A Day with Literary Agent Nephele Tempest
I just met my first real live agent in the flesh, Nephele Tempest of The Knight Agency. Nephele’s workshop was presented by the Washington Romance Writers. She was warm and approachable and did not seem to mind at all when people walked up to ask questions after her talk.
Nephele gave an extremely informative presentation on a number of topics including how to write a synopsis and finding the agent that’s right for you. Nephele also gave us some insight into the mood of editors these days. Since I think others will find it as interesting as I did, here goes:
- Paranormal is still big but some editors are starting to say they don’t want to see any more vampires, werewolves or shapeshifters
- Historicals are picking up (mostly Regencies)
- Funny contemporary romances are not selling terribly well
- Women’s fiction that does not sound like Chick lit (focusing more on a woman’s journey) is selling
- Erotica still sells but has slowed down and is not moving as briskly as it once was
- Escapist anything is very popular
- Young Adult is huge right now
Nephele’s personal take is that there are not enough books on the market right now geared to high school-aged boys.
Do most agents represent a variety of genres or do they specialize in one?
Some literary agents only specialize in certain genres. Others look for more variety. For example, Nephele’s webpage says she is seeking works in the following genres: literary/commercial fiction, women’s fiction, urban fantasy/paranormal, romantic suspense, contemporary romance, historical fiction, science fiction and young adult fiction.