The Knight Agency has a stellar reputation and an impressive client list and I’m excited to have agent Elaine Spencer, as our guest today. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer our questions on Conferences and for taking Q&A from our readers.First off, please tell us a little bit about yourself and how long you’ve been with The Knight Agency.Hey everyone, Thanks for having me today! A little about myself . . . I just updated my bio and for once I’m surprisingly pleased with how it turned out (does anyone else ever feel like these things are impossible to write about yourself) –
Elaine Spencer joined The Knight Agency in 2005 after graduating from the University of Georgia with a degree in Literature and Economics. Originally acting as assistant to agency president Deidre Knight, and as TKA’s submissions coordinator, Elaine went on to begin building her own dynamic client list in the summer of 2006. Elaine now represents a diverse list of adult and young adult authors, and handles all of the sub-rights’ licensing for the Knight Agency’s 150+ client list. Her strong background in both literature and economics make her well qualified to juggle both the artistic and the contractual sides of the business, and she prides herself on the one-on-one attention and personal relationships that she is able to develop with each of her clients.
As an avid reader Elaine is willing to try any author once. Regardless of genre, she is most interested in a unique voice that captivates readers in the opening pages. Elaine is most actively acquiring young adult and middle grade fiction, women’s fiction, romance (all subgenres), engaging commercial fiction and narrative non-fiction.
Elaine is not interested in children’s or picture books, horror, poetry, screenplays, short story collections, history, westerns, straight fantasy or science-fiction.
Elaine currently lives in Athens, Georgia. In her spare time she can most likely be found curled up poolside with a good book and her beloved Westie, Claude. To learn more about Elaine and the Knight Agency please visit our website at
www.knightagency.netCan you name a few of the authors you currently represent?I am very lucky to work with an extremely talented group of ladies (and men). A few of my clients include
Melissa Mayhue,
Dakota Cassidy,
Candace Havens, Lisa Chaplin,
Linda Gerber and
Kristen Painter. Also, a portion of my job is a sort of liaison where I find myself working with many of the agency’s authors on random projects. I can boast that I also get the pleasure of interacting daily with most of the Knight Agency’s other amazing authors such as
Gena Showalter,
Robin Owens,
Jessica Andersen,
Nalini Singh and
Lauren Baratz-Logsted. The senders of the emails in my inbox looks like an Amazon search engine. My job could be as a walking billboard for Barnes and Noble.
Do you enjoy attending conferences? Which one is your favorite event? I love attending conferences. They are an amazing networking opportunity and a great way to get a feel for what different writers are doing all over the country. Plus the organizers always work so hard to make sure they are a ton of fun. The best part, as a guest, I basically just have to show up and everything else is taken care of for me. I’m told to show up at
x location at
x time and everything else just flows like lava. And its always great to go into an event knowing that there are 50+ people that are excited to sit down and meet/talk to
*you*.
A few seasons back I inadvertently signed myself up for a bit of a conference Kamikaze mission. Without fully comprehending the implications of saying yes to every event that came my way, I realized I had 15 events scheduled over the course of 5 months.
YIKES! I made it through and over the course of the experience met with thousands (literally) of authors. In the end I had a whole new appreciation not only for my genres but for frequent fliers and good hotel beds. I took a bit of a break after that expedition, but now I still like to get out there in the trenches and so typically I try to make sure I have 1 or 2 events scheduled a season, once every 2 or 3 months. I think it’s an important part of my job and I’ve found that I tend to walk away from events feeling rejuvenated and more excited about my job in general.
My favorite event of the year is probably the RWA national convention. Not only is it typically located in a really wonderful city but obviously it’s like the Christmas of all conventions. Everyone is in one place, every author, every agent, every editor, and every publisher. You get more books than you can possibly know what to do with. Every night there are fabulous parties followed by fabulous opportunities to catch up and chat with your favorite people in the business.
What do you learn from participating and interacting with aspiring authors?One of the main things I learn is what the daily routine really looks like for the folks on the other side of the table. When you attend these events you are in their hometowns and getting to really know their writing peers and friends. You are able to get much more of a sense of what really goes into the process and what it takes to get it done.
What do agents look for as they go through the conference? For example: How much of an agent's decision (mainly from pitches) depends on how they see a person behaving or representing themselves at these events?Conferences are definitely events where impressions can be made. For the most part I’m pleased to say that typically it’s the good kind of impression. I always hope that writers have the common sense to just carry themselves with a certain level of professionalism that’s all I really expect. I understand nerves and I understand the horror stories of agent interactions gone badly, so I don’t expect all meetings to run as easily as if we’ve been associates forever. Really I just want to walk away with a feeling of “that could work; we’re definitely compatible on a certain level”.
I look for authors that seem to be ready to take it to that next step. They have a finished manuscript. They know how to sell (i.e. pitch) that manuscript and make it sound like the type of project I have to have. They seem to have a competency of what my job is, and what comes next in the process. And most importantly that they seem eager and ready to do whatever is necessary to get to that next place in their career. This stuff is all pretty mindless actually; it’s not something that authors need to work for. It’s just something that happens and that they inadvertently put off when they really are ready to make that leap.
What was the craziest approach an author took to get your attention? What is the best experience you’ve had with an aspiring author who ran into you at an event?I think that there are enough stories out there that most authors these days are pretty well behaved :) I haven’t yet had the pleasure to meet the real crazies out there (or maybe I have but I’ve just locked those hilarious moments into a dark far away place in my mind). Sometimes funny things happen that can seem a little “crazy” or “desperate” but 99% of the time the author is setting out with the best intentions and the delivery just doesn’t end up right, I’m not going to hold them accountable for that and hey, it keeps me on my toes, never knowing when my next possible “under the bathroom stall manuscript pass” might happen.
I have had a lot of “bests”; again, it’s hard to pick one over the rest. The most important thing to say here is that the little things that authors do to make us feel welcome and included and a real part of the event, those little things go a long way. A friendly smile, an invitation to join their table over drinks, those “welcoming” gestures take the load off of what can otherwise be an intimidating experience walking into a conference where everyone else already knows everyone. I always love it when someone knows a little something personal about me. Such as a client I represent, an author I love to read, or something about my personal life, like I’m an avid college football fan. The fact that someone would take the time to seek out this type of information on me really goes miles to attest to their interest in pursuing a further relationship with me.
Can you suggest some ways that would get your attention? Which would most likely turn you off?The types of things that I was just talking about, those are the best ways to make a good lasting impression that will carry over when we’re reviewing your material. I love it when a group of authors asks me to join them for drinks or coffee. If you’re sitting with a group there isn’t the pressure that is associated with a one-on-one meeting. You can feel like you really are getting to attendees “just because” and not because you have something that they want. Meals are a great opportunity to mingle. If I’m sitting at you table be sure to introduce yourself. Make casual conversation leading up to the meal. During pitch sessions, when you walk in, take a second to say “how is your conference going” – I can guarantee it will make both you and I feel more relaxed going into the actual pitch portion.
Hooked on Romance is all about being easily entertained. If you were a nail polish, what would it be called and why?Yesterday I got my nails done with a color called “Sand in My Suit”, while entertaining, I don’t think I really would want that connotation tied to my person so, back to the drawing board. I love glitter. I love sparkle. And I LOVE pink. So however I could marry those… much to my dismay my wit is failing me this morning: Passion for Pink, Gaga for Glitter, ummm; A future OPI brand employee I am not.
Have you ever done anything spontaneous and what did you learn about yourself?I love being spontaneous. It keeps you on your toes. And it’s a bit of a natural high when you look back and think “Did I just do that” – And I can’t think of anything I’ve done spontaneously that I’ve lived to regret, so I guess the lesson is that I should be more spontaneous on a more regular basis. I can solidly attest that hands down the best spontaneous memories that are coming to my mind were the many random road trips during college.
I’ve noticed that some agents also are authors and are fabulous at it. Would you ever try your hand at writing?I am not a writer. I do not have the discipline. I wish I had the seed but it’s just not me. I’m just much more conceptual in the overall way that I execute things on paper. Plus, I have a tendency to be wordy (see above blog for example :) ) and get hung up on the most mundane unimportant elements of the craft. So, unless the worlds realign one night while I’m sleeping, I don’t ever see myself going “to the other side”.
Any parting words for our readers?Keep at it. Whatever that is, whether it be reading, writing, etc – I wake up every day and think “today could be the best day yet” and I think that’s how we should each live every day. Never knowing when you’re going to come across that one person that is going to change everything, never knowing when you’re going to find that career match that will enrich all of your days to come, never knowing when you’re going to read that book that makes you remember why we all fell in love with reading to begin with. . .
Let’s start taking Q&A from our readers on CONFERENCES. Please keep it to this topic. All comments from this post will get you automatically added to the contest. We’ll do a random drawing and winners will receive copies of books from authors represented by The Knight Agency.Book giveaways. Winners will receive a combo of titles from these amazing authors:Gena ShowalterNalini SinghMelissa MayhueLinda GerberRhyannon ByrdDiana PeterfreundKate PearceDave CristofanoDeidre KnightKatherine GarberaJennifer St. GilesLauren Baratz LogstedLauraine Snelling
