Pitching An Agent: Ted Weinstein Literary Management

Representing a broad range of topics, this agency seeks out expert writers who can craft an engaging nonfiction story

By M. David Hornbuckle - April 6, 2010

Number of agents: One
Number of clients: About 50
Notable clients: NPR's "Math Guy," Keith Devlin; visual thinking guru Dan Roam (The Back of the Napkin); New York Times bestselling author of Inside Steve's Brain, Leander Kahney; Dave Eggers' 826 Valencia writing centers; cartoonist and Internet sensation Jessica Hagy (Indexed).

Amount of unsolicited material accepted: Only one or two percent -- but only because so much of what comes is clearly not what he represents. If you look only at serious writers who have followed his submission guidelines, Weinstein says, "the odds are better because the overall quality is generally better."
Fiction vs. nonfiction: 100 percent nonfiction

Background: Ted Weinstein has been in the publishing business for almost two decades. Before starting his agency he worked in marketing, business development and licensing, and also as a music critic for NPR and the San Francisco Chronicle. Many years ago he decided to take some time off and write a book of his own (which, he concedes, wasn't very good). "In the course of getting an agent for the book, everyone I talked to asked, 'Hey, what are you going to do next?'" he recalls. "When I told them about my background, several agents said, 'Wait a minute, you've done all of the things we do all day. Have you thought about becoming an agent?'"...