE” and paste the text in the email, plus attached it as a Word document to the email. Please make sure you include your name, the title of the piece, and whether it’s a picture book, middle grade, or young adult, etc. at the top on both the email and the Word document (Make sure you include your name with the title of your book, when you save the first page).

REMEMBER: ATTACH THE WORD DOCUMENT AND NOT GET ELIMINATED!Your First Page Word document should be formatted using one inch margins and 12 point New Times Roman font – double space – no more than 23 lines – only one page.Send to: kathy(dot)temean(at)gmail(dot)com.PLEASE FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES: Your submission will be passed over if you do not follow the directions for both the pasted email and the attached Word doc. This is where most people mess up.

DEADLINE: February 16th.
RESULTS: February 23rd.

Please only submit one first page a month, but do try again if your first page wasn’t one of the pages randomly picked. Thanks!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy