Q&A with Literary Agent ERIN NIUMATA

Q&A with Literary Agent

ERIN NIUMATA

Folio Literary Management, VP and Literary Agent

Erin Niumata has been in publishing for over three decades. She started as an editorial assistant at Simon and Schuster in the Touchstone/Fireside division for several years; then moved over to Harper Collins as an editor, and then she went to Avalon Books as the Editorial Director. Erin has edited many authors including Leon Uris, Stuart Woods, Erica Jong, Brenda Maddox, Lawrence Otis Graham, Joan Rivers, and more. She has represented NY Times bestselling cowboy romance writer Carolyn Brown, Discovery Channel’s Fast N Loud, and Cash Cab; TLC’s The Cake Boss, Diesel Brothers, and Extreme Couponing; Animal Planet’s Too Cute, Finding Bigfoot, River Monsters, and Puppy Bowl; NASA’s Above and Beyond; Science Channel’s How It’s Made; Smithsonian Institute’s The Red Planet, inspirational speaker Josh Shipp, viral content creator Tyler Merritt, skin care expert and co-founder of SoKo Glam Charlotte Cho, Hello Fears internet sensation Michelle Poler, Average People Problems founder Sam Matt, chaotic wellness with Mandi Em, humorist Jen Lancaster, humorist Jennifer Mann, humor writer Anna Lind Thomas, inspirational confidence speaker Juan Bandeña, and many more. She’s worked on multiple NY Times Bestsellers.

Thank you for being here, Erin!

ON THE LETTER – 

Where does one find an agent? There are so many agencies. Is there a directory somewhere?

There are several ways to find an agent: query tracker, MSWL, Publishers Marketplace, The Writers Market. A good way to find an agent for your genre is to check the acknowledgements of your favorite book and see if the author thanked their agent. Twitter/X often hosts pitch wars as well. There’s always google as well!

How, beyond your agency website, can writers get to know your specific preferences? Is X/Twitter the best medium for that? 

X/Twitter isn’t the best for me as I tend to be a bit lax in posting (too busy selling books!) I intend to invest more into Twitter/X soon. In the meantime, I have my linktr.ee link on there which has all my social media, bios, a few interviews and podcasts with me. https://linktr.ee/erinniumata

What is on your manuscript wish list right now?

I’d love unique characters with great stories – who doesn’t. I would love to find a rich, beautifully written, emotional story, a coming of age for a woman in her 30-50s. Something I can get lost in and feel all the feels. I’m always a fan of fun rom-coms that have a bigger hook: book club fiction.

How important are bios in a query? How much does it move the needle if a writer has published articles or short stories or gotten awards for previous writing? Or if they have none of those things? 

I like to know who is writing the manuscript. Awards and previously published articles definitely help but are not required. If a person can write and I love the story, I’m in.

Some agents have told us that they can’t read every work published, so use of recognizable titles/authors for comps is best. Others say, specificity in comps shows that we know our work/audience. What do you think? 

I think it’s best to use the closest comps as possible. If you read in your genre then it shouldn’t be difficult. There are several reasons I want comps: it shows me where on the shelf this book is going to sit, how well the books in this genre sell, that you know your audience and have read the best in the genre. These are all indications that you know your stuff and are prepared to market to your readers.

We hear that ending a query pitch with a rhetorical question is a no-no. Yet, we’re supposed to leave our pitches on a hook. Thoughts?

I don’t need to be left in suspense. I’m trying to figure out if you can write a story. If I don’t know how it ends, how can I tell if it’s worth my time to read? I want to know. Leave the hook endings for the jacket copy. In a query I ask for a synopsis and three chapters: this tells me if the story is well balanced and interesting. The chapters let me know if you can write.

What common mistakes do you see in query letters? Do you have any querying pet peeves? 

The most common mistake is sending me a genre I don’t represent. It’s a waste of your time and mine. Other pet peeves: receiving a generic submission that has 100 other agents cc’d, referring to me as Mr Erin Niumata, and please don’t start your letter with: I have a number one bestseller with blockbuster movie potential, my mom/spouse/friends agree (You’d be surprised how many of those I receive!).

Think about a query or two that dramatically rose out of your slush? What made them stand out? 

Recently I had a submission from an established writer in romance, she wrote to say she was looking for a new agent to break her into more commercial women’s fiction. I found her idea for her new book really exciting. We spoke and I took her on. We worked on the new book for a few months and it was snapped up in a pre-emptive bid from a huge publisher.  Another writer’s letter was so funny, she had done her research on my list and made reference to a few of my clients’ work, weaving her pitch throughout. It was clever and humorous. I couldn’t resist. We are currently on submission with her book now.

One of the hardest things for querying writers is agent personalization. How important is it and how do we do it?

It only takes a minute to check out the agent and add a line or two that shows you’ve done your research. I don’t need flattery or compliments; I just want to know you’ve done the work. You invest the time in me and I’ll do the same for you.

When an author has split with his or her agent and is querying for another, should she or he mention this in the query letter? If so, how?

Yes. Always let me know you’ve parted ways with an agent. I am not a poacher, I don’t want to ‘steal’ any clients from anyone. But if you let me know you’ve already parted ways and the reason why, only then I will consider your work. I’ve parted with clients for various reasons, and I’ve often helped the client find new representation. Transparency is very important in a working relationship. I’ve had clients misrepresent the truth in the past and it did not end well. No one wants that!

ON CLIENTS & MANUSCRIPTS – 

How much of a part of taking on a client is chemistry? Do agents have to love the prospective client as much as his or her work?

Chemistry is great. I’m lucky I get along well with all of my clients. There have been instances where there was no chemistry but this is a business. I have to love and believe in the work. No one wants to work with unpleasant people but sometimes that happens. Luckily, I don’t have any unpleasant clients!

What sorts of questions do you ask of writers you want to represent?

I ask them about how they plan to market the book, what they are working on next, and what is their five-ten-year plan. I want to make sure the writer is seriously considering their future. I want to build a career for a writer and help manage their books and guide them as best I can. It’s important to know what they think.

What sorts of questions do you advise writers to ask of prospective agents on “the call(s)?”

Ask the agent about their style of communication. It’s important to be on the same page. Some clients need constant communication, others only want updates and little interaction. Also ask them about their other clients: how long they’ve worked with them, how many they have, etc. Also ask about the process: what happens as soon as they accept the offer of representation: get a timeline on this project and the next. There’s a new trend of asking to speak to other clients. I respect the wishes of the potential client, but I hate bothering my current clients to advocate on my behalf. My 30+ years in this industry is an indication that I have experience.

When is it appropriate for a writer to nudge their own agent after an email/idea/mss?

Whenever they want. I prefer my clients email me whenever they want. If I don’t respond within 24-48 hours, call or email again. I don’t want my clients sitting in the dark fretting about their work.

ON BEING AN AGENT – 

Are you interested in representing authors who would like to pursue both traditional and small press or self-publishing? 

I already represent authors who have a myriad of publishing needs. So, yes.

What about authors who have small/indie/hybrid/self-published who are now interested in traditional publishing? How important are sales of their small/indie/hybrid self-published titles to you when you consider taking them on?

I would consider an author with a successful self-publishing history. I have a few authors who were self-published before we met. It all depends on the book, the history of sales, and what their plans are for the future.

Awareness for the need for diversity in books – color, culture, women, LGBTQ,  etc. – is a widely recognized priority. Many non-BIPOC writers want to be active allies/accomplices but fear being accused of, or worse, guilty of cultural misappropriation or sidelining BIPOC characters. Thoughts? 

I am keenly aware of the need for diversity in books and represent several BIPOC authors in non fiction and fiction. I believe if the story is compelling and well written, then I want to work with the author. However, it’s a fine line to walk and each project is different. At the end of the day, it’s the story, the representation of characters and the author’s ability to write that will determine whether I will represent it or not.

How involved are you (and agents, in general) in the promotion of your clients’ books? What do you recommend your clients do to reach readers?

I’m always in the background willing to jump in at any point in the promotion of the book. We discuss marketing before we work together and I attend the marketing meetings with publishers. I encourage my authors to build their social media while the book is in production and use it to introduce their work to their followers. I think it’s important to find your audience and engage with them early. I also encourage my clients to hire an outside publicist to assist in helping get the word out.

ON YOUR SUCCESS –

What client-work is out now, recently, or coming soon?

JUST OUT IN OCTOBER: 

HELLO FEARS by Michelle Polar

PARADISE FOR CHRISTMAS by Carolyn Brown

FERAL SELF CARE by Mandi Em

COMING IN NOVEMBER/DECEMBER AND JANUARY:

HOUSE MOMS by Jen Lancaster

ON THE WAY TO US by Carolyn Brown

COMING EARLY 2024:

WEDDING ISSUES by Elle Evans

LISTEN LISTEN SPEAK by Jay Y. Kim

DOGWOOD SEASON by Carolyn Brown

THE HUMAN DISEASE by Sabrina Shotz/The Smithsonian Institution

What advice do you have for aspiring agents?

It takes a while to build a list but keep at it. Go to the conferences, meet as many potential writers as you can. Get on social media, reach out to the writers, participate in the #MSWL pitch wars, get your name out there. Join the AALA and find someone to mentor you!

And finally… 

Flip flops or Slides? … Flip Flops

Chocolate or Vanilla? … Vanilla

Stripes or Spots? … Spots

Waze or Apple Maps? … Google Maps all day, every day.

We can’t thank you enough, Erin, for dropping in. Welcome to the WWWB family!

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES – 

Submissions should be sent directly to: erin@foliolitmanagement.com, query with synopsis and first three chapters pasted in the body of the email. I am open for submissions at various times throughout the year. Check my social media for dates.

Erin’s twitter  @ ecniumata

Agency’s twitter @FolioLiterary

Interviewed by – 

I’d need ten lives for everything I want to do and learn. Alas, with only one…  I’m involved in the Women2Woman (“W2W”) mentoring program. I’d have a whole herd of dogs if I could. Alas, I only have two. I’m a theatre bug. I can act but can’t sing a note or follow the simplest dance step. I’m a soccer enthusiast. USWNT #1! I enjoy cooking magazines, wine, the sound of my door opening, and the specific shade of sun shining through green leaves. I am MM Finck (or, better, “Peggy,”) a novelist, essayist, and niche editor specializing in query letters, pitches, opening pages, and overall story analysis doing business as the Query Quill since 2014. Rep’d by the fabulous Katie Shea Boutillier of the Donald Maass Literary agency. I’ve had titles and offices. But you are here for Erin. I hope you’ve enjoyed her interview. If you have suggestions for other agents you’d like to hear from email me at queryquill@gmail.com or Barbara at barbarabos@booksbywomen.org.

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: Agents, On Writing