With details deleted or obscured to keep my clients’ lives private, here’s one week in the life of a literary agent (me, it’s my week.)
Monday
Monday was Labor Day! I performed no labor (picnic in the park with friends.)
Tuesday
No meetings scheduled today to handle post-vacation inbox, which is nearing 300 unread messages (not including queries). I work out, take a quick walk to get an iced coffee, then sit down to start answering emails at 9. I’m WFH on Tuesdays.
I have a note in my calendar that the UK reissue of Generation Loss by Elizabeth Hand publishes this week, but turns out it’s actually 19 September. In the US, new books are published on Tuesdays, but they’re published on Thursdays in the UK. I correct my note and prepare the invoice for the publication advance. Now you have more time to preorder! The Cass Neary series, featuring a washed-up punk photographer who reluctantly takes on photography assignments in inhospitable locations and gets caught up in murder investigations while there, is a cult classic among crime readers and deserves more attention. Many thanks to Influx Press, a cool indie that knows good books, for reissuing across the pond.
A book that does actually publish next Tuesday is Still Life by Katherine Packert Burke! Look at this excellent unpaid endorsement!
I have a call with a client about a problem and then make a sandwich that I eat at my desk while answering more emails. In the afternoon I work on preparing a book submission & other “deep thinking” work for clients, which requires turning off email notifications. But I do basically get to Inbox 0 before I leave for the day to see a movie with friends (a 70mm print of The Remains of the Day followed by quick Q&A with James Ivory; the print caught fire (??) twice so I got a voucher.)
Wednesday
Wake up, bike 12 miles, breakfast & coffee at home then take the subway to the SoHo office. Glamorous!
I talk to an author whose book I’m submitting next week about how the submission process will go and answer questions. I answer more emails. I reach out to an editor about an opportunity. I eat a packed lunch (a riff on this.)
I attend a virtual Marketing & Publicity meeting for a book that is so good I am including a preorder link here. (For fans of: Edith Wharton, The Power Broker, throuples, if you’ve ever fantasized throwing a drink in someone’s face, depictions of queer life that are sexy, practical, and not sad.)
I read this great post by Catherine Lacey and think about the material conditions of creative labor. I do some chasing (‘have you gotten a chance to look at my contract notes,’ ‘circling back on this email request,’ ‘where’s the money,’ etc.) I chat with my coworkers a bit. I get through a couple dozen queries. Then I meet an editor for a drink; I normally have at least one editor lunch in a week, but this week I have meetings during my lunch hour. Editor lunches/coffees/drinks are a big part of the business for agents to maintain connections, learn about what’s happening within the publishing houses, and talk up our client lists and the books we’ll be submitting soon.
Thursday
Wake up, stretch, smoothie, SoHo. I read a manuscript on the commute. We have our company all-staff meeting, I make a call about a problem, answer emails, then a film agent comes in to meet with us. I eat lunch (leftovers from last night) while answering emails then have a virtual meeting for the AALA.
I think about titles for a book that needs to be retitled. I take a walk with colleagues to buy snacks for the office (incredibly important task for me personally.) I receive two contracts to review, so I prioritize those (always prioritize what will bring in money, from ‘immediate money’ to ‘eventual money.’) Afterward, my inbox is at nearly 100. I write rejection notes for some of the manuscripts I read last week. Hopefully there are more great manuscripts to consider in my query inbox — but that’s a tomorrow task.
I stay until 6:30 then go out to dinner. Date night at Sailor.
Friday
Wake up, stretch, chores, smoothie, at desk for emails at 8:30.
Fridays I work from home. I try very hard to keep Fridays clear of scheduled meetings and calls so I can do ‘deep thinking’ work (editing, reading, submission planning, contracts.) So usually I answer emails until lunch and then do that kind of work after. I review my client pages in the SLL foreign rights catalog, which our international team is preparing for the Frankfurt Book Fair; they need to send it out about a month ahead of time. That takes about an hour as I confirm all the information.
Friday is the one day of the week my fiancé is allowed to work from home so we have lunch together. Cute! He cooks.
And now it is Friday afternoon. I am going to read queries, poke around Substack a bit (still trying to figure out how to find more fiction writers here, it was a lot easier on Old Twitter). I’m going to ride my bike around the park for an hour because it’s very nice outside and I can. Afterward, I’m going to do some month-ahead planning work and read manuscripts until about 6, then I’m cooking dinner.
I try not to work every weekend, but as you probably noticed, I didn’t have much time to read manuscripts this week, so I’ll read in a coffeeshop for a few hours Sunday morning.
I hope this was interesting. I think I have an interesting job.
need the deets on sailor!
I miss the writing community on Old Twitter.