Jenny Savill – Literary Agent

Hampshire Writers’ Society meeting 11th October 2022

Report by Sarah Noon

Jenny has been a literary agent with Andrew Nurnberg Associates since 2002, and has a large list of writers who she represents across all genres.  The agency, based in London, was established in 1977 and has authors from across the world. The company also deals with translation rights which oversees the translation of English-written books into other languages. Andrew Nurnberg Associates consists of a team of agents, each with their own list of writers.

Jenny first asks us “Why have an agent?”  As she points out, many writers self-publish as well as taking other routes to publication. Jenny admits that she knows very little about self-publication and acknowledges that many writers have achieved this successfully. Jenny explains that the writers she represents need time to write and therefore rely on their agent to manage the business elements of their work. She points out that if you are writing full-time, it is a business and “…contracts can be long and complicated.”  The Society of Authors provides advice on contracts etc., but an agent, she explains, will be there “…to do the business for you and guide you as your career progresses.” On this point, Jenny tells us that she spends more time managing writers whose contracts are ending, and considering new literary directions, rather than launching new writers at the start of their career.

Agents have the expertise to negotiate the best deals for authors and to ensure money is coming in for them. They have contacts consisting of editors and publishers and know the best ones for a particular market or genre.

Jenny tells us what rights the agency deal with:

• English language rights – across English speaking world
• Translation rights (can be sold separately)
• Serial rights
• Audio rights
• Dramatic – film and theatre
• Digital / ebook rights
• Gaming rights
• Merchandising rights

Jenny explains that there are benefits to signing up to an agency such as Andrew Nurnberg, which handles foreign rights. Jenny has a number of colleagues in foreign countries who all speak the language of those countries.  Jenny meets with them once a week and discusses the writers and books she has on her lists and then shares information as to which books might be successful outside of the UK. This creates opportunities for “…a lot of joined-up thinking” across countries. As she points out, Jenny’s colleagues know the markets for their countries “…inside-out.” Jenny demonstrates her understanding of international trends in literature, telling us, for example, that thrillers do not do very well in Brazil, but romance does. In France, she continues, romance does not do so well, but crime does. Jenny shows us how covers for the same book, differ across various countries in order to more appeal to that particular demographic.

So what happens when Jenny or one of her colleagues takes on an author? She explains that the writer will receive a letter (a representation agreement) which details what will be done for the author – including commission rates (15% on UK deals).

Jenny discusses marketing and explains that whilst there was an expectation a few years ago for a writer to be present on social media, due to what Jenny describes as a “toxic” environment, many agents are now happy for writers not to be on social media platforms.  Turning up to bookshops for signings is always good, and many larger publishers provide courses to help writers with social media and technology.

Once a writer is ready to submit work to an agent, they need to establish the submission requirements. These are on the agency’s website – just like all agencies. Information can also be found in “The Writer’s and Artists’ Yearbook” which lists all the literary agents and what they represent.  Jenny warns that no reputable agency will charge a reading fee, and to avoid those that do. Every agency is different, Jenny tells us, so “…do your research.” Applicants should ensure their whole novel is compete and they have an idea of what else they will be working on in the future (ideally in a similar genre or style).

She advises writers to get used to constructive feedback and be prepared to edit work. After publication, criticism does not stop and so it is useful to be able to manage this. Jenny also suggests that new writers are able to manage their financial expectations.  Advances, she tells us, are not what they used to be.  Many of her writers still have day-jobs as well as writing.  However, with a smaller advance, writers have more chance to “earn-out” and begin to earn royalties (a percentage of every copy sold).

Jenny urges us to ask ourselves “the big question” – Is your manuscript ready? The most common reason why submissions fail to get past Jenny’s inbox, she says, is because they’re simply not ready. A big part of realising whether your novel is ready or not is to re-read your piece several times. But she accepts that the more times we read our work, the closer we get to it and the less objective we become. She advises us to put our work away for a month or so. After this, Jenny guarantees we will find things that need doing – either small edits, or large structural things. This will ensure that our work is as good as it can be before it is submitted to an agency. Jenny also tells us that we should be reading around our genre, “If you want to write, you have to read lots as well.” Consider where we want to be in the bookshop. It is also important to research the market.  A writer needs to demonstrate that they know the market, and that there is a place in the market for their chosen genre.

Jenny talks to us about the issue of outside editors.  She explains that if a writer is repeatedly sending the same manuscript and not getting anywhere, then it may be worth getting work scrutinised by an outside editor.  However, she warns of the danger of one smoothing out issues too much, resulting in the removal of the writer’s voice altogether. As Jenny reminds us “It’s the voice that we’re most interested in.” Jenny advises writers to ensure that any agency or consultancy has very good reviews – particularly word-of-mouth.

Jenny helpfully goes through a list of things we should check before any submission:

• Go through manuscript and ensure characters are behaving authentically and that there are no “spare” characters.
• Ensure all scenes start at the latest possible point, and end at the earliest possible point (watch a well-edited film for a demonstration – Jenny recommends Toy Story) – nothing extraneous.
• Don’t tell the reader everything (craft). This prevents the reader from switching off.
• Creatively incorporate the backstory – there doesn’t need to be a whole chunk of backstory.
• Show not tell (“she shivered” not “she was cold”).
• Check spelling and grammar manually.
• Check the size and spacing of manuscript is what the agency asks for.
• Consider why you want to tell this story – make sure that doesn’t get lost.
• Consider who we want to tell it to. This helps with pitching tone and content.
• Ensure we know what is at the heart of our story.
• Does everything need to be in there?
• Is any reported action better than seeing the action (and vice-versa)?

Most agents will require a synopsis with submission. Jenny informs us that writers are generally “…quite bamboozled by them.”  It needs to be a sheet of A4, explaining chronologically what happens in the story from beginning to end in a straightforward way – beginning, middle, end. The purpose of the synopsis is NOT to sell the book, but rather to allow the agent to ensure that its narrative is on track. Jenny advises us that a way to do this is to number the events in the story from one to ten.  That will provide what Jenny refers to as a “…skeleton synopsis.” This can then be expanded into paragraphs. Jenny adds that a skeleton synopsis is a useful exercise to do at any point in the writing process, not just at the end. A synopsis does NOT need a backstory.

A covering letter will also be needed. Jenny explains that this is just a polite and business-like letter with a little bit about why the particular agent has been chosen. The letter should also explain the age of the reader, and its genre, and how the book may fit into the marketplace. Jenny recommends including the blurb in the body of the letter. Finally, personalise the letter with information about any experience, jobs etc. Jenny understands that a writer is likely to send letters out to a variety of agents, but gives the advice that they should ensure that they let agents know if they receive offers from another agent.

Jenny’s advice is, as always, invaluable to any writer and has been very much appreciated by the members of the society this evening.