Literary agent Francesca Riccardi on how to hook an agent - and what to avoid!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 ก.ค. 2024
- Francesca Riccardi is a literary agent with Kate Nash Literary Agency who has over fifteen years of experience in the publishing industry, starting at RNIB where she transcribed books into accessible formats for blind and partially sighted readers. She has since worked in sales and marketing roles at publishers Canelo, Atlantic Books, Constable & Robinson and HarperCollins.
Francesca reads widely, especially across popular commercial genres, but is a particular fan of crime and thrillers, and loves a dogged detective or unusual sleuth. She also enjoys books about unusual family dynamics, toxic friendships and people keeping secrets.
We had a great time speaking with Francesca, hearing about what she looks for in queries and what aspiring authors should - and shouldn't - do to hook that agent! Plus, we hear how her time in publishing helps her in her role as an agent, and discuss how important the different parts of a query package are.
Links:
Visit the Kate Nash Literary Agency: katenashlit.co.uk/
Follow Francesca on Twitter/X: / friccar_
Page One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: www.writegear.co.uk/page-one
Follow us on Twitter/X: / ukpageone
Follow us on Facebook: / ukpageone
Follow us on Instagram: / ukpageone
Follow us on Mastodon: writing.exchange/@PageOnePod
Follow us on Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/ukpageone.bs...
Follow us on Threads: www.threads.net/@ukpageone
"Francesca Riccardi's insights are invaluable for aspiring authors! Hooking an agent can be a daunting task, but her expertise sheds light on the path to success. Avoiding pitfalls is just as important, and her guidance is a beacon for navigating the complex world of literary representation. Kudos to Francesca for sharing her wisdom!"
This is great! Illustrates why Francesca is brilliant to work with! Down to earth, funny, direct........could go on.....
Enjoyable listen, thank you all. Appreciated! Fascinating how different agents' practices are from one another. One reads sample chapters and query/cover letter last. Another only the query letter, rarely the manuscript (unless on the fence) - the latter being Jessica Faust from what I recall her saying. Extremely insightful for us aspiring authors.
Love Francesca! I met her on an Agent-1-2-1 and she was fantastic. Really enjoyed the episode. It was great to hear her go into so much detail about submissions and the querying process.
My new favourite podcast. I loved this episode. Francesca is wonderful and so was her advice. I wanted Tariq to ask what it was about Marco's writing that made her take him on or at least share that story. 😊
I really really enjoy these videos and as an aspiring writer, these are so helpful!!
Interesting and helpful and unfortunaely as Ismo once said: Language!
Yeah, agreed. Her language is a turnoff.
Thank you for these videos guys. Brilliant work. And incredibly helpful for aspiring authors. That being said, i wasn't a fan of Francesca's potty mouth and misandrist talk. Dear oh dear!
Agree off putting.