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Agency
Profile: For
this month’s column, I’m pleased to introduce Jack Byrne, owner/agent of the
Sternig and Byrne Literary Agency in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Q:
How long have you been an agent? A:
The agency has been around since the 50s. I
have been an agent since 1995. Q: What first attracted you to the business of representing writers? A:
I came into the business backwards.
I was a freelance writer and writing instructor when I met Larry Sternig.
He offered to try to resell my short fiction overseas and we became
friends. When his health began to
fail, I became his partner and when he passed away, I took over the business. Q: What categories are you the most excited about selling these days? A:
I specialize in science fiction and fantasy; I’m also interested in
mysteries. In addition I have a few
longtime clients working in other areas. Q: How does an author go about becoming a prospective client of your
agency? A:
I prefer initial contact to be via query letters; strong preference is
given to published writers and those coming to me through referrals. The
agency’s current address is 3209 S. 55th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53219-4433;
this will probably change early in 2003.
Check agency web page (http://www.sff.net/people/jackbyrne/)
for updated contact information. Q: Conversely, what really turns you off? A:
Submissions clearly not suited to my areas of interest.
Sloppy presentations and writers who clearly haven’t learned the basics
of writing and submitting their work. Q: Do you charge
any fees? If so, what do they cover
and are they charged up front or as reimbursements after the sale? A:
I currently charge no fees. Q: How many titles have you sold in the past year? A:
Approximately 20, perhaps half of which were either reprints or foreign
sales. Q:
What is your commission? A:
15% domestic; 20% foreign. Q: What
percentage of manuscripts do you reject and what is the most common reason for
that rejection? A:
I receive an average of 15 contacts per day.
While I’m guessing here, I’d say that out of every 100 of those I may
ask to see a partial for 1. Of
every 50 partials, I may ask to see 1 complete manuscript and perhaps 1 out of
every 100 may excite me enough to offer representation. Writing that is sloppy,
boring, predictable or simply redoing what’s already been done tends to be
high on my list of rejection reasons. Q: If you could
have lunch with any author (living or dead), who would it be and what would you
most like to ask them? A:
Sorry, but I’m too busy with my living authors. Q: What would
you say is the most important contribution you make to your clients' careers? A:
I don’t take on material unless I am personally excited about it enough
to give it and the author the attention they deserve. Q: Best words of advice you’d like to give to new writers? A:
Know your field of interest (mystery, science fiction, etc.) so you’re
not reinventing the wheel. Hone
your writing skills and your storytelling skills (they are not one and the
same). And write and write and write and… Former
actress/director Christina Hamlett is the published author of 17 books, 98 plays
and musicals, and several hundred columns which have appeared throughout the
United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
She is also a script coverage consultant and mentors writers from around
the world on fiction, screenplays, and theatrical scripts.
Website: www.absolutewrite.com/site/christina.htm.
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