New Literary Agent Alert: Steve Kasdin of Curtis Brown Ltd.
Reminder: New literary agents are golden opportunities for new writers because each one is a literary agent who is likely building his or her client list. This installment is for agent Steve Kasdin of Curtis Brown.
About Steve: Steve Kasdin joined Curtis Brown in 2012. He has over twenty years’ experience in books and publishing, beginning his career as the Mystery buyer at Barnes & Noble. He has been a Marketing executive at St. Martin’s Press, Scholastic and Harcourt, an agent at the Sandra Dijkstra Agency and worked on Content Acquisition in the Kindle group at Amazon.com. In addition to representing clients at Curtis Brown, he is also the agency’s Director of Digital Strategy, advising clients on all aspects of electronic publishing.
(How much should an outside edit cost writers?)
He is seeking: "The most important thing I’ve learned in over twenty years in publishing is also the simplest: plot sells. And the definition of what makes a great plot is also very simple: interesting, well-drawn characters thrown into unpredictable situations. I’m looking for: commercial fiction, including Mysteries/Thrillers, Romantic Suspense (emphasis on the suspense), and Historical Fiction); Narrative Nonfiction, including Biography, History and Current Affairs; and Young Adult Fiction, particularly if it has adult crossover appeal. I am NOT interested in SF/Fantasy, Memoirs, Vampires and writers trying to capitalize on trends."
How to submit: skasdin [at] cbltd.com. Responds in 4-6 weeks. Please send a query letter about what makes your book unique, a 1-3 page plot synopsis, a brief bio (including a description of your publishing history, if you have one), and the first 40-50 pages of your manuscript as a Word attachment to the email. "Let me know in your query letter if I am reading your work exclusively, in which case, I shall give it priority. If the book has been self-published or previously published, please let me know all the details – publisher, date, etc."
(Should You Sign With a New Literary Agent? Know the Pros and Cons.)
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Other writing/publishing articles & links for you:
- Agent Janet Reid Examines a Query That Worked.
- From Self-Published to Agented Writer: Boyd Morrison Tells His Tale.
- What Agents Hate.
- Sell More Books by Building Your Writer Platform.
- Query Letter Writing Tips.
- Follow Chuck Sambuchino on Twitter or find him on Facebook. Learn all about his writing guides on how to get published, how to find a literary agent, and how to write a query letter.
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