Ever wondered what goes into crafting a successful book and empowering authors?
Giving you a glimpse into the dynamic world of literary representation is Kat Foxx, an assistant literary agent at The Rights Factory.
Welcome to the final installment of my interview series with Kat.1 She shares her insights on marketing, royalties and building author platforms with infectious enthusiasm.
Kat is also a writer and is heavily involved in the online writing community. She also produces/hosts the #badasswriters podcast, edits audio for “The Shit No One Tells You About Writing” podcast and is a founder/host of #MoodPitch.
Outside of her creative work, Kat enjoys capturing special moments with her camera, trying out new recipes in the kitchen and trekking through Ontario’s beautiful cottage country. At home, she cherishes quiet moments where she can indulge in a good cup of coffee, and maybe some chocolate, cheese or Argentinian wine.
Kat is passionate about compelling storytelling, whether it’s a heartwarming fantasy, rom-com or powerful drama (e.g. Outlander, You’ve Got Mail and This Is Us). She appreciates all creators who spark our imaginations (e.g., John Krasinski, Ryan Reynolds, Tom Hanks, and of course, her clients).
She is building her list of exceptionally-talented authors in commercial and book club fiction as well as some select nonfiction topics. Kat keeps a detailed manuscript wish list and what she’s looking for in queries on her website at kathleenfoxxagent.com/mswl.
Q: When you sign an author with a traditional publisher, what should they expect regarding marketing? And how does this differ from indie publishers? And for first-time authors versus published authors?
A: This changes from publisher to publisher, and often there’s no rhyme or reason as to how they select who they’ll provide a bigger marketing and publicity budget for.
I think it’s common for authors to think, if I get a book deal with a Big 5, I won’t have to do any marketing. And that’s just not the case.
All authors should know that they will have to do at least some of their own marketing and publicity. Anything an author does to promote their own book:
- helps sales;
- gets your name out there more; and
- shows the publisher that you take the initiative to sell your books.
Wouldn’t an author who’s spent all this time and effort on writing a book be excited to sell it?
Most times, there’s very little or no budget for M&P [marketing and publicity], even with bigger publishers. It’s just the way it is. You won’t know what’s been allotted for you, if anything, until you get an offer and view the contract. So, be prepared to put some big effort into that part of the process.
Q: When it comes to royalties, there’s a lot of confusion out there, but it seems most authors believe their royalties are higher if they directly publish with Amazon and another self-publishing platform. What’s the reality and what should authors consider when it comes to royalties?
A: Authors will need to take into consideration several things.
Yes, royalties are higher if you self-publish. But that’s because there’s no advance; and the onus is all on the author to do it all. When you publish traditionally, sometimes there’s an advance, sometimes there’s not. But the publisher is taking the work of editing, publishing and distributing off the author’s plate, and that costs money. So, that’s why royalties are lower. But remember that, when you publish traditionally, the chances of selling books are usually higher than if you self-publish.
Again, it’s not impossible to make a decent income with self-publishing. It all comes down to what your goals are and what your strengths are as an author.
Q: How much does a writer’s platform impact whether or not you agree to represent his/her manuscript?
A: If it’s fiction, then none. Having a platform has no bearing on how good the story and the writing are. To clarify, if there is no platform, it doesn’t mean I won’t choose to represent an author and their work. Fiction doesn’t currently require a platform.
But if there is a platform and it’s full of opinions and views that I don’t share or strongly disagree with, or that publishers may not share, then that would impact my decision to represent the author and their work.
This is a touchy subject because, of course, everyone is entitled to their own views and opinions of things. But if they are views and opinions that go against my beliefs, morals and values, then I can’t see myself getting behind that author and what they represent as a person in society, if that makes sense.
We’re not just representing the story; we’re representing the author. Reputation is everything in this industry, and most agents and publishers don’t want to be aligned with people who may have highly controversial views and opinions, unless they share those views and opinions.
So, while I say that socials don’t matter, I will always look at an author’s socials because they can help me to see what kinds of things matter to them, what they care about, what they post about.
For example, as I mentioned above, if I love a story but I can see somewhere online that the author is very outspoken about political views that I strongly disagree with, I likely won’t offer representation because I know our views (and essentially, our personalities) will clash and it will cause problems and lead to an eventual breakup, which would be a waste of time for both the author and me. It doesn’t mean the story or writing isn’t good; it’s just that I’m not the right agent to represent that author.
In terms of nonfiction, an author must have some type of platform because that’s how publishers can gauge how well it could sell. With nonfiction, you’re selling them the idea, the proposal. They’re taking a huge chance on that. They know that the bigger the platform, the bigger the potential target audience is, which means more sales.
Q: Do you offer support on social media (i.e., what will you do on social media for a client? And on what platforms)?
A: Indeed! I’m on social media as a writer, editor, podcast host, pitch event organizer, and agent. So, I’ve already established, and am continuing to grow, my platforms.
When I have news to share about my clients, I’ll be sharing them on socials because I know that goes a long way in terms of word of mouth and inspiring sales.
Q: How has your experience in writing, editing, podcasting and being a content creator informed your work as an agent? If you met a writer and suggested that he build his platform, and he replies, “How do I do that?” What would you say?
A: I started growing my platform as a writer and editor, so that was already there when I became an agent. Word of mouth goes a long way. And because I’ve always been a huge supporter of writers and had made all those connections, I had many people who were waiting for me to open to queries.
I know that it’s not necessary to be on socials if you’re a fiction author, but I always encourage it because it helps open doors and networking is always a good idea. You never know where it’s going to lead to!
Start on one or two platforms. There are so many out there, but choose one that you feel comfortable with and that you can spend the time on. Be as consistent as you can (it helps the algorithms) and interact with fellow writers. Don’t be afraid to jump into conversations. If someone posts a question to writers about their writing, join in! Always treat people with respect, be friendly in your communications.
For me, I stay out of politics and other opinionated things that have nothing to do with writing and publishing. Keep your writing account(s) for writing-related discussions.
Q: What do you do for your clients in terms of career management (e.g., brainstorm with them for their next project)?
A: I love brainstorming! If clients have questions or need advice, I’m there for them. Since it’s early on in my career, I’m still at the first project stage with my authors, but a few of them are already working on their next projects and they run ideas by me and we chat about what’s next.
Q: Tell us about a recent project or two that you’ve acquired. How did you know this was a had-to-have project/author?
A: I’m a new agent, so I only have a small handful of clients as I work to build my list, but in all cases, I knew right away that I wanted to offer rep. I have a knack for feeling this before I’ve even finished the manuscript, but I do always finish it so I can see if the ending is pulled together as well as I expected it to be. It’s something intangible and magical, and it’s different in every case.
Like I mentioned earlier, readers bring their own memories and experiences into a story, so the story will hit them in different ways. It’s very individual and intimate. If a story has that, I can feel the excitement for it quite early on in the pages, and my mind automatically starts thinking about who I can pitch it to and what the pitch will say and I start seeing reviews for it. It gets me excited and if that excitement continues throughout, I know I’ll be offering rep.
Q: Are there any books you represent coming out this year which you are particularly excited about?
A: I haven’t sold any books yet as I’m just out on sub with my first few clients, but I’m excited about all of them and hope to sell all of them! If I do, they likely won’t be on shelves for a couple of years. It’s a long process!
Q: What is the most difficult part of being an agent? The best part?
A: It’s hard to deliver tough news to clients, like getting passes from agents on their projects. I always try to put a positive spin on it though whenever possible. It’s also hard to juggle all the things!
When you first start out, you get, or at least I got, a PILE of queries that flooded my inbox, and as I’ve mentioned, they fall to the bottom of the list. It’s too easy for it to get out of hand and overwhelming. I know what it feels like to be waiting and waiting for a response from an agent, so I hate that I’m now in that position.
But I do want to say that I respond to all queries. So even if it takes me quite a while, I will respond. It doesn’t mean I’ve passed or that your story isn’t good, it just means I haven’t gotten to it yet.
I think the best part is yet to come for me, and that I’ll be giving my clients good news that a publisher has made an offer; and then getting to celebrate when the contract is signed; and then again when the book comes out! I’m beyond excited for this part of the process.
But aside from that, the best part for me is getting to connect with all these wonderful people I get to call my clients and sharing passion for their stories! Even for those I don’t represent, I still get to meet and interact with so many writers and other industry professionals. I’m honoured that so many people put their trust in me and want to work with me. It’s very rewarding, no matter which way you look at it!
Q: What do you look forward to most as your career progresses?
A: Selling my clients’ books and helping them establish their careers as writers! I can’t WAIT to champion them on their successes and help them grow! This part is so exciting for me!
Sadly, my 3-part interview series with Kat Foxx has come to an end.
And as I wrap up things up, I want to say a HUGE thank you for hanging out with me.
I also want to give a GINORMOUS *shout out* to Kat for her generosity in sharing her writing, agenting and publishing wisdom. I so appreciate her time and keen insight.
Although we have to end things here, you can catch up on:
- Part 1, where Kat dishes on the best way to get an agent’s attention and shares her top tips for crafting pitches and query letters.
- Part 2, where Kat talks about setting realistic expectations and the importance of honing your craft. She also does a deep dive on what literary agents, like her, look for in manuscripts, and why having an agent still matters today.
To check out or follow Kat’s work, visit:
Authors can view Kat’s MSWL (manuscript wish list) at kathleenfoxxagent.com/mswl. And if you think she’d be a good match for you, your work and your career, please query her using Query Manager at Query Submission for Kat Foxx.
Let’s keep spreading the book love together.
- In order to make the interview fit into a blog post format, I’ve made some minor edits to Kat’s answers and formatted them, e.g., Kat did not say things like, “make a bullet list here” or “add more white space there.” I’ve made the edits to improve the interview’s readability only.
And please also note that where Kat refers to editors at publishing houses, she means the publisher’s acquisition editor and/or team. ↩︎