Agents

Brooklyn-based literary agent Elana Roth has established her own agency, Red Tree Literary. Roth made the official announcement yesterday via Twitter.

Roth (pictured, via) will focus on authors of children’s books and young-adult novels. She represents Doug-Dennis and the Flyaway Fib author Darren Farrell, Juniper Berry author M.P. Kozlowsky and The Selection author Kiera Cass.

Here’s more about the agency: “We all have different philosophies on what to do next, where to take risks, and what’s the best approach for each book. For me it comes down to being more select, more picky, more specialized. Instead of increasing volume of projects to account for decreasing advances (and therefore commissions), I want to work with the right people on the right projects. Each person will get the attention they need. Each project will be meticulously chosen, and given its due, even when that means defying conventions.”

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Kristina Holmes will start her own literary agency, The Holmes Agency.

Holmes plans to take on nonfiction clients exclusively. Her list will be open to several different genres, including health and wellness, business, psychology, spirituality, sex, relationships, environmental issues, science, nature, literary nonfiction and memoir.

Previously, Holmes was a partner literary agent and consultant at Ebeling & Associates Literary Agency for six years. Some of the authors she has worked with include Garret Kramer, David Steinman and Gregory Lang.

Literary agent Celeste Fine will jump to Sterling Lord Literistic. She starts January 30th.

Fine (pictured, via) plans to take on projects from expert and celebrity authors in the health, science, food, business, and lifestyle genres. In addition, she will manage foreign rights for the agency’s children’s and young adult list.

Prior to this move, Fine served as the senior vice president and subsidiary rights director at Folio Literary Management. She has worked with a number of major authors, including Courtney Love, Dean Koontz and Janet Evanovich.

As writers carry out their new year’s resolutions to revise their manuscripts, they have to be wondering: what do editors want this year?

The Andrew Lownie Literary Agency, a London-based company, has decided to ask that question to twenty different editors. His list included HarperCollins associate publisher Myles Archibald, Random House publisher Trevor Dolby, Penguin Press/Particular Books editorial director Georgina Laycock, Little, Brown publisher David Shelley and Bantam Press/Doubleday publishing director Susanna Wadeson.

Here’s more from Archibald at HarperCollins: “Ideas or stories with a strong, interesting narrative structure is essential for all media and is what non-fiction now needs. It is also interesting that non-fiction works well with broad subjects, or very specific, illuminating stories. Finally, it is striking how stories that seem to have waned from people’s memories can have a massive resurgence – so perhaps new takes on old stories might be a vein to mine.”

Literary agent Michelle Wolfson used stylish Moo business cards to support her clients and promote her agency at the same time.

As you can see by the cards spread above, Wolfson filled the backs of her business cards with cover art from her client’s books–an excellent conversation starter at literary parties. Have any other agents tried this strategy?

Here’s more about her literary agency: “Wolfson founded Wolfson Literary Agency in 2007 and is actively seeking authors of commercial fiction in the following categories: mainstream, mysteries, thrillers, suspense, chick-lit, romance, women’s fiction, and young adult. She is drawn to well written material with strong interesting characters. She is also interested in practical and narrative non-fiction projects, particularly those of interest to women.”

Amanda Knox has signed on with a Washington D.C.-based attorney Robert Barnett to represent her in talks with publishers.

The Seattle student, who was charged in the 2007 death of her former roommate Meredith Kercher while studying abroad in Italy, was exonerated earlier this year and is expected to write a book about her experiences with the Italian justice system.

The Associated Press has more: “Knox family spokesman Dave Marriott says Robert Barnett will represent Knox in discussions with publishers and help her evaluate other opportunities. Barnett has represented the literary interests of U.S. Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, as well as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.”

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Raffaele Sollecito, Amanda Knox‘s Italian boyfriend, has signed on with Seattle-based literary agency Martin Literary Management.

Like Knox, Sollecito was charged with the 2007 death of Meredith Kercher in Perguia, Italy, but the conviction was overturned earlier this year. Literary agent Sharlene Martin told GalleyCat, “I have consistently believed in the innocence of Raffaele Sollecito and Amanda Knox and it seemed to me from the beginning that it made no sense to think that these two were guilty of the tragic murder of Meredith Kercher.”

Martin is currently interviewing writers to work with Sollecito on his memoir. While Martin would not tell us which publishers she is talking to, she did say that her deal with Sollecito includes foreign rights too. “I believe this has potential to sell in many foreign language territories,” she said. “My wonderful foreign co-agent, Taryn Fagerness, will handle the foreign sales on behalf of MLM.”

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Artists and Artisans and Movable Type Literary Group have merged into a new “bicoastal management company” called Movable Type Management (MTM). The combined company counts more than 200 authors and maintain offices in New York and Los Angeles.

MTM will also work on in-house film, television, and digital development. Movable Type Literary Group principle Jason Allen Ashlock will serve as president of Movable Type Management, focused on books and digital. Artists and Artisans founder Adam Chromy will be president of the company’s performance division, Movable Type Media.

Ashlock had this statement: “This is a move that accelerates our strategy to offer authors inventive and expansive management, and to offer publishers properties of utmost value … Combining two successful and highly complementary companies allows us to focus the efforts of each of our members, and create customized strategies for each of our authors. At a particularly challenging and exciting time for the publishing industry, this combination vaults us into a leadership role with our clients and our partners.”

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Trident Media Group, the literary agency representing Deepak Chopra, Paris Hilton, Jon Stewart, Tori Spelling and a long list of other authors, has launched Trident E-Book Operations.

The new division will “create, manage and implement innovative e-book strategies including the distribution of a variety of e-books directly to a large number of e-tailers in North America and internationally.” In addition, they will consult with authors about everything from digital design to social media to exploring new relationships with “traditional and non-traditional publishers.” Lyuba DiFalco and Nicole Robson have been appointed co-directors of e-book operations.

In the release, Trident chairman Robert Gottlieb explained: “Trident will not become a publisher, but will instead continue in its new e-book operations to have itself aligned with its clients whose interests we serve as an agent and manager.”

Over the past year, literary agencies have been embracing digital publishing technologies and taking on the role of the publisher.

For example, literary agent Scott Waxman is publishing eBooks through Diversion Books and Dystel & Goderich will help clients navigate eBook and print-on-demand options. Movable Type Literary Group literary agent Jason Allen Ashlock argued in a recent editorial that this approach is not fair for the author. What do you think?

Here is more from Ashlock in Publishing Perspectives: “Though some agents come to representation from publishing houses, without significant internal reorganization, few agencies could publish efficiently: workflow restraints, small staffs, capital concerns, and the modest revenues generated by most digital properties will prevent most Agent-Publishers from adequately managing and effectively publishing more than a few titles.”

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