Phelan

Beth Phelan - joined the Bent Agency in September 2013. She is actively building her client list and is looking for complex fiction that pulls you in immediately, characters that you wish were your real friends, and plot lines that drag you away from reality to a world you never want to leave. Her favorite stories are told with humor and sprinkled with surprises. Beth is looking for YA and MG fiction, and adult commercial and literary fiction, suspense/thriller/mystery, cookbooks and humor/pop culture. She does not represent sports books, history, reference books, poetry, screenplays, or self-help. For more info: http://www.thebentagency.com/agent_beth_phelan.php

Here is a sample of that interview:

        What genres do you usually represent and what made you choose those? I represent YA, MG, and some adult fiction (thrillers, romance, literary and general) as well. I want to represent what I like to read, so these came naturally.

What would be a dream client? Someone professional, collaborative, courteous and humble.

What are your query pet peeves? Mass emails, especially when I can see the email address of every other agent who’s received it. I’m also never happy to see an email that doesn’t have an actual query letter. 

If you had to pinpoint one key that differentiates good writing from the bad, what would it be? Less is more. I think good writing should give you just what you need to paint the picture—nothing more. Too much detail can end up being a distraction. I like to sink into a story and forget that I’m reading at all.

What do you think is the most important quality it takes to be a successful author? Perseverance. It’s not an easy endeavor