Josh Getzler
Last year, one of my most reshared posts was my analysis, in numbers, of the Year Just Passed. Maybe it’s the glimpse behind the curtain, maybe it’s the general love of year-end lists. But I thought I’d do it again for 2012, and see what, if anything, we can infer from it. Please note: This does not include stats from the other agents at HSG, and does not include foreign deals or publications.
Current Number of Clients: 48
Clients added in 2012: 12:
Referrals: 8 (6 from other clients, 1 from an editor)
Authors I knew already: 1
Unsolicited queries: 3
Adult Novelists: 2
Adult NF Writers: 5
Children’s Book Writers: 4
Authors who submitted both adult and children’s books: 2
Departed Clients in 2012: 8
Old clients or projects revived: 3
New Deals: 8
Multiple-book Deals: 2 (One for two books, one for three books and three stories)
Digital-first or digital-only deals: 3
Debuts: 3
Novels: 7
Adult Nonfiction: 1
YA: 1
Number of books I represent that came out in 2012: 12
Adult fiction: 8
Adult NF: 2
Children’s books: 2
Number of projects currently out on active submission to multiple editors: 17 (holy cow! And there are several more to come in the first weeks of 2013).
Adult: 8
Young Adult: 4
Middle Grade: 5
It is this breakdown that is very different for me, and represents something of a shift for me over the past year, year and a half. I have taken on more children’s book projects (both YA and Middle Grade), and focused more on historical fiction (both in terms of commercial novels and crime) and some smart women’s fiction. I have expanded a bit into urban fantasy and even a very small toe into science fiction (on the basis of clients who have gone in that direction, not because I have solicited it—and I’m not beginning to solicit it now, either!). I’ve gone a bit away from domestic thrillers and straight procedurals (unless foreign, with the locale serving as a character), thought my weakness for cozies is unabated. My nonfiction has largely been in business/self help, though I’d love to get into history a bit more. I’ve looked for—and found—some terrific contemporary girl’s realistic YA (and continue to look for more!), and boy MG adventure novels and mysteries.
The rise of the digital imprint has been interesting this year, with some excellent results and some that have been more mixed. I’m going to be helping a number of clients publish their books independently in the coming year, and that too will be interesting to monitor. I’m nervous about the Random/Penguin merger and where that will lead, but remain unabashedly enthusiastic about the state of writing and books. I wish editors would be a little quicker, and writers a little more patient. I wish, as ever, that I had five extra hours a day to read. And I still love my job, my colleagues on all sides of the business, and the time I spend each week writing these blog posts.
May 2013 be happy, healthy, and successful—however you gauge success. I look forward to seeing what happens over the next 12 months.
Happy New Year!
Josh
PS—Next week I will discuss how submitting 20-odd books simultaneously is possible without cannibalizing time, effort and energy from my clients (many of whom probably had heart attacks when they saw the number. Don’t worry guys! It really does work.)
As one of your clients with an active submission, I'm anxious to see what 2013 will bring as well! Here's to luck and success for all in the new year.
Posted by: Toni LoTempio | January 02, 2013 at 12:50 PM