We are so happy to join Kelly Thomas, agent at Serendipity Literary, to talk about what happens on the agent side of the desk—how agents get hired, how much determination is involved, and what it’s like to enter the industry at 40.
Plus, as a writer herself, Kelly has extra insight into what goes through agents’ minds when writing rejections–and how that affects her process now.
We also talk about:
9:07 How job application advice also applies to queries
10:06 How Kelly writes her rejections
12:48 What it’s like to be a writer inside publishing, and the empathy gap between agents and writers
16:08 What Kelly’s looking for in her inbox
27:06 The different times in the process that you might hear back on your projects
Kelly Thomas brings 15 years of sales and business expertise to the literary world as a champion for writers. Kelly is a certified copy editor who has a Bachelor’s degree in English (Literature) from Pace University. Prior to joining Serendipity, she provided manuscript analysis for the D4EO literary agency. Kelly is a published poet with publications in ‘Tales for the Disenchanted’ (2008) and ‘Penumbra Art & Literature’ (2015). She serves as a freelance editor and ghost writer in her free time.
Kelly is a ferocious reader, lover of books, and has a passion for writing. Indeed a writer at heart, no matter the form (essays, articles, blogs, poems, short stories, marketing literature, resumes, or manuscripts), she will quickly put pen to page. Kelly is eager to build her client roster and is actively seeking the next bestselling author!
Kelly is most interested in nonfiction (narrative nonfiction, memoirs, true crime), and adult fiction (psychological thrillers, mysteries, suspense, comedies). She enjoys fast-paced, plot-driven fiction with twists, turns, and jaw-dropping moments. She is drawn to stories about leadership, overcoming adversity, and beating the odds. Stories that are told from a unique psychological vantage point are always of interest. The truth is often stranger than fiction, so Kelly is actively looking for the next great true crime manuscript with a murderous and methodical plot.
Featured On the Show:
- Join our Facebook group! It’s full of supportive writers in the querying trenches–plus live page critiques, Q&A’s, and more.
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- Feeling brave? Submit your query or first page for a chance of feedback from our guests.
The Manuscript Academy Podcast is free for everyone, and features interviews with top agents, editors and authors on the craft, business, and community of publishing.
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