Interview with Jennifer Unter, vice president of RLR Associates’ Literary Division

Interview by Mehroo Siddiqui

 Ms. Unter is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Fordham University School of Law. She began her career at Henry Holt & Co. in the editorial department before moving on to The Karpfinger Agency as a junior literary agent. She then became an associate at the entertainment firm of Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP where she practiced primarily in the areas of publishing and copyright law, and also acted as a literary agent on various book projects. She is currently a member of AAR and co-chair of literary works on the Committee of the Entertainment, Arts & Sports Law Section of the New York State Bar Association. She joined RLR in 2000 and is now the vice president of its literary division. She can be contacted at JUnter@rlrassociates.net.
 

Why do you think literary agents are important? Would you say it is a bad idea for new writers to approach publishers by themselves? Why? 

Literary agents are important in many ways-- they have become the stable presence in an author’s life.  Firstly, it's difficult for a writer to get the attention of editors within a publishing house without an agent.  The way things have evolved within the business, editors rely upon agents to bring them projects that have been screened for merit and salability.  Many houses no longer even look at slush mail after the anthrax scares.  Secondly, once a project has sold, it may be “orphaned” by the editor who championed it within the house since editors jump around from house to house.  The agent is with the book from its inception to publication.  Agents also serve as a sounding board for a writer, discussing what the next project should be, where it should be placed, etc. Agents manage writers’ careers and help them navigate through the system and let them know what publishers are really saying.

Agents also have their fingers on the pulse generally within the publishing world as it relates to literary trends (what's selling, what's popular) and also specifically as it relates to the interests of various publishers and imprints.  In essence, agents have a wealth of practical and institutional knowledge which helps marry a project/author with the appropriate potential publishers.

With respect to contacting publishers directly, it is rare for anyone to be their own independent and objective advocate during the negotiation/contract process.  They are just too close to their project to think in clear terms during the important process of negotiating the sale of one's work and an author really shouldn't discuss money issues with the person who is going to be editing your work.  Also, agents have specialized knowledge as to the various contract issues that affect an author's remuneration (foreign rights, reprints, earn outs, film and TV rights, etc.) and are better placed to protect their client's contract rights during this process.  

You have worked at several other places before joining RLR Associates five years ago. How is this organization different from the ones you have worked with before? How has the journey been from Henry Holt & Co. until now? 

RLR is different in that it's not only a literary agency.  Other agents here represent sports broadcasters, managers, television personalities, etc., and there is a good symbiosis between the literary side and the sports/television side.  It's very young, dynamic, and the people who work here are great at exchanging ideas.

My journey has been a circuitous one.  I went from being an editorial assistant for a very literary fiction editor at Henry Holt, to working at a small literary agency, The Karpfinger Agency, that represents heavy-hitters in the commercial fiction arena (among a lot of other great clients), to working at a small boutique entertainment law firm where I focused on copyright issues and represented various authors, agents, and small publishers, to RLR.  Each job has been very different, but I learned a different angle of the publishing business at each of them, and it helped me discover what I really wanted to do with my career.

What is a typical day (at work) like in the life of a literary agent? Is there added responsibility on you because you’re also a vice president? What would you say is the best part of your job; what is the worst? Why?  

A typical day consists of pitching projects, sending them out to editors, having lunch with an editor or author, dealing with problems that an author is having with their book, and negotiating deals.  The VP is just a title-- I don't feel any added responsibility because of it.  I only feel responsible to my authors, making sure that I'm doing the best job possible for them.  The best part of my job is the excitement of working on a new project and negotiating the sale.  The worst is getting bad news from the publisher-- i.e. publicity isn't happening, sales aren't good, etc., and often I have to be the messenger with this kind of information.

After studying law, why choose this profession? Does your work also have some legal aspect? How did you step into this field and have you ever felt that you should have, or should now, start practicing law?

I went to law school while I was working at The Karpfinger Agency and I was happy I did so, but I realized mid-way through school that what an agent does is really appealing.  It's a great combination of skills-- I get to use my editorial skills which I learned at the publishing house and my negotiation skills that I learned while in law school.  Negotiating contracts is the legal aspect of my job, and I work on publishing contracts, film contracts, magazine contracts, licensing contracts, all of which I did while at the entertainment firm.  I did practice law for a year and a half at Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard, a boutique firm that does a lot of copyright/literary work.  I went to work there, even though I liked working at the agency, because I didn't want to regret never practicing law.  I didn't think it would be right for me, which I was right about, but, I thought, how do I know I don't like something if  I never try it?  I had to check it out for myself.

What kind of work do you represent? And what kind do you never represent? Why? 

I represent all kinds of genres, anything that comes along that I like and think I can sell.  I don't like to pigeonhole myself!  I represent fiction (literary, commercial, chick lit), memoir, sports titles, children's (YA and picture books), narrative nonfiction, business books, self-help, anthology, health/fitness, photography books, anthologies, mysteries, etc. You can see my full list at http://www.rlrliterary.net.  I never say never, but I haven't yet represented sci-fi or horror novels because I've never found one that I fell in love with.

How long does the whole process take, of reading through and responding to queries, going through manuscripts and then finally in finding a publisher who agrees to print the work you’re representing? I know it must vary, but on an average?  

On an average, from meeting with an author, discussing their project, getting a workable manuscript/proposal together, sending it out and selling it, the process takes anywhere from two to six months.  

How easy/difficult is it to find a publisher? And what is it like to have multiple publishers reject a work you are representing? Does that happen often and have you ever felt, looking back on one of those instances, that a publisher’s decision might have been different if say, the situation had been handled differently? Why or why not?

It really depends upon the project as to how easy/difficult it is to find a publisher.  There are projects that take me two weeks to sell, and then there are projects that take me two years to sell.  Once I take an author on, I'm fairly diligent about finding them a home, no matter how long it takes.  I believed in their project enough to take it on, and I take it upon myself to find someone else who will believe it in, too, even if I get many rejections.  I had a project that I sent out to 40 places, and the last person I sent it to loved it and bought it. So, I will usually keep trying until something happens, unless I'm getting a unanimous response from editors that something in particular is wrong, and then I'll have the author tweak the proposal or manuscript to fix the problem.   

Do you think it is harder for first-time writers to get published? What are some common mistakes that you’ve seen new writers make and which they should definitely avoid?  

I don't think it's measurably harder for a first-time writer to get published.  Often it's easier because they don't have a previous track record to overcome (i.e. bad sales on their first book).  It's hard if they don't have a big enough platform or aren't well-known in their area (for nonfiction writers), and, for fiction writers, it's difficult if they are competing in a crowded arena, but if their writing is good enough, it'll happen. 

A common mistake new writers make is overwriting.  Let the story tell itself. 

What ways are there for a new writer to make a good impression upon an agent and/or a publisher? 

Be appreciative to the people who are essentially working for you.  Authors who complain and second guess everything that a publisher is doing will not endear themselves to the publisher, and the publisher will ultimately do less for those writers.  Ingratiate yourself to the publisher, and then when you (or your agent) have something that you want changed or that you aren't happy with, the publisher will be much more responsive.  

How can a writer find the best person to represent her/his work? How do you think you are different from other agents? 

The author/agent relationship is a very personal one.  The author needs to find someone that they feel comfortable with, who they can be totally honest with, and who they feel listens to them.  I've met many authors who felt adrift even though they had an agent because their agent didn't call them/e-mail them enough, and the author didn't feel comfortable letting the agent know that they needed more communication.   I call or e-mail my authors regularly and let them know what I'm doing with their projects. 

Is there a dream project in your mind-- some kind of work that you hope you will have an opportunity to represent? What about an ideal client? Have you worked with someone you would call that? What makes a person an ideal client?

My dream project is a five-year-bestseller! (Whose isn't?)  I'd like to do more biographies, histories, big books that will make a lasting impression and not go out of print for decades.  I have many clients who are ideal-- I happen to like all of my clients tremendously and many of them are also friends.  An ideal client is creative, open-hearted, flexible, interested, and interesting. 

Among all the works of people that you have represented, are there any that have remained in your mind as being outstandingly good, or because of any other reason? 

When I got to RLR, I saw that we represented Shelby Foote, the Civil War writer.  I am in awe of his knowledge in his field and his books have been in print for decades.   

Any advice that you would like to give new writers who have just stepped into this field? Anything you would like to say to people who plan to work as literary agents? What about your own plans? Where do you see yourself going from here?

My advice to new authors is trust your instincts and trust your agent.  Neither should steer you wrong.  As for those looking to become an agent, be prepared to work hard.  It's an exciting field, but there are many established agents, and a lot of competition.  You have to be reading and looking for new projects constantly-- if that doesn't come naturally to you, you aren't going to be happy as an agent.  As for my own plans, I feel lucky to love my work, and I hope to continue doing it for a long time.
 

Originally from Pakistan, where she worked in the publications department of an organization, Mehroo Siddiqui is currently doing her Masters from George Mason University in Virginia.

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