April 1st, 2009
Emmanuelle Alspaugh joined Judith Ehrlich Literary in August 2008. Previously she was an agent at Wendy Sherman Associates and an editor at Fodor's, the travel division of Random House. She represents women’s fiction, historical fiction, and romance in most subgenres. She also represents memoir, narrative nonfiction, and select how-tos. Emmanuelle was born in France and grew up in Eugene, Oregon, before settling in New York City to work in publishing. She enjoys developing long-term relationships with her clients, helping them to build strong and lasting literary careers. She offers authors the full breadth of her editorial experience, guiding them in developing their proposals and manuscripts, as well as advice on marketing and promotion.
As an agent, what types of stories are you looking for at this time?
I am on the hunt for great paranormal and historical romances. I’m partial to the work of Nalini Singh, JR Ward, Judith McNaught, Elizabeth Hoyt, and the wonderful Lisa Kleypas, so I would welcome manuscripts that might be compared to them. I love strong, feisty heroines who might be dealing with tough situations like abandonment or problems beyond their control but don’t feel they’re in need of rescuing. And I love dangerous alpha males. In paranormal, I’m looking for shape-shifters, vampires, werewolves, empaths, badass angels or even faeries, and I prefer dark and dangerous over light and funny.
What have you seen too much of lately, if anything?
I’ve seen a lot of women’s fiction about a divorced or widowed woman inheriting a house in the country and rediscovering love. Unless there’s a strong and unique angle, that kind of story is feeling very cliché at the moment.
What is your favorite part of being an agent? Least favorite?
Working with my extraordinary authors is a definite highlight. I have to say that I love everything about being an agent, from discovering great new talent to making the sale. Publishing is a complex and wonderful industry full of smart people who love to read. Matching an author to an editor and an imprint that will publish them beautifully is an electrifying experience. My least favorite part is having to turn down writers, and getting turned down by editors for projects I believe in. At the same time, we have to view rejection as part of the process of finding the right fit, and something that everyone goes through.
Describe your dream author? And of course....the author from Hades?
All of my authors are ideal clients; there is no one perfect personality type. That said, I especially appreciate authors who are career-minded and who seek to inform themselves about the publishing process and their market. The best authors have realistic expectations, understand that publishing is a business, and are diplomatic and professional when working with their publishers. Authors who are heavy promoters—those who seek out reviews, plan events, create beautiful websites—make me very proud.
A problematic author would be one with poor communication skills, someone who didn’t respond to email in a timely manner, or someone constantly challenging the expertise of their agent or editor. I’ve never actually worked with such a person, though. All my clients are wonderfully responsive. That said, I believe authors should not hesitate to ask questions of their agents and editors. A well-informed author is an agent’s best friend.
What do you read for pleasure? Name three of your all time favorite books or authors.
For fun I read contemporary fiction and memoir. My fiction tastes range from romance to fantasy/sci-fi to literary. Occasionally, I read big-idea nonfiction, and sometimes I’ll take a classic novel (love George Elliott) with me on vacation.
Whenever I’m asked about my favorite books, what springs to mind are those that made the biggest impression on me as a child. Those would be A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Watership Down, Dean Koontz’s Lightning, and Stephen King’s The Stand. My tastes have definitely gone more feminine since then. I’m loving the paranormal romances that have come out in the last five years or so, and my favorite so far is Mine to Possess. Other recent faves are Jeannette Walls’s The Glass Castle and Jeffrey Eugenides’s Middlesex (which has a female protagonist, sort of).
Tell us about a few titles you have coming out you are excited about.
I’m thrilled to see Alissa Johnson’s third historical romance, McAlistair’s Fortune, come out in May, and Beverley Kendall’s debut Sinful Surrender next February. I’m also very excited about Andrea Richesin’s Because I Love Her, an anthology of essays by well-known women authors like Susan Wiggs and Jacquelyn Mitchard on the mother-daughter bond. It’s coming out from Harlequin Nonfiction in time for Mother’s Day. I’ve had two memoirs come out in the past two months: Cooking and Screaming, by Adrienne Kane, and When the Piano Stops, by Catherine McCall. And finally, I have a lovely collection of erotic short stories due out in May called Oysters & Chocolate, edited by my clients Jordan LaRousse and Samantha Sade, who are the founders of OystersandChocolate.com.
How does one submit to you and do you accept equeries?
I prefer e-queries along with the first 10 pages of the manuscript in the body of the email. If you’re a romance writer and you’ve placed in RWA chapter contests or, better yet, published with the e-publishers, definitely mention that in your query.
Are you attending any upcoming conferences?
Yep!
April - Dreamin’ in Dallas
May - BookExpo and the BEA Writer’s Digest Pitch Slam
June - Writers’ League of Texas
July - RWA National
September - Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers
October - Hyannis Physicians’ conference (fiction)
Do you feel small press to be an assest or a liability?
An asset, particularly the well-know e-book publishers for romance and erotica. If the press is very small but has done some notable books, that’s worth mentioning.
and our new question section- an absolute take off of inside the actors studio-adapted for books (how's that for a switch)
INSIDE THE AGENTS STUDIO
Tell us your favorite movie
Old favorites are Labyrinth and Flashdance. More recently: Sideways, Crash, and Magnolia.
Tell us your favorite protagonist-hero or heroine, your choice.
Francie Nolan from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. She was a little library rat who fought for what she wanted (an education) and she managed a positive outlook even in very grim times.
What is your favorite word or phrase?
This week it’s “lovemuffin”
least favorite word or phrase?
“No”
If you werent an agent, you would be a __________.
A animal dentist. I don’t think such a job exists, but I always wonder how elephants and tigers keep their teeth clean. My Cornish Rex, Mr. B, had some pretty bad dental issues but after learning to clean his teeth without him protesting too much, he’s much improved. I also love watching his vet crack off his tarter. Gross, I know. :)
Also...agents talk of voice. What kind of voice hooks your attention? One
that makes you laugh, cry--in your own words.
I think agents speak of “voice” so much because it’s rare to find a book that won’t let you put it down. These days books have to compete with TV remotes and game consoles, so more than ever authors have to deliver stories that grab readers and won’t let them go. Therefore, I look for a voice that makes me turn the page. One that doesn’t get hung up on the details or descriptive words. I like a brisk pace and a narrator that assumes the reader is intelligent and will follow along. Among female protagonists I like a tough-as-nails voice hiding a softer interior, and among romance heroes I like ‘em mad as hell, perhaps masking some inner pain.
Thanks for having me, R!
**on a side note---eablogs feels legitimized as it was mentioned on ABSOLUTE WRITE. We are also making large attempts NOT to have big line breaks in the interviews-- so as to avoid ridicule on the board in the future . LOL!
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