Literary Agent Interview: Lori Steel Interview and Query Critique Giveaway

Today I’m thrilled to have agent Lori Steel here. She is a literary agent at Red Fox Literary.

Update on 7/6/2024: Lori has left Red Fox Literary to found SteelWorks Literary. She is currently closed to queries. Check the agency website to learn when she reopens to submissions.

NOTE: Lori is closed to queries but has created a special submission form on Query Tracker for Literary Rambles followers that will be open until August 2023. You can find the link in this interview.

Hi­ Lori! Thanks so much for joining us.

Thanks, Natalie. I’m delighted to be here!

About Lori:

1. Tell us how you became an agent, how long you’ve been one, and what you’ve been doing as an agent.

Like many things in the publishing industry, my path to agenting was one of time, patience, and hard work! My first career was as an educator and school librarian. After completing my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program at Vermont College, my interests shifted from a solely craft/writing focus to a curiosity about other possible opportunities in the publishing. In 2012, I began the common practice of working behind the scenes to gain industry experience and build kidlit community relationships. I interned as a reader at a large agency and also worked as an Agent Assistant for Agents representing kidlit. I also taught writing classes as an adjunct professor, and was writing instructor at my local indie bookstore, Politics & Prose for seven years. Just after Jacqui Lipton founded Raven Quill Literary in winter 2019, I joined her team first as an Assistant before slowly taking on my own clients in spring 2020. When RQLA merged with Tobias in summer 2022, I joined the exceptional team at Red Fox Literary.

Early clients were predominantly picture book authors working in both fiction and nonfiction. My first deal (Jilanne Hoffmann’s nonfiction PB, The River of Dust illustrated by Eugenia Mello and publishing in summer 2023 with Chronicle) went to auction in summer 2020, which was certainly an exciting way to begin! Since then, I’ve signed middle grade and YA authors, both debut and award-winning, and talented illustrators. I now work full-time as a literary agent and love that each day is different, challenging, and inspiring.

About the Agency:

2. Share a bit about your agency and what it offers to its authors.

Red Fox Literary is a boutique agency that represents authors and illustrators for the children’s and YA markets. RFL was founded by Karen Grencik and Abigail Samoun in 2011, and now has eight agents working on both coasts, with foreign rights support from Rights People. Since its inception, the agency has built a reputation that includes not only an incredible list of authors and illustrators, but a collaborative, collegial, and knowledgeable team of agents. I feel incredibly fortunate to have joined the Den, as we affectionally call it.

What She’s Looking For:

3. What age groups do you represent—picture books, MG, and/or YA? What genres do you represent and what are you looking for in submissions for these genres?

I represent projects across audiences and forms—fiction and nonfiction picture books through Young Adult—as well as illustrators. I tend to lean into the older end of the PB spectrum and younger YA with all in between. Having said that, I have broad tastes and enjoy graphic novels as much as narrative nonfiction picture books, and middle grade horror, so it’s more a matter of if the narrative voice captures me, and I have a clear vision of where it would fit in the marketplace.

4.  Is there anything you would be especially excited to seeing in the genres you are interested in?

Honestly, anything unexpected that compels me to turn the page! I always have an eye out for manuscripts that approach story in unique or unexpected ways, will contribute to the kidlit cannon, and, most importantly, capture young readers.

What She Isn’t Looking For:

5. What types of submissions are you not interested in?

Hard sci-fi (think space or tech), YA horror (I represent MG horror), expository nonfiction, potty/slapstick humor, gratuitous violence, self-harm, and eating disorders are probably not great fits for me.

My MSWL page has more details about what I’m looking for and is updated regularly.

Agent Philosophy:

6. What is your philosophy as an agent both in terms of the authors you want to work with and the books you want to represent?

I’m looking for authors and illustrators who seek to create meaningful, sustaining stories that never talk down to their audience. As a former school librarian and educator, I have seen firsthand that books can change lives, and their impact in providing safe spaces to explore, understand, and challenge. I seek projects that have the potential to become classics in the future, not necessarily the next NYT bestseller (although, of course, it’s great when both happen!). Curious creators who explore, play, tinker, and challenge themselves to experiment with difficult topics, structures, and forms. Essentially, I’m looking for creatives who are responsive to feedback, actively engage in learning more about the industry as a business, and who approach their work with the philosophy that the endgame isn’t always publication, but the craft itself.

Editorial Agent:

7. Are you an editorial agent? If so, what is your process like when you’re working with your authors before submitting to editors?

I do consider myself an editorial agent. I work with clients to develop new work, and to revise and edit projects in preparation for submitting their work to editors. However, I often hear confusion around what to expect from editorial agents. For me, any feedback I provide should not take the place of trusted critique partners, sensitivity readers, or craft instructors in the drafting and revision stages. Instead, this process begins when clients feel that they are close to submission-ready and send to their agents to evaluate their projects for both craft and industry readiness. Authors just starting out will get more of this guidance, while more experienced authors with established editor relationships may not need as much editorial work before submission. When searching for an agent, it’s a good idea to ask what kind of editorial work they provide, if any, before making representation decisions.

Query Methods and Submission Guidelines: (Always verify before submitting)

8. How should authors query you and what do you want to see with the query letter?

Authors should query me through my Query Manager page found here. At the moment, I’m closed to unsolicited submissions, but Literary Rambles readers can submit using the link below until August 6, 2023.

9.  Do you have any specific dislikes in query letters or the first pages submitted to you?

If queries are not personalized, it may give the impression that the author is simultaneously submitting to a large group of agents without taking the time to research a strong match for their project and career goals. Tailor submissions and query letters to specific agents for a more professional impression. Also, please don’t undermine your hard work—pointing out that you’re inexperienced, a debut author, don’t really have any qualifications is not necessary! Let your query and manuscript speak for themselves and highlight the positive! Likewise, reconsider going overboard and naming yourself the next NYT bestselling author.

Response Time:

10. What’s your response time to queries and requests for more pages of a manuscript?

My aim is to respond to queries within two months, but I’m a percolator. I tend to spend more time with pages that interest me. Chances are, if I have a project for an extended amount of time, I’m seriously considering it. For instance, QM stats for the past year show that my average pass time is 28 days, but my average full request is 71 days. I always put client work first and I admit to being a slow reader! So, while I respond to all queries, requested full novels or multiple picture book projects can take a bit of time to complete, especially during busy seasons.

Self-Published and Small Press Authors:

11.  Are you open to representing authors who have self-published or been published by smaller presses? What advice do you have for them if they want to try to find an agent to represent them?

Absolutely! Some authors start by self-publishing, then grow their audience, develop craft, and/or want to explore the traditional market. However, once a book is published, agents cannot market the project for First Rights, so it’s unlikely to garner interest with unknown writers in this way.

12. With all the changes in publishing—self-publishing, hybrid authors, more small publishers—do you see the role of agents changing at all? Why?

I don’t think so. Literary Agents focus on the trade industry, not self-published or hybrid titles. Small publishers are doing exciting things and we work with many of them! Additionally, small publishers are more likely to be open to unsolicited submissions and unrepresented authors, providing more potential avenues to pursue a book deal outside of traditional publishing.

Clients:

13. Who are some of the authors you represent?

I represent both up-and-coming debut authors such as Nydia Armendia-Sáchez, Jilanne Hoffmann, and Anita Yasuda, alongside award-winning authors such as Colleen Paeff (The Great Stink) and Laura Shovan (A Place at the Table). You can find more about my clients at RedFoxLiterary.com.

Interviews and Guest Posts:

14. Please share the links to any interviews, guest posts, and podcasts you think would be helpful to writers interested in querying you.

Lori's website

Vermont College of Fine Arts Alumunx Interview

What Was on Her…interview with author Sandra Nickel

Café Chat with Eastern Penn PA/SCBWI and Jennie Krumrine

Update on 10/30/2024:

Interview at From the Mixed-Up Files (10/2024)

Links and Contact Info:

15. Please share how writers should contact you to submit a query and your links on the Web.

I am currently closed to queries, but Literary Rambles readers can query me on this special event link until August 6, 2023. I am most active on Insta at @bookishsteelfox and Twitter @bookishsort.

Additional Advice:

16. Is there any other advice you’d like to share with aspiring authors that we haven’t covered?

Remember that a persistent writer becomes a published author. Publishing is a long-game business. If you work on your craft, build community, and consistently create, you’ll find the right publishing path. And when you do, I will be cheering you on!

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Lori.

­Lori is generously offering a query critique to one lucky winner. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment through February 18th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. If you do not want to enter the contest, that's okay. Just let me know in the comments.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. This is an international giveaway.

Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at natalieiaguirre7@gmail.com

Note: These agent profiles and interviews presently focus on agents who accept children's fiction. Please take the time to verify anything you might use here before querying an agent. The information found here is subject to change.