Meet Literary Agent Bonnie Swanson
- Chelsea Tornetto
- 7 hours ago
- 5 min read
Bonnie Swanson (the agent not the cartoon character!) is a retired elementary school teacher who lives in Southern Illinois. A Member of AALA and the SFWA, she represents authors who cover all the age groups from picture books through adult manuscripts at FinePrint Literary. She has a husband, three grown children, two bonus daughters, one granddaughter (who she doesn’t spoil AT ALL!) and three fur-babies who think they need to eat all the cat food all the time.
How did you get started in publishing, and what led you to become a literary agent?
As an elementary classroom teacher, I used literature in the classroom and saw the types of stories that my students enjoyed. When I wrote my first picture book, they were pretty involved as my “betas.” Teachable moments and all, right? They even helped me choose a name for my main character. Thus, Katie Comma was born. My teaching bled into my writing career and I became a mentor; helping other writers felt like a natural step, but I wanted to do more. When a vacancy arose in my agent’s agency in 2020, (a great year to start a new career, right?) I moved into the position.
What does a typical day in your role look like?
Most days begin with answering emails, reading industry articles and social media, and editor wish lists. I also try to spend some time each day looking at my query manager account and submissions or other mentoring/critiquing activities. It’s a never-ending task though. Most of my day is spent on client tasks like nudging submissions that are out with editors, reading or editing client work, updating client submission spreadsheets, and searching for new editors who might be a good fit for my clients.
What do you wish more authors knew?
Agents are just people and we are trying to do our best for our clients. It’s hard when you are the querying author. You spend months or years polishing your manuscript, do your research on which agents are open to your genre and submissions, read their socials to see what they like/dislike, craft the perfect query letter, and send out a little piece of your soul with each one. Then you wait. And wait. And wait.
What I hope authors realize is that we see you and know how much work you have put into your submission package, but we get a LOT of them. It takes time to go through all of them, and that’s only after we do the other parts of our jobs as agents for our current clients. Not to mention, most agents have a day job as well, so all the agent work is completed after an eight-hour day working to pay the bills. I’m not making excuses, just explaining why the wait can be so long. If the agent is lucky enough to only be an agent, there are still other demands that must come first, namely our current clients and their needs.
What makes a manuscript or query stand out to you?
When I read a manuscript, I look for that emotional connection to the story. Good writing, great premise, and most importantly, voice. Even if the query isn’t the greatest, if the premise draws me in and the writing delivers, that’s what makes it stand out to me. Of course, the query has to at least tell me the basics of the story, but if it does that, I’ll always read some of the pages to try it out.
Are there any themes, genres, or trends you’re especially drawn to—or tired of seeing?
Sweet vampires. I want them to be evil. Romantasy in general, even though it’s hot right now, it needs to be a totally unique premise. The market is pretty flooded, and it needs to stand out. Horror and space opera are my current desires right now. I’d love to see a combo of the two!
What are the most common mistakes you see in queries?
The biggest mistakes I’ve seen lately are queries that tell me what the book is about instead of showing me. Yes, you have to show in a query too. The blurb should be active and hooky and dramatic. Don’t tell me the story is about a woman who travels to the stars to chase after her dreams. Show me her ship, the villain she’s fighting, and the strength she has that will win the day.
How do you like to see comp titles used?
They need to be relevant. Two to three years old. I also like when authors really know their comps and can tell me exactly what is similar to their own manuscripts. For example, “My story is similar to the humanity-saving adventure in Project Hail Mary with the creepy, psychological horror of Silence of the Lambs.”
How important is a strong concept compared to the execution of the manuscript?
I think they are equally important to a point, but the writing must be good. Plots can always be tweaked, but craft is harder to teach.
What’s your best piece of advice for writers just starting their querying journey?
Read. Read. Read. Find books in your genre and read them. You have to understand the market to know if your manuscript belongs in it. If you have a dream agent, read their published clients’ books to see what they like. Granted, agents’ tastes change, but you’ll get an idea of what kind of stories they represent.
Publishing involves a lot of rejection—what’s your advice for handling it and staying motivated?
Don’t compare yourself to other authors. Everyone’s journey is different and will unfold in its own time. Once a manuscript is on submission with agents, write another. And another. Always keep improving your craft. You never know which manuscript will be “the one,” but if you only have one, you may never find out.
Want to query Bonnie Swanson?
When she is open to queries (check the FinePrint website for an announcement) here are a few of the things she looks for:
She wants to see underrepresented authors. (BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, etc) As a chronically ill person, I'd love to see a hero/heroine who excels despite their disease. Make it their superpower and that's even better!
Fiction Likes: She is dying for a good speculative psychological horror mystery! (Think a gender-bent/gay Sherlock Holmes, set in Middle Earth or outer space, with all the creepy feels of Silence of the Lambs!) Normalized queerness where it isn't the focus of the plot or subplot. She’s a sucker for a good romantasy (HEA required). Issue-driven stories that address timeless social issues and the people who fight to change them; stories where the underdog wins; non-traditional characters who feel real (even if they are in outer space); accessible literary prose; the Oxford comma.
NOT FOR HER: stories with violence against women/children/animals, erotica, misogyny, alpha males, and romances where the heroine dumps the main love interest without reason and chooses the unlikable villain. (Unless it's Loki, forget him.)
Adult Non-Fiction: Pop culture as it affects daily life, humorous reflections on parenting/pets/hobbies.