As an aspiring writer, I devoured agent interviews–any bit of info I could find that would give me a better sense of an agent as a person, and what kind of stories they enjoyed (and whether they would like mine!), was of interest to me. In my new agent interview series, I’ll ask both standard questions and some wackier ones, all aiming to get to the heart of who the agent is, and what they’re really looking for.

For the first installment, I’d like to welcome fabulous agent, author and all-around-awesome human being Lindsay Ribar! Lindsay is an associate agent at Greenburger Associates and represents both her own YA and MG clients, in addition to assisting agent Matt Bialer. As a bonus, Lindsay will also put on her published author hat, and talk a bit about her YA duology, The Art of Wishing/The Fourth Wish (Dial/Kathy Dawson Books). (read her books! They are so good!)

 

 Lindsay Ribar

Associate Agent

Greenburger Associates

Seeking YA & MG

 

You manage a selective list of authors… what’s on your “must have”/want wish list to add to your stable as an agent?

This is a hard question to answer since, very often, I don’t actually know that something is a “must have” until I actually read it. For instance, I could never see myself representing literary fiction (and I’m still not actively looking for it), but there was a manuscript that crossed my desk several years back, and it immediately changed my mind. The voice and characters were so strong that I couldn’t imagine not working on this book. (I’m talking about Herself When She’s Missing by Sarah Terez Rosenblum, which is available now from Soft Skull Press.)

In general terms, though, I’m looking for writers who have unique voices, unique perceptions of the world, and seriously kickass story ideas.

What are you looking for/hoping for that you DON’T see coming into your query box?

I do see some of this, but I’d really love to see more contemporary non-speculative YA. I do adore the speculative (paranormal, fantasy, SF) stuff, don’t get me wrong – but I’d like to find a great contemporary book or two as well.

What are some of your favorite movies and TV shows?

Ooooh. Hmm. I don’t actually watch a ton of movies (I’m usually too busy reading!), but I’m kind of a Disney fanatic. All those animated classics? Love ’em. But my favorite movie of all time is probably Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

As far as TV shows go, I love all the nerd classics: Firefly, Buffy, Doctor Who, stuff like that. I’m also really into Dexter and, most recently, Orange is the New Black.

“If I saw a book based on the concept of ______, I’d pee my pants with excitement” (fill in the blank)

You know that reality show Catfish? That one. I’ve always been a sucker for secret identities, but I love how this show updates that trope for the modern age.

What kinds of protagonists are you looking for? Any particular kinds of voices you’d like to see?

I’d actually love to see more queer protagonists, actually. I’ve seen a lot of gay/lesbian protagonists, which is awesome, but I also want to see bisexual folks, trans* people, genderqueer people, poly or open relationships, stuff like that. The catch? I still don’t really love “Coming Out 101” stories. Good luck, authors! 😀

What YA novel cliches do you love? Which ones do you hate/not care for?

I guess this goes without saying, since I’ve already admitted to being a secret-identities fan – but I love the scenes where one character is forced to confess a secret to another character. I loooooove them. I’m also a huge fan of first kisses, illicit kisses, illicit first kisses, kisses in general…. Oh, you get the idea.

There aren’t many that I flat-out hate, though, because if written well, or with a twist, almost anything can work. As long as it suits the story.

What is the best comp/set of comps/pitch you’ve ever seen?

That is a surprisingly easy question to answer. Jay Kristoff, who wrote the Stormdancer series (as well as the upcoming Illuminae series, co-authored with Amie Kaufman), sent my boss what is probably the best query letter I’ve ever read. Here’s the set of comps, clipped from the end of the query:

STORMDANCER is […] ‘Free Willy’ meets ‘How to train your dragon’ in dystopian feudal Japan with a Rage Against the Machine soundtrack.

I mean, that’s just beyond awesome, right? Jay has posted the full query on his website, and you can see it here.

Do you have any author crushes? Editor crushes?

Author-crushes: all of my clients. (It’s cheating. I know. But there you have it.) Editor crushes – oh, plenty of them! But my biggest editor-crush is on my own editor, Kathy Dawson, who’s like seventeen thousand different kinds of genius, and eighteen thousand kinds of awesome.

Have you ever read fanfiction? Written fanfiction? (if so, what do you/did you ship?)

Yes, and yes! In particular, I was very active in the Harry Potter fandom about ten years ago – right around when Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince came out. Shipping-wise, I actually have two OTPs: Remus/Sirius and Remus/Tonks. They’re tied because (a) I ship them both for very different reasons, and (b) they are far from mutually exclusive.

Your book, The Art of Wishing, features a bisexual protagonist. Can you talk about your writing process for this character detail/storyline, and what have the reactions been like?

When I started writing the book, I didn’t intend for Oliver to be bi – nor did I intend for him not to be. His sexuality was something that evolved organically from the more story-relevant parts of his character, and once I realized that he was bi, it just sort of made sense. It felt like it had always been that way, and it didn’t affect his romantic relationship with Margo (the narrator), so it was a non-issue.

It actually becomes more of an issue in the sequel, The Fourth Wish – not the fact of his sexuality in general, but the fact that one of his exes (who happens to be a guy) is still a lingering source of ~feelings~ for Oliver, and of confusion for Margo.

Author cap on: What’s your #1 bit of editorial advice? (feel free to also answer with your agent cap on)

That’s a remarkably hard one, given that my advice to myself changes with every writing day that I have. But I think the biggest constant is what my editor has often said to me, which is: WRITE WHAT YOU LOVE.

What can you tell us about The Fourth Wish? DETAILS PLZ.

Hmmm! Well, okay. Here are three things that happen in The Fourth Wish:

1. Margo finds out a little more about what really went on between Oliver and Xavier.

2. An interesting flavor gives Margo a very small existential crisis.

3. Someone (who seriously kinda deserves it) gets punched in the face.

 

What is the one thing you rarely get asked that you wish someone would?

“I have an extra two billion dollars; would you like it?”

 

About Lindsay

Associate agent Lindsay Ribar began her career at Greenburger Associates in 2007, working primarily with science fiction and fantasy authors.  In addition to representing her own clients, she co-reps a select number of authors with senior agent Matt Bialer.

Lindsay is actively seeking new authors of young adult and middle grade fiction, and is particularly drawn to smart paranormal romance; contemporary realistic; fantasy;soft sci-fi; mystery; and anything with elements of music, musical theatre, dual identities, and LGBT themes.  Memorable characters are a must, and great writing trumps all.

A graduate of New York University and the Columbia Publishing Course, Lindsay is also an author of young adult fiction, and is represented by Greenburger Associates.

For more information on how to submit to Lindsay, see here.

Follow Lindsay on Twitter

Check out Lindsay’s author site