Today I had the honor of interviewing Manie Barron of Menza-Barron Literary Agency. I first met Manie during the Sioux Falls Festival of Books. Manie's charm and love the business was not only apparent in his presentation, but in every question asked of him, during the panel discussion. Right then and there, I knew writers needed to understand the other side of the business. And the best people for the job were the middle men, the ones who can help make or break a deal. So I stopped by Manie's table after the presentation and asked for an interview. Not only was he honored, but weeks later, when I sent him my questions via email, he mentioned that he remembered my daughter-the little author-to-be. That tells me that his clients aren't just another number to him; they're people who matter-and I like that!

Manie's been a literary agent since 2001, but has been working in the industry for many years prior. From 2001 to 2004, he was the Sr. Literary Agent for The William Morris Agency in New York. Then in 2004 he started his own agency and has been growing ever since!

At the Sioux Falls Festival of Books conference you made a profound statement. You said, "An agent's job is to guide someone's career." Can you explain how an agent guides the career of his (or her) client?

There is a Jiminy Cricket factor in being a good literary agent. We have to be the voice of reason in what is a very unreasonable, unpredictable industry. A good agent has to be able to not only tell someone their book isn't working, but if it's fixable and sellable. We are also aware of what's going on around them, and its impact on his clients. As a retailer, I learned there was a large black readership for horror novels. There were no writers of black horror fiction. When I read the manuscript from a romance writer who was looking for an agent, I honed in on the paranormal aspect of the novel, and knew she could be the writer of black horror that was missing. To make a long story short, I pitched a concept to an editor over lunch and she loved it. The author, L.A. Banks, now has eight books out in a proposed twelve book series about a black, female, vampire slayer. In addition to helping their clients decide what to write on (if asked), a good agent also knows what format they should write in, which can also impact the size of the advance. There are many times when I have to tell clients, "No, that book is not worth one million dollars, and I'm not asking for it." Guiding someone's career is knowing when to say "No," and not be afraid of saying it. And if you think children hate to hear, "No," try using that on writers.

Another statement you made at the conference was, "Books we, as agents, love are books that also pay the bills." When looking over queries, proposals, or manuscripts, what key elements do you look for that says, "YES! This is not only a great book, but it's going to sell lots of copies!"?

Writing is still the first thing that gets me. I like good writing wrapped around a good story. While I have to know what is selling, there is no guarantee that a certain type of book is going to sell. No matter what anyone tries to tell you, publishing is all done by the seat of one's pants. It's all about a gut feeling. Like most men, the way to my heart is through my stomach.

What do you like most about being a literary agent?

I like coming up with ideas and finding writers to bring them to fruition. I used to do the same thing as an editor, but agents would get in my way-bad agents-and they would price their clients out of the project, or the writer was working on their own ideas. As an agent, I can hold an idea until I find the right writer that shares my vision. I love helping writers find the best way to tell their stories.

Visit him at http://menzabarron.com/

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