Agent Appreciation Day: With Gratitude to “Literaticat”

I’m late to the party, but someone has declared today Agent Appreciation Day. Since I think it’s always a great idea to celebrate people who do great work, I’m sneaking in a quick post about my literary agent, Jennifer Laughran of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (She’s here on LJ and on Twitter, where she talks a lot about books and says wise things about the industry.)

For blog readers outside the world of publishing, a literary agent is someone who negotiates much of the business part of writing for authors — the book deals and contracts and any other film or foreign rights that grow out of something an author has written. Some agents, like Jennifer, also offer editorial advice to help get an author’s manuscript in the best possible shape before it’s submitted to editors. Agents help authors to shape their careers and generally act as advocates for writers and their work.

Given all that, I’m so very glad that Jennifer is in my corner. For starters, she’s sold six books for me in the two years we’ve worked together. But beyond that, Jenn is one of the smartest, funniest people I know and works harder than anyone I’ve ever met. She is a great communicator with an unflappable positive attitude, and she’s a tireless advocate for her clients. She cheers for our books both before and after they’ve sold. And she loves books just as much as I do.

Thanks, Jenn, for all that you do!