Jenny Bent is a literary agent with the Trident Media Group., where she represents a wide range of projects, fiction and nonfiction. Since becoming an agent in 1996, she has represented thirteen New York Times bestsellers. She also works with a number of bestselling romance authors, including JoAnn Ross, Julia London, Lynsay Sands, and Janelle Denison. Jenny has a BA/MA with first class honors from Cambridge University in the UK; she grew up in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She has a website at www.jennybent.com, and her articles have been reprinted in the Writer’s Digest 2003 Guide to Literary Agents and in various websites for authors. The Trident Media Group represents such bestselling authors as Catherine Coulter, Janet Evanovich, T. Jefferson Parker, Elizabeth George, Jon Stewart, Rex Pickett (the author of Sideways), Mel Brooks, Christopher Andersen, Marilynne Robinson (this year’s Pulitzer prize winner for Gilead), Russell Banks, and Michael Ondaatje.
Jenny is happy to answer questions on any topic, but not about individual submissions, please.
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As a reader, sometimes I get just really frustrated with all the “sameness” out there – every other writer has a vampire or werewolf book coming out, for example. I’m curious to know your thoughts on that.
As an agent, what are you truly looking for (beyond good, solid writing that captures your attention, a clear voice, and passable grammar skills), and what do you avoid?
“Romance” novels generally seem to be told from the POV of the heroine. Is there a market for those told from the POV of the hero? Would the fact that the tale is a romance in a male voice make it “mainstream” (which I’ve been told a couple of times?
Stacy,
I completely agree that I am tired of all the sameness out there–vampires, werewolfs, etc. I was recently looking at a catalog for a publisher that shall go unnamed, and the the whole catalog was rip-offs, and rip-offs of rip-offs! It was either paranormal or brides on every other page. What happens when a trend starts to do well, is that it gets over-published like this–eventually, the market gets saturated, people stop buying the books (except for the people who pioneered the genre and were bestsellers from the beginning) and everyone moves onto the next thing.
Ok, so what am I looking for? Humor or dark, dark, dark, great characters, strong voice, and original premise. What do I avoid? chick lit or romantic suspense without a compelling hook (or anything without a compelling hook for that matter)
I’ve been asked to let you guys know how often I’ll be checking in. I don’t know, unfortunately, just as time permits. I would say at least once every few hours?
“Romance” novels generally seem to be told from the POV of the heroine. Is there a market for those told from the POV of the hero? Would the fact that the tale is a romance in a male voice make it “mainstream” (which I’ve been told a couple of times?
Actually, Dixie, and maybe I’m misunderstanding your question, but many romance novels alternate between the pov of the hero and the heroine. Can’t you think of a million historical romances that begin something like this: “Lord Begonia was bored, bored, bored. Ever since his return from the Pennisular War, nothing had captured his fancy or attention….” I guess I don’t know one ENTIRELY from the hero’s point of view, and that might put you in Nicolas Sparks territory perhaps, which is I guess what you’re asking…
people stop buying the books
But have people stopped buying the books? Every conference I go to and on every blog I read, authors and agents are talking about booksellers and readers saying they can’t keep their paranormals and erotic romance titles in stock.
They’re selling, but eventually they won’t. Look what happened to chick lit?
What do your agent instincts tell you is the next big thing that will outshine erotic romance and paranormal?
:razz: What else are readers clamoring for that they’re not getting?
I think a lot of people want the historical to come back. I love historicals, so I hope that’s an accurate prediction.
Jenny, what are your top five favorite books?
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry
Beloved, Toni Morrison
The Shipping News, Annie Proulx
Into the Wide Blue Yonder, Jean Thompson
Hi Jenny,
About 4 months ago, my agent told me that straight contemporary romance/romantic comedy is now the hardest to sell by a new author, even more difficult to break into than historica. But lately I’ve heard some other things, and there seems to be a feeling, a hunch, whatever, going around, that with erotica and paranormal as the new hot thing, editors are now overwhelmed by submissions for these genres. As a result, there’s a dearth of sexy contemporary romantic comedies, like the next Rachel Gibson or Susan Donovan. What’s your take?
I don’t know–I hadn’t heard that. I do know people seem to be looking for really good romantic supense or straight suspense.
Hi Jenny,
Everything seems to be either paranormal, erotic romance, romantic suspense or romantic comedy. I see **A LOT** of the latter.
I know you said you think historicals may come back, however, what about the straight single-title contemporary romance market? (No bodies, vampires, funny premises, or guns and fire, just an old fashioned love story)
Like historicals, these books aren’t as plentiful. Do you see a demand for them too in the future?
Not really, sadly. Everyone is so focused right now on high concept.
Do you have a new author about to be published in the next few months that you’d like to mention?
I have a few authors out right now or right about now, does that count? Caprice Crane, STUPID AND CONTAGIOUS; Amanda Trimble, SINGLETINI; oh, and this is a big one, pubbing in Sept., JOURNAL by Joyce and Christine Atkinson, check out the website at http://www.amyzoemason.com. These are all first time authors.
What is the line between romance and literary fiction or high concept books?
I was browsing a bookstore the other day and noticed Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series was shelved in the fiction section, not in the romance section. Then, I browsed another book store and found the same books were shelved only in the romance section of that store?
Ally Brand
Where the books go is often at the discretion of the bookstore. The books all have a code on them that is used to categorize them when compiling bookscan bestseller lists, but this is often ignored when it comes to shelving. One man’s genre fiction can be another’s mainstream when it comes to booksellers.
Wow… JOURNAL looks AMAZING!
Thanks Diana! Tell all your friends…:wink:
I have a general agent submission question. (And please forgive my naivete, I’m still learning the business end of writing.) I heard that writers should only have the one agent. But lets say a writer is succesful in obtaining an agent that had previously rejected some earlier manuscripts (perhaps because it was a genre she doesn’t represent, or she wasn’t excited about the story). Can a writer find another agent to represent those manuscripts? Or is that poor business ethics?
What I would do is revisit the issue of the rejected manuscripts with the first agent. It may be that now that he/she is representing you, he/she may be much more open to discussing revisions which may make the manuscripts more palatable to him/her. BY NO MEANS should you submit the manuscripts to another agent, however. This is a surefire way to TOTALLY piss off both your current agent and the agent that you submit to.
When you mention historicals – what is the cutoff date – is it anything up until 1900 or through the 1940s (as I’ve seen mentioned on some lists) or some other time frame? Thank you.
When I mention historicals, I mean regency set in England, or Scottish medievals.
Hi Jenny,
JOURNAL does look really intriguing and very original!
What, in your opinion, distinguishes Chick-lit from humorous Women’s Fiction, from Romantic Comedy? I’ve been going round and round trying to decide how I would classify my current WIP.
Thanks, Alyssa
Well, remember the two books I mentioned above. Singletini is classic chick lit, single girl in city bemoaning the fact that all her friends are getting married, loves clothes and shoes and spends too much money on them, hijinks ensue, and in the end, she finds her true love. Now, we added a twist by making her a “wing woman” (google it), which is why we were able to sell it, but it’s still classic chick lit underneath (very well-written and cute, too). Oh,and did I mention it’s in the first person. Another “chick-lit” give-away.
Now, STUPID AND CONTAGIOUS is a romantic comedy. It’s written in third person and it alternates between the male and female perspectives. It’s a lot more like Nick Hornby than Marion Keyes.
Women’s fiction generally has a larger cast of characters, there are more plot lines, and at least one of the plot lines has a family-oriented theme.
Hope this helps!
Jenny, thanks for taking the time to do this! I have a CP of mine who is one of your newer clients, and she’s just delighted to have you as her agent.
I write southern women’s fiction (I tell my friends I write women’s fiction “deep-fried”). My question is how do you see the market for women’s fiction in general as well as women’s fiction with that “southern twang,” if you will. So often I see mentions that the implosion of chick lit means the implosion of women’s fiction.
Thanks again! And thanks for everything you’ve done for my CP!
I think women’s fiction is as strong as ever, as long as you have a unique plot. And southern women’s fiction is one of those “evergreen” genres that is always popular yet doesn’t really get over published.
Thanks for your kind words about your CP!
Ooops. I forgot that STUPID AND CONTAGIOUS is actually in first person. But still alternates between male and female perspectives, and has a plot line that involves something called Cinnamilk…so not chick lit.
Jenny, I hope I’m not too late with this question! If an unpublished author has set her sights on writing single title historicals for one of the major publishers, but is offered a deal from a category publisher, would you recommend taking it, viewing it as a stepping stone to her destination? Or would you recommend holding out for her goal, even if that might mean leaving the current ms under the bed and moving on to the next one? Thank you!
I would take it, viewing it as a stepping stone, definitely.
I’m glad to hear you’re behind historicals. However, I’d like to see good quality historicals on the market that are not Regency-set. Almack’s, Vauxhall Gardens, balls, routs and country house parties, may be familiar to readers but variety is the spice of reading life.
In your opinion, how saleable are historicals set in the early- to mid-1800s in Canada or the US (excluding the American cowboy/girl genre)?
As far as I know, except for the really big names in the genre, the only publisher doing this is Kensington. I’m personally not a fan, so I may be biased. I just happen to be a traditionalist when it comes to historicals–I think it’s because I started out reading tradional regencies when I was in junior high and just fell in love.
Hi Jenny! There’s alot of talk about the revival of the Gothic Romance. Do you see/hear anything about this? If so, how hot would you say it is?
I loved gothics as a teen and would dearly love to see them make a big comeback!
Thank you for answering our questions!
With regards to historicals, do you think that with all the recent popularity of paranormals, that some of that otherworldy feel could cross over into the historical romance market? Perhaps a historical set in an alternate world that evokes the same feel as a Scottish Medieval, or has some other paranormal hook, almost like Jacqueline Carey’s KUSHIEL books or Juliet Marillier’s SEVENWATERS TRILOGY, both of which have a very romantic story at the core of the fantasy.
And do you think the market will ever be open to a historical romance in first person?
Alright guys, it is 6:00 and I am OUT. Had a nice time with all of you today and best of luck as you continue with your writing careers!
But..but…but!
*sigh*
Anyone else here heard any buzz about Gothics?
*gg*
Thanks to Jenny Bent for her time spent with us here today at RTB!
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