JULY’S AGENT OF THE MONTH
KELLY VAN SANT AT KT LITERARY
Kelly Van Sant has nearly a decade of experience in the publishing industry. She cut her teeth in New York working at esteemed literary agencies such as Writers House and Harold Ober Associates, where she developed an eye for compelling, emotionally resonant stories, honed her editorial skills, and soon grew adept at contract vetting. She quickly gained expertise in subsidiary rights management, with focuses on audio rights, foreign rights, and permissions.
After relocating to Minnesota, Kelly joined Llewellyn Worldwide as their Contracts Manager across all three imprints and then moved to Quarto Publishing Group USA where she led the contract department. She has worked as a freelance editor with various publishers and is a teaching artist at the Loft Literary Center. She also blogged about writing and the publishing industry at Pub(lishing) Crawl and co-hosted the their weekly podcast.
Kelly’s career came full circle when she realized her true passions was advocating for authors. She is now a literary agent at KT Literary and is actively building a client list.
I wish, I wish, I wish…
I am seeking primarily Middle Grade, Young Adult, and limited non-fiction across all genres, including fantasy, science fiction, adventure, historical, and contemporary. I love character-driven stories with intricate plots, and am always drawn to explorations of friendship and found family. I am especially interested in #ownvoices and inclusive narratives and working with creators who are from traditionally marginalized communities, including but not limited to Indigenous, Black, POC, LGBTQIA+ folx and any and all intersections thereof. I’ve expanded on my interests within each category below.
Middle Grade
I am seeking Upper MG only. Chapter books or early readers are not for me. My ideal middle grade needs to be whimsical, funny, and full of adventure. My tastes lean away from contemporary in this genre, and more toward fantasy, speculative, science-fiction, or magical realism. I like intricate world-building and MCs with gumption. Give me a quest, give me steadfast friendships, give me insightful, magical parallels with the real world, and make me laugh. No books with an educational thrust; I want to have fun!
Young Adult
I dearly love fantasy, science-fiction, speculative, and other magical elements in YA stories. Even better if mixed and matched with other genres. YA historical fantasy? Yes, please. Alternate universes, fictional worlds, your very own hometown with a secret or sinister twist. If the world-building is original and intricate, if you’re either dismantling existing tropes or executing them exceptionally well, if your characters are complex and come alive on the page then what are you waiting for? Send me your query.
Let’s talk about romance in YA. I prefer romance in my YA to be an undercurrent (even an urgent one) but not the main point. Something needs to be going on in universe and in your characters’ lives beyond their love story. Instant love is not for me; I appreciate when characters grow together over the course of a book. Attraction can happen instantly, but intimacy takes time.
I am selective about YA contemporary. A strong voice is vital, and again, I love to see a complex web of relationships beyond just romantic (though romance can be included): especially friendships and family relationships. More often than not you need to break my heart or make me fall head over heels in love with your characters in order for me to be the right agent to rep a contemporary book. But my heart longs to love and be broken! These books above all else must absolutely be character-driven.
Non-Fiction
I am exclusively seeking non-fiction books on the subjects of magick and the occult, with a strong focus on tarot in particular. Please be aware that within both the modern and historical practice of tarot there are issues of cultural appropriation, and I am not interested in projects that continue or condone that appropriation. I am especially interested in working with tarot readers who are Indigenous, Black, POC, LGBTQIA+, or from other marginalized communities, and with anyone who brings a unique perspective to the cards that is welcoming for all.
I am NOT seeking picture books or poetry at this time.
I do not represent previously published books, whether self-published or put out by a small press. Please only query me with new work.
Submission Guidelines
Submissions should be emailed to https://QueryManager.com/kellyvansant
Please send all queries to: Querymanager.com/kellyvansant
*******
When did you decide you wanted to become an agent?
After college I moved to NYC and planned to become a novelist myself. Turns out, I was very good at starting stories and not so good at finishing them. I was offered an internship at a literary agency and was immediately enthralled with the world of publishing. I knew pretty much at the end of my first day that this was the career I wanted to pursue.
What made move from New York to Minnesota?
Love! My husband (then boyfriend) was from Minnesota, and due to some family circumstances he made the decision to leave the city and move back to his hometown. It was an easy decision to go with him.
How did you get the job with KT Literary?
I’d been working in publishing for about 15 years when I joined KT! I’ve had jobs at both publishers and agencies in that time, in a variety of departments and roles. At that point in my career I sat down and really thought about the things I wanted for myself in an agency, and the things that my clients wanted in an agency. KT literary had everything I could have hoped for. I truly feel like I’ve found my professional home.
Has your book tastes changed in the last 10 years in the publishing industry?
Oh, absolutely! I read so much more widely now than I did before I began working in publishing. Not only am I constantly reading in the genres and categories I represent, but I also read so many books that fall outside of what I represent. When I entered publishing I read a lot of literary fiction. Now I read literary fiction of course, but also YA and MG, nonfiction, romance, genre fiction of all kinds including mystery, fantasy, science and speculative fiction. Working in the publishing industry has absolutely opened up the types of literature I consume.
Do you have a limit on number of clients you will represent?
I am sure there is a point where I will feel at capacity, but I’m not there yet and so don’t know what that number will be! I do like to add clients slowly—my goal for this year is to sign three new authors. I may sign less, I may sign more, but that’s what I’m aiming for. I like to grow slowly so that I can make sure I’m offering my best work to my existing clients and my new clients.
Any story or themes you wish someone would submit?
I really love stories that focus on relationships outside of romance. Siblings, parent-child relationships, friendships. I think we have so many relationships as humans, and those relationships all nourish us in different ways. I love to see that explored in fiction.
Which do you lean more towards: Literary or Commercial?
Commerical on the whole, but I love commercial work with a literary feel.
Since you don’t represent picture books: How would you handle a MG/YA client who writes a picture book?
I will follow my clients wherever they want to go, to the best of my ability. KT is such a collaborative agency, and some of my colleagues rep magnificent picture books. I would seek advice, network appropriately, and do the research I needed to do to support my client in the directions they desire to go.
What do you like to see in a submission?
Compelling characters are always a priority to me. I need the writing to be excellent, of course, and I want to story to feel fresh.
How important is the query letter?
Very. This is the first point of contact I’ll have with most writers, and while a query does not have to be perfect in order for me to request pages, it does need to be professional, clear, and intriguing.
Would you have a sample of a good query letter or a link to one you saw on the Internet?
I don’t have one I’m at liberty to share!
Do you have any tips on how to find comps of book to use in a query letter?
Comps should be books you’ve read (or other media you’re familiar with), and should be recent—within the last 5 years. All writers should be reading what’s currently being published in their genres, and that should give you a good idea of where your project sits in the market and what should comp to it.
Any tips on how an author can get you to ask to see more?
Make me care about your protagonist on the first page. This can be so subtly done, too. It doesn’t have to be a big reveal or action or intense emotion. It just has to be a character who is so clear, so well developed, that they instantly come alive for me.
Will you let people know if you are not interested in their submission?
Yes, though it does take me quite a while to response.
After you request more of a book, how long does it take you to respond?
Quite a long time. I wish this wasn’t the case, and it is something I’m working on, but I’m several months behind on submissions at this point.
*******
BELOW ARE THE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR JULY 2022 FIRST PAGE CRITIQUES:
In the subject line, please write “JULY 2022 FIRST PAGE CRITIQUE” Example: Paste the text in the email, plus attached it as a Word document to the email. Please make sure you put your name, the title of the piece, and genre: a picture book, chapter book, middle grade, or young adult, Non-fiction, contemporary, historical, Sci-fi, fantasy, 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).
PLEASE name the Word document file by putting 2022 JULY – Your Name – Title of first page. Thank you.
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.
DEADLINE: July 22th. – noon EST
RESULTS: July 29th.
CHECK BACK NEXT FRIDAY FOR PART TWO OF KELLY’S INTERVIEW.
Talk tomorrow,
Kathy
Writing and Illustrating 
Leave a comment