An Agent Interview: Erin Murphy

The Erin Murphy Literary Agency is one of the most successful around, and it’s not even located in New York City! Indeed, I’ve heard the words “Dream Agent” bandied about among authors seeking representation from this Arizona native. She also happens to be one of the nicest people on the planet. Welcome Erin! And thanks for being the first agent interview in my series.

Lori: With all the changes happening in the industry right now, do you think writers should still be submitting to houses without an agent?

Erin: Well, I think agents have become especially important in that we do have our fingers on the pulse and know what editors are looking for and what they just can't take to acquisitions right now--and we also help our clients put aside their long-shot, narrow-readership manuscripts in these hard times and present only the very best work to editors.
But if an unagented writer has a good connection with an editor via a critique or a conference or the like, and has a good manuscript that is ready to go, I don't think she should pass up the opportunity. Don't have an attitude of throwing whatever you've got and seeing what sticks--save some opportunities for later if you need to--but make good use of what you have.


Lori: Aside from honing one’s skills to the level required for the market, how important is it to develop a platform of sorts before attempting publication?
Erin: This depends entirely on the project. Here's a great link to an interview in which a publicist talks about playing to your strengths when promoting a manuscript:

http://shrinkingvioletpromotions.blogspot.com/2009/01/publicist-interview-jennifer-taber-of.html

As Jennifer Taber says, you simply focus on what you're good at and develop opportunities there. If you have a platform and it matches with your book, that's terrific. If you write nonfiction, it can even be key. But for fiction, it's not required.
Here's a good example: My client Susan Vaught published a book called TRIGGER, about a kid who tried to kill himself with a gun, but survived. It's a powerful piece of fiction just as fiction, and has gotten plenty of buzz among book reviewers and such for that, and Susan was already a published author when it came out, with connections among booksellers and librarians. On its own, that would have been enough.

But Susan is also a neuropsychologist specializing in head injury issues, and can speak with authority about the issue of suicide and suicide prevention. With that platform, she was able to reach into some areas that another author might not have reached--psychology magazines and journals, teachers who take a special interest in suicide prevention, radio programs focusing on mental health issues, and so on. So she was able to come at this from both angles, and I think it benefited the book.


Lori: That makes a lot of sense. Since you consider clients only that you’ve attended conferences with, or on referral, would you tell us about any upcoming appearances?

Erin: I attended five conferences last year! I usually try to limit it to two. At this point I'm scheduled for only one, a fall conference with the Central Ohio SCBWI (a new chapter whose website should be up soon here: http://www.coscbwi.org/). I've sworn to do no conferences this spring at all--my reading pile has been out of control. And at this point, I've signed a few new clients in the last several months, so I'm finding it much easier to pass on submissions than usual, as well--I've referred several writers to other agents who have signed them, which says something about the quality of work I'm saying no to at the moment. I'd say it would be smart, if you have an avenue for querying me, to hold off until well into the spring at this point, if you want to catch me in a good mood!

Lori: Do you ever represent authors who write exclusively for the picture book market?

Erin: Yes. But I have a good number of picture book authors, and they tend to be fairly prolific, so it's rare I sign new ones.

Lori: The dreaded market trend question: What kinds of projects are you looking for right now that you believe can be sold relatively easily in this tight time?

Erin: I'm really sorry to say something entirely unhelpful: Terrifically strong writing that absolutely blows me away. Truly, that's what it takes. When I visited editors in New York last fall, I was told over and over again that they're looking for "sure things and award winners." If only we could predict in either category!

Lori: Please tell us a little about your upcoming publications in 2009.

Erin: I have lots of new things by well-loved authors, which of course is always exciting--two new YA novels by Janette Rallison, MY FAIR GODMOTHER and JUST ONE WISH, each breaking a little into new territory and together marking her best work to date, I think; the debut of a new series by R.L. LaFevers, the author of THEODOSIA AND THE SERPENTS OF CHAOS, called NATHANIEL FLUDD, BEASTOLOGIST, a chapter book aimed at adventure-loving boys; THE INDIGO NOTEBOOK, the first of a new series by Laura Resau, author of RED GLASS, marrying her international sensibility and magical realism with a slightly more commercial approach; and Susan Vaught and her first-time-writer son, JB Redmond, have a meaty new fantasy, OATHBREAKER, coming out in two parts, starting with ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE in June. Perfect for die-hard fantasy fans.


I'm also very excited about some authors making their debuts in 2009. Lisa Glatt and Suzanne Greenburg have an adorable young middle grade novel called ABIGAIL IRIS: THE ONE AND ONLY coming out in March; another Abigail Iris book is in the works, too. Penny Blubaugh's magical YA novel SERENDIPITY MARKET is out this month as well. Lewis Harris has a really fun middle-grade novel called A TASTE FOR RED coming out in June--this features a girl named Stephanie who insists on being called Svetlana and believes she is a vampire. A bookseller who read it in advance said it was Buffy meets Nancy Drew.

I’m especially looking forward to seeing a spring picture book, THE HAT THAT WORE CLARA B., illustrated by Frank Morrison. The author, Melanie Turner-Denstaedt, passed away last year and did not get to see her first book release, but she did see Frank's sketches. The publication will be a bittersweet event.

Lori: What is your favorite way to spend a Saturday?

Erin: Depending on the weather, kayaking on the local lake, hiking in the woods with the dogs, or knitting while watching a movie or listening to an audiobook.

Lori: Do you prefer dessert or hors d’oeuvres?

Erin: Dessert! But not too sweet.
Lori: Dark chocolate or milk chocolate?

Erin: Absolutely without a doubt dark.

Lori: Describe a typical day in your life.

Erin: A typical workday starts around 7 a.m., with reading and responding to email, catching up on blogs and Facebook, and generally staring into my laptop for a couple of hours with the TV on in the background, vaguely catching up on news or whatever TV show has my attention at the moment. Usually on the couch, with sleeping dogs and cats sprawled around me.

Then I move into my sunny home office and start the "where did the day go" blur--making calls, going over royalty statements, reading partial manuscripts to respond to queries, talking or emailing with clients about their works in progress or where their attention should fall next or how to interpret what editors are saying about their manuscript on submission, handling one crisis or another, negotiating deals, sending manuscripts to editors via email, trying not to trip over the pile of submissions I moved to the floor so I can't avoid it, and somewhere in there, stopping for lunch or yoga or a walk or moving laundry from washer to dryer. Once a week I go to lunch with a friend and get reminded there's a real world out there. Once every six weeks or so I have a "reading week," when clients know not to call or email unless it's an emergency, and I give the vast majority of my focus to reading their manuscripts. (I spend more time on the couch that week.)
At about 5:10 p.m., my husband's car pulls into the driveway, one of my dogs presses her head down on my laptop and closes it, and I shut the door on the workday.

Lori: Thank you so much for stopping by today, Erin. It was a pleasure. I should add that Erin Murphy is the agent of my writing buddy, the inimitable Ruth McNally Barshaw, author of the Ellie McDoodle Series (and the artist who provided the sketch for this post--thanks!) Erin recently sold the third installment of the Ellie series to Bloomsbury. Yay!