Authors Lunch

Heather Jackson became a literary agent in 2016 after a career as a trade editor for Crown, St. Martin’s, Rodale, and other houses. In her 20+ years as an editor she had dozens of New York Times bestselling authors, including: Tim Ferriss, Suzanne Somers, Joy Bauer, Dr. Robert C. Atkins, Dr. Nancy Snyderman, Dr. Susan Love, Dr. Alice D. Domar, Mallika Chopra, Barbara Sher, and Martina Navratilova among many others. When you are reviewing a submission, what is your process for analyzing a writer’s platform? How do you decide whether the writer seems like the best person to write that book right […]

Madeleine Morel of 2M Communications started work as a literary agent/book packager in 1982. Capitalizing on the expertise she’d gained in putting authors and writers together, and recognizing that ‘platform’ was increasingly becoming the buzzword, she decided to exclusively represent ghostwriters who could facilitate books by ‘authors’. She works, on a non-exclusive basis, with over 100 professional ghostwriters, all of whom have been published multiple times by the top publishing houses. Each writer specializes in today’s major non-fiction areas. 2M Communications’ writers have resulted in over 50 New York Times bestsellers, several of which were No. 1. If I work […]

Hernan Diaz’s ambitious second novel Trust (May 3, 2022, Editor: Sarah McGrath, Agent: Bill Clegg) topped “best of the year” lists and was the consensus Book of the Year according to PL’s comprehensive tabulation. Riverhead editor-in-chief Sarah McGrath talks to PM about the book that became everyone’s favorite of the year. Tell us about the acquisition process: Had Diaz’s first novel already been nominated for a Pulitzer when you received the submission for Trust? Did you get a full manuscript to read? What were your first impressions? By the time I read the manuscript for Trust I was already a serious Hernan Diaz fan. […]

The Deluge (Simon & Schuster, January 10, 2023. Editor: Stuart Roberts. Agent: Susan Golomb, Writers House.) Stephen Markley is the acclaimed author of Ohio, which NPR called a “masterpiece.” A graduate of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, Markley’s other books include the memoir Publish This Book and the travelogue Tales of Iceland. How did you find your agent? She picked me out of the slush pile when she visited the Iowa Writers Workshop. I got a call from her nearly a year later saying basically, “Hey, I finally got around to reading your manuscript. I love it. It needs work. Are you ready for that?” […]

Onyi Nwabineli’s debut novel is Someday, Maybe (Graydon House, October 4, 2022. Editor: Cat Clyne. Agent: Amy St Johnston, Aitken Alexander Associates). Born in Benin, Nigeria, Onyi Nwabineli grew up in Glasgow, the Isle of Man and Newcastle, and currently lives in London. She is the co-founder of Surviving Out Loud, a charity that offers support for survivors of sexual assault, and the founder of a writing retreat for Black womxn, called Black Pens. Someday, Maybe was Good Morning America’s Book Club pick for November. How did you find your agent? I did some extensive research using the amazing Twitter […]

Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger Prior to joining the Authors Guild in November 2014, Mary practiced law for over 25 years in roles that spanned private practice, the government and corporate sector, as a recognized expert in copyright and media law. Could you briefly summarize why a writer should join Authors Guild, especially since so many of us struggle financially? The first reason to join is for the many benefits you receive for $135 a year, including free contract reviews and legal advice on a number of issues, all our free educational and other programs, our online forums where you […]