literary agents

Episode Summary: In this episode of the L3 Leadership Podcast, Esther Fedorkevich is joins us to discuss her journey in entrepreneurship and publishing, offering valuable advice for aspiring authors.

About Esther Fedorkevich: Esther Fedorkevich is the founder of The Fedd Agency. She launched her career in 1997 as a salesperson for a major book publisher. Within six months, Esther sold a million dollars in products. From there she went to work for Dave Ramsey, a New York Times best-selling author and television host with a nationally syndicated radio program. She worked in the publishing department, selling and marketing Dave’s books and other projects, and fell in love with book publishing. When Esther was pregnant with her first child, her entrepreneurial spirit was charged and decided to venture out on her own, selling books and ideas as a literary agent. 

Esther founded The Fedd Agency in 2003 and began investing in authors. Her first client came to her for help when William Morris could not secure a book deal, even after pitching it for two years. With her innovative intervention and her acute business sense and selling skills, Esther got the author a three-book deal within two months. Esther continues to hone her innate marketing and sales talents, coupling that with a passion for selling life-changing books. Esther firmly believes she doesn’t just represent authors, she represents and builds futures. 

Using her natural entrepreneurial sensibilities, Esther also negotiates deals for film, television, and other derivative products. Additionally, The Fedd Agency offers agency guided publishing and audio book production services. Esther lives in Austin, TX and has and two rockstar kids, Alexi Jane and Paul Gregory. In her spare time, you can find Esther shooting hoops, swinging a golf club or tennis racket, reading, or cooking gourmet meals for her family and friends.

Her favorite book is How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

Key Takeaways:
1. Esther shines a light on the nuances of writing, publishing, and marketing a successful book.
2. She shares her professional journey of selling over a million dollars in book products within six months to leveraging her talent as a literary agent and founding Fed Agency.
3. Ester talks about her entrepreneurial upbringing and how that has been instrumental in her current success.
4. She talks about why she believes everyone has a book inside of them and why people should consider writing their own.

Quotes From the Episode:
“I look at a book sold as a prayer answered.”
“Believe in yourself, keep working, keep dreaming, keep creating, and  keep developing new ideas.”

Resources Mentioned:
The Circle Maker

Connect with Esther Fedorkevich:
Website | Instagram | Linkedin

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Author Kathy Wagner (no relation to the hosts) shares her journey to a traditional publishing offer, revealing the challenges of gaining media attention and recognition for her memoir, along with the joy of achieving what she had set out to do. 

Kathy's story shows us the value of perseverance, and teaches us that there is virtually no path to publishing that doesn't involve some hard work on behalf of the author. Listen as Kathy explores the opportunities and frustrations of being a new author, and pursues the visibility and success she seeks for her book. 

Being able to hold on to hope was a lifeline through early grief, and knowing that I could write this book with a purpose of providing hope for others gave me a pathway forward for my own healing. — Kathy Wagner

In this episode, you will learn about:

• The healing power of writing: how one author overcame the challenges of writing through trauma and grief to create a powerful and transformative literary work.
• Navigating the traditional publishing maze: gain insights into the hurdles and potential roadblocks of traditional publishing and learn effective strategies to overcome them.
• The need to be your own book promoter, even if you're traditionally published:  Discover proven strategies for promoting your book and reaching more of your target audience, increasing your chances of success in the competitive publishing industry.
• Identifying your target audience: Understand how to pinpoint the ideal readership  and tailor your book to resonate with them on a deeper level.
• Harness the power of exposure: Learn how to maximize opportunities,  increase your visibility as an author, and enhance your chances of success in the literary world.

The resources mentioned in this episode are:

• Visit the Ingenium Books website to listen to the full episode of the Ingenium Books Books podcast featuring Kathy Wagner.
• Learn more about author Kathy Wagner and her memoir by visiting her website. 
• Purchase Kathy Wagner's memoir, Here with you: Memoir of Love, Family, and Addiction,  or through your preferred online retailer.
• Explore the Ingenium Books Books podcast for more episodes on authors, publishing, and writing.
• Reflect on the role of writing as a tool for processing and moving through grief, as discussed by Kathy Wagner in the writing of her memoir.
• Subscribe to the Ingenium Books newsletter for updates on new podcast episodes, book releases, and industry insights.
• Check out the Ingenium Books blog for articles and resources on writing, publishing, and marketing for authors.

Thanks for listening! Find us wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel (@ingeniumbooks) or visit our website at ingeniumbooks.com.

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Aishwarya speaks with Andrew James, founder of UK-based Frog Literary Agency, about the need to focus on representing authors from the LGBTQIA+ community. 
How does James choose who to represent? Can literary agencies boost access to the publishing world? What kind of queer books are we seeing in the UK vs India? How can editors and agents establish their expertise in niche categories?

Andrew James has over 12 years of experience working in publishing as a commissioning editor across trade, professional and academic. He founded Frog Literary Agency in 2023 - the UK's first literary agency solely dedicated to representing LGBTQIA+ writers and creators. Frog’s mission is to revolutionise queer writing and champion queer representation in mainstream publishing. Although Frog only represents queer writers, an author’s work does not need to have a queer focus.

Aishwarya Javalgekar is a writer, book editor and podcast producer. As the Head of Originals she specializes in creating stellar content across formats - books, podcasts, newsletters, etc. She is a member of WICCI - Print Media and previous experience in  Zubaan Books and Simon and Schuster Canada. 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aishwaryajavalgekar/ 
Email: aishwarya@boundindia.com
Topmate: https://topmate.io/aishwaryajavalgekar 

Brought to you by Bound, a company that helps you grow through stories.
Website: https://boundindia.com/ 
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Produced by Aishwarya Jawalgekar
Edit by Kshitij Jadhav

The rise in the number of people looking to publish their work has led to a rise in the number of publishing scams. What are these scams, and how do authors fall for these scams? What is vanity publishing? How do fake literary agents scam authors? Aishwarya has all you need to know to not fall into the trap of a fake agency: what are currently most common scams and how can you protect yourself from them?

To book a consultation session with Aishwarya or avail of Bound's writing and editing services, get in touch at aishwarya@boundindia.com.
Aishwarya Javalgekar is a writer, book editor and podcast producer. As the Head of Originals, she specializes in creating stellar content across formats - books, podcasts, newsletters, etc. She is a member of WICCI - Print Media and has previous experience in Zubaan Books and Simon and Schuster Canada.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aishwaryajavalgekar/
Email: aishwarya@boundindia.com
Topmate: https://topmate.io/aishwaryajavalgekar

Brought to you by Bound, a company that helps you grow through stories.
Website: https://boundindia.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundindia/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/boundindia/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/boundindia

Produced by Aishwarya Jawalgekar
Edited by Kshitij Jadhav

Looking for the perfect literary agent match? Join podcast host Carla King and guest Lisa Tener in this top replay episode, as Carla and Lisa discuss processes you can use to find *the* agent for your book. And don't forget, Lisa will be joining us again next week for the Nonfiction Writers Conference May 10-12, 2023. Find the whole lineup and registration information here: nonfictionwritersconference.com

Award-winning writer and the founder of The Good Agency, Nikesh Shukla  (@nikeshshukla), on the journey to becoming a writer, running a Literary Agency, crowdfunding The Good Immigrant  and the process for writing his memoir. 

ABOUT NIKESH SHUKLA

Nikesh Shukla is a novelist and screenwriter. He is the author of Coconut Unlimited (shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award), Meatspace, and the critically acclaimed The One Who Wrote Destiny. Nikesh is the editor of the bestselling essay collection, The Good Immigrant, which won the reader's choice at the Books Are My Bag Awards. He co-edited The Good Immigrant USA with Chimene Suleyman.

He is also the author of two YA novels, Run, Riot (shortlisted for a National Book Award) and The Boxer (longlisted for the Carnegie Medal). Nikesh was one of Time Magazine’s cultural leaders, Foreign Policy magazine's 100 Global Thinkers and The Bookseller's 100 most influential people in publishing in 2016 and in 2017. He is the co-founder of the literary journal, The Good Journal and The Good Literary Agency. Nikesh is a fellow of the Royal Society Of Literature and a member of the Folio Academy. Nikesh’s new book, Brown Baby: A Memoir Of Race, Family And Home was released on Bluebird in February 2021. He is also the host of the Brown Baby Podcast.

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RESOURCES:

• Twitter: Nikesh Shukla
• Instagram: Nikesh Shukla Writer
• Website: Nikesh-Shukla.com
• Nikesh’s Books

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Marissa chats with Rebecca Barrow about her YA murder mystery - BAD THINGS HAPPEN HERE - as well as looking at the types of books you like to read to help you decide what you should be writing; the huge role that voice can play in achieving a stark, chilling vibe for your mystery or thriller; how to develop both settings and characters that have layers, depth, and secrets; using your protagonist's unique perspective to highlight those elements of your story world that you most want readers to pick up on; deepening your characters by taking a closer look at the choices they are making, and what is motivating those decisions; and some things to consider when determining whether to tie up all those loose ends, or to leave some subplots unresolved.

Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

Marissa chats with Rachel Menard about her debut Greek Myth-inspired fantasy - GAME OF STRENGTH AND STORM - as well as making the tough decision to put a novel on the backburner, which is not the same thing on giving up on it entirely; how imagining your story in a totally different genre can lead to unique and unexpected developments in your worldbuilding; writing a retelling that will surprise readers, even those who know the original story; some things to consider when it comes to including multiple points of view, and how to decide which POV to use for each chapter; why motive plays such a huge role in characterization and can help to make your unlikeable characters relatable and your antagonists redeemable; and crafting a magic system with rules and limitations that will constantly challenge your protagonist. 

Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

Marissa chats with Lindsay Eagar about her new middle grade novel - THE PATRON THIEF OF BREAD - as well as taking a trip to the bookstore in order to determine your primary genre; how to beat the querying slush pile (and why slush pile statistics aren't really as discouraging as they seem); using an alternate point of view to build on your story's major themes; upping the stakes in a "quiet" story by giving your protagonist an impossible choice; the fun dynamics of the rag-tag group of characters, and why we all love a found family story; and some top tips for becoming a more prolific writer... just keep in mind that productivity can and should have limits.

Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

Marissa chats with TJ Alexander about their debut romance - CHEF'S KISS - as well as some suggestions for writing luscious food descriptions, including actually testing out some of the recipes you're trying to describe; the oft-told (but debatable?) advice that if you can do anything other than write, then you should do that; considering your story's built-in tension and need for emotional distance when deciding between a single or dual point of view format; two of our favorite romance tropes - the slow burn and the grumpy x cheerful pairing - and how the two can work together to make for an organic romance; and some excellent advice for writers about to start looking for a literary agent: don't write a query letter, write the jacket copy for your future book. (Your future editor will thank you!)

Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

This week on Deadline City we head to the Query Quarter. We have an honest discussion about how we got our agents, when you know you need to move on, and how to keep going. Whether you're polishing your first letter or an author thinking of making a change, this episode is for you. 

**Who You will Hear**

Guest: Dr. Ruediger Wischenbart (Founder of Content & Consulting)

Co-host: Luna Tang (Cloud Service Delivery Manager at Klopotek)

Co-host: Dwayne Parris (Senior Consultant at Klopotek)

We are pleased to have Ruediger Wischenbart of Content & Consulting join us to talk about change and innovation in the global book industry. With years of experience in researching the global publishing industry, Ruediger in this episode shares his insights and interesting accounts of how the publishing landscape has evolved and where he sees it heading in the future.  He is also a key player in the Reboot Books initiative. 

In addition, the latest Digital Consumer Book Barometer 2021, written by Ruediger Wischenbart and Michaela Anna Fleischhacker, was just released in June. This report provides statistics and analysis on ebooks and audiobooks sales in Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, Brazil, and Mexico. You can download it for free from here.

For more information about Ruediger Wischenbart and his work, please visit Content & Consulting and Reboot Books, or follow him on Twitter @wischenbart. 

Tell us what is going on with your publishing projects or business on Twitter (@Klopotek_AG), LinkedIn, or email us at podcast@klopotek.com. For more information about Klopotek software solution, please write to info@klopotek.com, or register to receive emails from us on technology innovations & events from Klopotek.

Aishwarya talks to Mita Kapur (Founder of Siyahi, one of the first literary agencies in India) about how literary agents guide writers through every step of the publishing process. 

Mita Kapur talks about why she decided to start a literary agency in India. She shares how she loves being involved in every aspect of a writer's life - including birthdays, weddings and major life events! Aishwarya loves that the Siyahi team replies to every single submission with feedback! Mita spills the beans about her writing process and some fun anecdotes with Devdutt Pattanaik and Gulzar. How does her experience as an author influence her as an agent? What is her advice to budding writers? And does she really have a basement full of books? Tune in to find out!

We’ve joined #PodForChange to raise donations for Covid relief. Donate here: www.auwa.in/podforchange

Mita Kapur is the founder and CEO of Siyahi, India’s leading literary consultancy. Her first book, The F-Word, is a food book, memoir and travelogue. She has edited Chillies and Porridge: Writing Food, an anthology of essays on food. She has received the Femina Women Super Achiever Award (2018) at the World HRD Congress, the Maharani Gayatri Devi Award for Woman of Excellence (2014), and the Karamveer Puruskar (2009). She has produced the Mountain Echoes festival of Arts, Literature and Culture (2010-2019), the Woman Up! Summit, and Soul Connect Experiences. She is currently the Literary Director for the JCB Prize for Literature. Find out more here: http://siyahi.in

‘The Book People’ is brought to you by Bound, a company that creates stories and helps individuals and brands tell their stories. Writer and booklover Aishwarya Javalgekar interviews people whose lives and careers revolve around books. Read more: https://boundindia.com/the-book-people-podcast/

Find us @boundindia on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn. 

Create your own podcast! DM us or send us an email at connect@boundindia.com and we can create a customized podcast production plan just for you.

Download our FREE research report on ‘Demystifying Indian Publishing’: https://boundindia.com/demystifying-the-indian-publishing-industry/

Soundtrack: Fork and Spoon

This week, Rachel Grosvenor is back to talk about the differences between self-publishing and traditional publishing and the pros and cons of each. If you're unsure which path is right for you (or if you're just curious to learn more!), this episode is for you!

It's a little longer, but it's worth every second *high five*

To find out more about Rachel, check out her website , find her or Twitter , or follow her on Instagram.

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Come join The Writing Sparrow in its very own Facebook group!

To find out more about Sarina and her books, visit her website, find her on Twitter and on Facebook, or connect with her (and the podcast!) on Discord.

In this Writer’s Room discussion, Elizabeth Wein shares how her ideas come together within historical context, her agent relationship and the value it has offered her as a writer, writing Code Name Verity and how it became a #1 NYT Best Seller eight years after publication, and offers advice to aspiring and working writers. Find Elizabeth at her website www.elizabethwein.com. Join us in the Aviatrix Writers' group on Facebook, and check out the Aviatrix Book Review Writers' Room. 

Thanks so much for listening!

• Stay up to date on book releases, author events, and Aviatrix Book Club discussion dates with the Literary Aviatrix Newsletter.
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Blue skies, happy reading, and happy listening!

-Liz Booker

This ween on Deadline City we talk all things agents! We've changed agents and agencies quite a few times and we wanted to share how it all went down, and the questions you need when searching for your forever agent-home. This is a big topic so we can't cover everything, but we always want to be as honest as possible when it comes to our experiences. 

How Washington punishes those who support peace.  What real diversity in foreign policy looks like.  Why rivalries make people stupid, especially great-power ones.  Why Vietnam is probably not Asia's next economic "miracle."  And who needs a literary agent?  Depends what you're trying to publish, and where.  

Hunter Marston Tweet: https://twitter.com/hmarston4/status/1316198014747197440?s=19

Kirk Serpes Tweet: https://twitter.com/KirkSerpes/status/1315942319825121281?s=19

Stephen Walt Tweet: https://twitter.com/stephenWalt/status/1316540827074785281?s=20

Patrick Iber: https://twitter.com/PatrickIber/status/1315762866675474439

Contributors: Alex Auty, Pete McKenzie, Gaby Magnuson, Jake Dellow

USA Today Bestseller Darcy Burke talks to Jess about when people you know read your book, her journey to indie and traditional publishing and her repeatable process, along with dukes!