Biography
As an agent, what types of stories are you looking for at this time?
I mostly work with commercial fiction; romance (all subgenres including category), mystery, thrillers, urban fantasy, women's fiction, young adult. I do work with some select non-fiction as well.
What have you seen too much of lately, if anything?
I handle a lot of paranormal romance, so I receive a lot of paranormal romance submissions and while I do love the subgenre, after a while all of the vampires and demons really start to run together. The market is very full right now and it is hard to give a new twist to a theme that has been done so very much. I know it can be done but I do see a lot of what has become the standard paranormal themes: demons, vampires, werewolves.
What is your favorite part of being an agent? Least favorite?
My favorite part about being an agent is when I find a manuscript that I really fall in love with...the kind where I can't get to the phone fast enough to call the author and gush all over them. Those manuscripts make the job fun and I will really find myself just bursting to tell everyone about them. Selling is fun too, calling an author with an offer is always a joy, but my favorite, favorite part about being an agent is that moment of discovery when I feel like I have really found something incredibly special and I want to share it with everyone. My least favorite part? When authors send me nastygrams after I have passed on their work. All agents get nastygrams from time to time and they are a real drag. We don't like to reject people...we don't like to dole out disappointment and we certainly don't intend a pass note as a personal attack, but there are some folks out there who seem determined to make the process as unpleasant as possible.
Describe your dream author? And of course....the author from Hades?
My dream author is someone who is as serious as a heart attack about their career, someone with a good degree of pragmatism, someone who is looking for a partnership with her agent. We don't have to agree about everything, but we do need to have an open forum of discussion. The type of author I would NOT want is someone who is really cavalier about business, somone who would miss deadlines, turn in work late and otherwise have a lack of respect about the team of people working to see her get published.
What do you read for pleasure? Name three of your all time favorite books or authors.
I mostly read romance for fun, a little mystery, a little urban fantasy, a little YA. How coincidental that those are the genres I work with, too! My favorites tend to change a lot, so I will just list three authors I dearly love. Linda Howard, Lisa Kleypas, Julie Garwood.
Share with us a few up and coming titles you are excited about.
January: Witch Heart by Anya Bast. This is book 3 in her Elemental Witches Quartet. Very sexy stuff.
January: Stolen Fury by Elisabeth Naughton. This is in the vein of Romancing the Stone and National Treasure...kind of a fun, rollicking romanctic adventure, with cat burglars, treasure hunting, priceless artifacts and a dead sexy hero.
April: Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre. This is the beginning of an awesome new urban fantasy series about an on-the-run former grifter whose ability to "read" objects with her touch pulls her into an underground world of gifteds, like herself, she never knew existed, where the bad guys are just as likely to hire a warlock as a hitman to even the score.
How does one submit to you and do you accept equeries?
If you would like to send me a submission, please mail me the 1st 30 pages + synopsis + SASE at:
Bradford Literary Agency
5694 Mission Center Rd. #347
San Diego, CA 92108
If you would like to send me an electronic submission, email me the query letter only (no attachments, no sample pasted into the email) at: laura@bradfordlit.com
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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
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Tell us your favorite movie
Don't have one. It changes from week to week. This week I love Juno. Last week it was Thomas Crown Affair.
Tell us your favorite protagonist-hero or heroine, your choice.
JD Robb's Roarke, Early Evanovich Stephanie Plum for pure fun.
What is your favorite word or phrase?
I want to make an offer...
least favorite word or phrase?
No
If you werent an agent, you would be a __________.
I'm not sure I could love anything as much as this, but I think I would be some kind of entreprenuer. I enjoy being a business owner and business plans make me happy.
What are you looking for in the voice--one that moves you to tears? One that motivates you to take on the world? The voices of authors that speak to me say_______?
I have IT and I make it look easy
Also if an author is published in small press, is this a positive or negative in your opinion?
Depends on the small press. They aren't created equal. Wings ePress is not the same as Ellora's Cave. Ellora's Cave 5 years ago is not the same as Ellora's cave today.
Laura Bradford
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