The thing I recommend most often to authors is to focus on the writing, on the work. As an agent, I know there are a lot of questions about navigating the industry, about how to pitch, but ultimately what’s most important to agents—and the thing that we’re all working toward—is finding great work. It is also the one thing that’s in a writer’s control. The rest is noise.
On a practical level, I would recommend thinking about urgency and necessity in your work. A book is a portal; stepping into a book is the ultimate escape. In a world that’s increasingly distracted, in which time is the most precious thing we possess, readers are looking for a world they want to spend time in—whether that means a distinctive voice, a perspective they haven’t seen before, or a fantastical world. Sometimes I think writers misinterpret this as a demand for lots of action or drama, but I can feel the same amount of escape in the opening of an Anne Tyler novel.
And so, consider whether your work is an invitation. Are your opening pages as precise and immediate as they can be? Does your narrative have a compelling rhythm or throughline? And remember that agents are book lovers: We do this job because we remember that magical feeling of falling in love with a story, and we want to share that feeling with others. We want to find writers. We want to say yes.
—Catherine Cho, agent and founder, Paper Literary