Meet Literary Agent James McGowan

James McGowan is a senior literary agent and director of the children’s department at BookEnds Literary Agency. He brings a decade of experience across all departments at the agency to representing award-winning authors and illustrators for all ages. While he maintains an active list in children's literature, he is currently only expanding his adult fiction list in mystery, thriller, fantasy, and book club fiction. To learn more, visit www.jmcgowanbooks.com.

How did you get started in publishing, and what led you to become a literary agent?

I got started in publishing during college, as an intern at BookEnds Literary. There wasn’t really anything else I wanted to do, once I learned I could do this. I applied to internships across all of publishing’s various fields, but my time as an intern at BookEnds cemented that I just wanted to be here and be an agent.

What does a typical day in your role look like?

As an agent, your days are never the same. Some days are meeting heavy, some are reading heavy, and some you spend just catching up on admin or the very many emails you receive. Usually, I’ll do big tasks in the early morning (contracts, edits), and then spend late morning/early afternoons in meetings. I like to keep late afternoons free to read, triage email, or work on submissions I have out.

What do you wish more authors knew?

Publishing isn’t going anywhere. Lately, it feels like everybody is rushing to some finish line and every good thing of their writing career needs to come "right now, right away." Careers build. Settle in for the long haul! 

What makes a manuscript or query stand out to you?

In the age of shortening attention spans, something that demands to be read. It’s subjective, and I get why that’s annoying. But the query that makes me immediately request and then keep refreshing my inbox. Or the submission that forces me to rework my calendar so I can read the whole book. We’re all after that feeling.

Are there any themes, genres, or trends you’re especially drawn to—or tired of seeing?

I like when things don’t follow the rules. In kids books, when there are more than three jokes or silly examples of a problem. In adult books, I’m loving the genre-agnostic and genre-blending approaches to storytelling and want to see more of them. I just signed a book club novel that has hard science and suspense in it. There’s something for every reader and yet there’s a certain reader who will love it. That’s really exciting to me. 

What are the most common mistakes you see in queries?

The non-query is becoming more and more common. Agents need to know about your book, and specifically: what’s happening in it. I’m getting more queries that are just short invitations to read the book, or paragraphs focusing on themes. A query is persuasive writing: make your reader want to read the full manuscript. Plot will always be the way to do that, in my opinion.

How do you like to see comp titles used?

I love specifics in comp titles. The sarcastic tone of X, the high-stakes murder mystery of Y, the 80’s nostalgia of Z. Just examples, but I like to know what about the comp titles made you think they’re good descriptors of your book; that’s always a plus to me.

How important is a strong concept compared to the execution of the manuscript?

They go hand-in-hand. I work in genre fiction, and the hook is always going to be important, especially in a noisy marketplace.

What’s your best piece of advice for writers just starting their querying journey?

Read widely. Simple, classic advice – but the best advice I can give.

Publishing involves a lot of rejection—what’s your advice for handling it and staying motivated?

I’ve been thinking a lot about rejection lately, perhaps as the marketplace is difficult and the no’s are feeling more frequent than the yeses. It’s hard to deal with and I don’t think there’s a right answer, but I find that having something else to focus on will always dilute the sting. Whether it’s your next project, or something outside of books in general. Centering your life and attention on publishing makes it harder to not absorb the rejection. Find a hobby outside of books, start your next manuscript, plan a trip, do something else so that everything isn’t hinging upon that yes. (Of course, authors and agents alike put their all into books and getting rejected will always sting, so this is not to discredit that, at all!)

Want to query James McGowan?

Check out his website for details on his MSWL and submission guidelines.

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