August Agent of the Month – Bethany Fulk

BETHANY FULK

AUGUST AGENT OF THE MONTH

Scroll to bottom for First Page Submission Guidelines

NOW IS THE TIME TO SUBMIT A FIRST PAGE. GREAT ODDS THIS MONTH. WHILE EVERYONE IS ON VACATION AND NOT SUBMITTING. 

Bethany Fulk – Holloway Literary

Bethany Fulk is a junior agent at Holloway Literary.   Prior to being promoted to her current position, she has been with the agency as an intern and then an assistant for the past two years.  She graduated from Davis and Elkins College cum laude in 2017 with a BA in English. Following graduation, Bethany worked as a public relations assistant and most recently as an editorial assistant. Before joining Holloway Literary, Bethany interned with North Star Editions and Foundry Literary and Media.

What she is seeking: MG, YA and adult fantasy Historical Fiction/Fantasy, Retellings (myth, folklore, legends, fairytales), Mysteries/Speculative/Suspense.

How to submit: Read guidelines HERE.

*I love strong characters, unique and diverse voices, and new takes on favorite tropes*

Please know that this list isn’t comprehensive. If you think I would be a great fit for you and your book, send it my way!

Middle Grade

Fantasy (all types)
Historical Fiction/Fantasy
Paranormal
Mysteries
Adventure stories
Retellings (myth, folklore, legends, fairytales)
Friendship stories

Young Adult

Fantasy (all types)
Historical Fiction/Fantasy
Paranormal
Spies/Heists
Gothic/Horror (more suspense, less gore)
Retellings (myth, folklore, legends, fairytales)
Romance (Rom-Coms!)

Special Requests

Lore, myths, and fairytales from around the world
Something that makes me feel like I’m on vacation
Villains
Theme parks
Paranormal (witches, ghosts, werewolves–give me all of them!)
Fun sports stories (I love lacrosse and soccer)

Not Interested In

Picture/Chapter books
Nonfiction
Anything with excessive gore
Political stories
Incest, suicide, rape, or abuse
Erotica
Super scary stories (I like creepy and suspense, not being scared to go to bed).

BELOW IS PART ONE OF MY INTERVIEW WITH BETHANY:

When did you decide you wanted to become an agent?

I’ve always loved reading and writing, and when I went to college I also started editing more. That’s when I really realized how much I enjoyed it, so I started looking at internships in publishing. After my first one I knew I had found something I really loved and started searching for ways to make it a reality!

How did you get the job with Holloway Literary Agency?

In my search for remote internships, I came across Holloway. I was excited because, not only did they have an internship, but they had a way for you to rise through the ranks to eventually become an agent. After some time, I ended up getting an interview and landed the internship. From there, I worked my way up to Assistant and eventually became a Junior Agent.

Do you work from home or go into the office?

I’m lucky enough to be able to work from. I absolutely love it.

What made you choose to get your BA in English from Davis and Elkins College?

I loved D&E the second I saw the campus. I knew I wanted to stay in WV for school, and the small, tight-knit campus felt perfect for me. I actually switched from English to Hospitality Management when I started school and, though I loved what I did, I realized I wasn’t doing what made me happy. I met with the English Department Chair and as we got to talking, I knew that’s where I belonged. I learned so much from the English Department and my peers there—that’s where I really began to see and read literature critically, work on my editor’s eye, and fall in love with books all over again.

Do you think interning with North Star Editions and Foundry Literary and Media before joining Holloway has helped you with your agenting career?

Absolutely! Not only did it allow me to make some great connections and meet some wonderful people along the way, but it gave me a great foundation to build on. Everything I learned there, I have brought with me and it has shaped me as the agent I am!

Do you have a limit on number of clients you will represent?

Right now, I don’t really have a number in mind. I’m taking my time and finding clients that I want to work with in the long run, and I’ve built a great list so far! I love how much time I’m able to give each of my clients right now, and I want to be able to continue doing that. It’s hard to see a limit right now as I slowly grow my list with amazing authors.

Any story or themes you wish someone would submit?

On the YA side, I would love to see some gothic, dark submissions—but I’m also looking for fun rom-coms! Fantasy is my first love, but I really want to see some other genres in my inbox. For MG, I’d love to see a fun adventure story, and more myths/folklore from around the world!

Which do you lean more towards: Literary or Commercial?

I think right now I lean more towards commercial, but I’m really open to just a good story, with good writing, that makes me fall in love with it.

What do you like to see in a submission?

I’m a big dialogue person, so it’s important to me that it feels real and authentic. Of course, I have to be invested in the characters and the story as well!

 How important is the query letter?

The query letter doesn’t have to be perfect, but it is the first impression I get of an author so that makes it important. Seeing that the author follows the guidelines of what needs to be included, that they can pitch their story, and present themselves in a professional manner is important to me.

 Would you have a sample of a good query letter or a link to one you saw on the Internet that would help writers?

While I don’t have one that I can personally share, one of my clients, Alex Kennington, has shared her query on her website. Also, Pub Rants at the Nelson Literary Agency has a section dedicated to queries from their authors.

 

Do you have any tips on how to find comps to use in a submission query letter?

Comping is a hot topic. I’ve seen some good Twitter threads on comping recently. Really, comps should be books (even shows, movies, music, etc) that are fairly recent in your genre that you use to show agents where your book fits into the market. The more knowledgeable you are about the current market, the easier it should be for you to find comps!.

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

I have to care and be invested really quickly. The faster I’m wondering what comes next or what’s going on in this world, the better!

Will you let people know if you are not interested in their submission?

Yes, everyone will get a response even if it takes a bit of time for me to get to them.

After you request more, how long do you think it will take to respond?

Right now, I’m a bit behind on full requests, unfortunately. I’m doing my best to catch up, but right now I’m several months out.

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BELOW ARE THE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR AUGUST 2022 FIRST PAGE CRITIQUES:

In the subject line, please write “AUGUST 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 AUGUST FIRST PAGE  – 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.

PLEASE FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES.

DEADLINE: August 19th. – noon EST

RESULTS: August 26th.

CHECK BACK NEXT FRIDAY FOR INTERVIEW WITH BETHANY.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy