Literary Agent Interview: Shannon Hassan Interview and Query Critique Giveaway

 Today I’m thrilled to have agent Shannon Hassan here. She’s an agent at MARSAL LYON LITERARY AGENCY.

Hi Shannon! Thanks so much for joining us.

About Shannon:

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

I’ve been agent for more than10 years. Before that I was a corporate attorney in New York. I followed my passion for books to a position at a small press and then into my current role as an agent. I love my job and am so grateful every time someone tells me I had a small part in making their dreams come true!

About the Agency:

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

We like to say that our agency’s mission is to help writers achieve their publishing dreams. We view our authors as long-term partners and we work with them from the idea stage, through a collaborative editorial process, through finding the right publishing partner and beyond to find long-term success on the market. We are proud to represent a diverse client list and to champion a wide range of genres and perspectives.

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?

MIDDLE GRADE and YOUNG ADULT:
•    Contemporary stories with humor and heart.
•    Historical stories that inspire or bring untold stories to light.
•    Adventure stories with humor and heart.
•    Magical realism or speculative twists—prefer grounded, real-world settings.
•    Stories of resilience.
•    Thrillers and mysteries.

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

I would love to work on a story featuring Native kids or teens, whether it’s a thriller in the vein of THE FIREKEEPER’S DAUGHTER, or more humorous/drama in the vein of RESERVATION DOGS.

I’d also like a story with an out-of-the-box, memorable narrator, like OLIVETTI or THE BOOK THIEF.

What She Isn’t Looking For:

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

I am not looking for non-fiction, picture books, or screenplays.

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?

When I am talking to an author about potential representation, the three questions I always ask are:
(1) Are you receptive to feedback on your work? (because every manuscript will go through a lot of revision before it’s published, and you have to be willing to listen and put in the work),
(2) Are you willing to be an active participant in the marketing of your work? (because publishers now expect authors to be active marketers and it’s hard to make it in this business if you are averse to it), and
(3) What else do you plan to write? (because I see this as a long-term partnership and want to make sure that your intended genre / career track is one that I am suited to help you with).

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?

Yes, very much so. I give developmental feedback on the manuscript—usually comments embedded in the manuscript as well as a big picture editorial letter. Then we have a call/Zoom to discuss and brainstorm. I see it as a collaborative process and at the end of the day, I want to make sure to respect the author’s voice and vision, while addressing the realities of the market as best we can.

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?

Please use Query Manager at this link: https://QueryManager.com/3356

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

I prefer that the queries are short and punchy and get right to the stakes. They should read like jacket copy.

Lately I’ve seen writers comparing their manuscripts to Taylor Swift or other popular songs, and that hasn’t really landed for me. Comparative titles are important to include, but they should be books (or films/tv shows) that show your intended audience.

Response Time:

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

I try to respond to queries within three weeks, and full submissions within two months.

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?

Yes, but I don’t usually represent previously published works, only new works from authors who have published in the past. In terms of advice, be willing to use a pen name if the agent, editor, or sales team thinks it may give you a better launch for your new book with a fresh sales track. That’s not always the case, it’s just something to be open to.

Clients:

12. Who are some of the authors you represent?

Middle Grade: INSIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF A CACTUS, the best-selling series by Dusti Bowling (Union Square), THE MYSTERY OF LOCKED ROOMS, the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling series by Lindsay Currie (Sourcebooks), OPERATION: HAPPY, a historical novel by Jenni Walsh (HarperCollins), and THE RULE OF THREE, a magical realism novel by Heather Murphy Capps (Lerner).
Young Adult: IN 27 DAYS, a speculative novel by Alison Gervais (HarperCollins) soon to be a TV series from SONY’s Affirm Films, DIE YOUNG WITH ME (Simon & Schuster), an ALA award-winner by Rob Rufus, THOSE WHY PREY, a thriller by Jennifer Moffett (Atheneum), and LIKE SPILLED WATER, a novel about contemporary China by Jennie Liu (Lerner).

Interviews and Guest Posts:

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

MSWL: https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/shannon-hassan/

Links and Contact Info:

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

Please query me through Query Manager: https://QueryManager.com/3356

My bio: https://marsallyonliteraryagency.com/who-we-are/shannon-hassan/

My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/litagentshannon/?hl=en

Additional Advice:

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

Writing is a solitary exercise, but publishing takes a village. Find a community through SCBWI or other organizations that can be a source of knowledge, support, perspective, and maybe some much-needed laughter.

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Shannon.

Giveaway Details

Shannon 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 January 2nd. If your email 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 follow me on Twitter or 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 email 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.

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

Wednesday, December 11th I have an agent spotlight interview with Vicky Weber and a query critique giveaway

Monday, December 16th I have a guest post by debut author Vicky Lorencen and a giveaway of her MG The Book of Barf and am participating in the Holly Jolly Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, January 8th I have an interview with author Mackenzie Reed and a giveaway of her YA The Wilde Trials and my IWSG post

Monday, January 13th I have an agent spotlight interview with Estelle Laure and a query critique giveaway

Wednesday, January 15th I have an agent spotlight interview with Jon Cobb and a query critique giveaway

Monday, January 27th I have an interview with debut author Nicole Hewitt and a giveaway of her MG The Song of Orphan’s Garden

I hope to see you on Wednesday!