SCBWI Exclusive with... Jane Chun, Agent, Transatlantic

What was your path to becoming an agent?

When I decided to pursue a career in publishing, it was always down to becoming an agent or editor for me. I kept going back and forth, but what sealed the deal were the NYU M.S. in Publishing class on agenting and my internships at Writers House and Maximum Films & Management. I got hands-on experience learning about the role of a literary agent, their responsibility to their clients, and their relationships to editors and people in the film/TV/stage world among others through the class and my time at Writers House. My internship at Maximum, a book-to-film agency, was such a fun experience, but it was illuminating in that it reaffirmed just how much I wanted—and needed—to be part of the developmental process.

That's the allure of the job for me, and I learned I could be as involved as I'd like editorially as an agent, working with clients to put forward the best version of their work to editors. I also enjoyed a lot of the other aspects of agenting, and after evaluating what the agent and editor jobs demanded and what my particular strengths and skills were, I was dead set on becoming an agent.

I was perhaps too stubborn about this as jobs at literary agencies don't open up as frequently as they do house-side, but I knew what I wanted and before long, I found myself at Janklow & Nesbit! I spent several years there as an assistant wearing many hats and then moved to Transatlantic, where I'm now focusing on agenting full-time and loving it. 

When you are reading a sub, what makes you want to represent the manuscript/author?

The most important questions I ask myself are: 

1. Is this story doing something new or interesting? If it's retreading familiar territory and doesn't feel fresh, it's hard for me to be pulled in and to map out how I'm going to pitch it to editors persuasively and with passion.

2. How absorbing and robust is the writing?

There are other factors to consider such as how certain stories are faring on submission, saturation in the market, projects my clients are working on, what editors are looking for at the moment, etc., but ultimately, it comes down to confidence in the story and your writing ability and how much I love your work. 

That's the most important thing because agents want to have a relationship with you throughout the course of your career and because there's no way for us to predict success. You'd be surprised at how many books that people think will sell don't sell and how something that may be more niche may end up getting a lot of interest, so fundamentally, it comes down to the passion and editorial vision an agent has for the project! The latter is important because sometimes I REALLY love a manuscript and I know editors will be excited about it, but I have no idea how to give feedback or do a home-run pitch to editors so I know I'm not the best fit as an agent and I should just remain a fan.

The author call plays a crucial role in this process too. Just as important as it is for authors to feel like they click with an agent, I have to feel the same way because I want us to be partners in your career. We don't need to be best friends, but can we get along and are we able to have a collaborative, respectful relationship? Do I get a sense of your writing and editing process and your ability to do the work? What do you need from an agent, and am I able to provide what you're looking for? Those are all questions that I have in mind when I speak with you, and if I feel like we're on the same page and we can work together well, that gets me super excited about the possibility of representing you!

What can a client expect once they sign with you?

I'm extremely collaborative as an agent. I love digging into a story with my clients, weeding out what doesn't work and nurturing and growing what does work. I will be open and communicative with you at all times and expect the same from my clients too because trust, communication, and transparency are the pillars of a sustainable relationship. I'm flexible with how often and in what way we converse because everyone works differently, and I want to respect your creative process. I want to make sure that you feel supported every step of the way. 

What's on your manuscript wish list?

I'm seeking a wide variety of stories, from fiction to nonfiction and adult to children's (specifically MG and YA). I love contemporary and historical works as well as fantasy, sci-fi, and horror, and I am extremely passionate about graphic novels/nonfiction. You can see more specifics in my manuscript wishlist here: https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/jane-chun/

SCBWI members can query for the month of December through Query Manager: https://querymanager.com/query/janechun. Jane’s submission guidelines are here: https://www.transatlanticagency.com/portfolio/chun-jane/