Literary Agent Interview: Esty Loveing-Downes Interview and Query Critique Giveaway

Today I’m thrilled to have agent Esty Loveing-Downes here. She’s an associate agent at Arthouse Literary Agency.

Hi Esty! Thanks so much for joining us.

About Esty:

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

In 2020, I began interning at Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency and fell in love with the behind-the-scenes world of books. Learning the ropes at JVNLA, and then at Tobias Literary Agency, respectively, my passion for championing authors grew, and once I landed at ArtHouse, I was thrilled to become at agent in 2023. Now, I spend time editing manuscripts alongside my talented clients, meeting with editors, and learning from my colleagues at ArtHouse as well as in the larger agent community as a member of the AALA membership committee. So far, I’ve sold nine books ranging from picture books to YA and adult romance, and beyond, and I’m just getting started. 

About the Agency:

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

ArtHouse Literary focuses on spotlighting “bold, diverse voices” and working to help our clients achieve their goals for their individual careers. As a boutique agency, we work hard as a team to move quickly and with purpose, and to do so in a like-minded manner. It’s a very collegial, warm community.  

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 picture book, MG, and YA titles, as well as adult fantasy, romance, and upmarket works. In each genre, I’m looking for unapologetic storytelling with an eye towards craft, underrepresented voices and perspectives, and above all, love in any of its beautiful forms. 

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

In MG, I love a shorter word count with a water-tight plot and a ticking clock to race. I’m not the best agent for high fantasy in either YA or adult genres, but I swoon over the coziest, grounded fantasy with magical sprinkles in appealing settings like tea shops and kitten rescues. In picture books, I’m looking for unique premises outside of baking or school-related concepts. And in romance, I’m still hunting for another LGBTQ+ story to fall in love with. 

What She Isn’t Looking For:

horror, thrillers, erotica, police/legal procedurals, mysteries, anything ageist/ableist/racist/misogynistic, or anything where queer people die in the end

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

I’m not the best agent for thrillers, mystery, or horror, though they’re all the rage! 

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 want to make my children proud in terms of what I write, what I do, what my name is attached to, what work I represent, and who I spend my time with. I’m building a community of writers who hopefully, support one another and feel safe sharing with one another – this means everyone needs to be a good human, and I’m so happy to tell you all my clients are talented and extraordinary people creating important work. 

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! When reading client work, I try to emulate the average Goodreads commenter who will one day ask the story to meet their expectations. I ask questions of a manuscript such as: Does this story have a beginning, middle, and satisfying ending? Does it have the right number of characters, and does it show enough vs. tell? Does the plot force the protagonist to change, and does it then make sense and finally resolve? Is the language compelling and artful? Does it meet genre reader expectations? And finally, is this material in any way problematic? Then, I share a (lengthy) editorial letter addressing my findings and asking the client to trust their brain and surprise us both with some solutions. And, I have found, they always, always do. Magically. 

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?

I can be found at ArtHouse with this link: 

https://querytracker.net/query/ArtHouseLitSubmissions

When reading queries, which are often highly-polished and perfectly packaged, I first look for stakes and sense. I ask, “If the conflicts posed by this story aren't resolved, is anything lost? And does every step make sense?” After all, an author is asking the reader to trade an investment of time, interest, and potentially money, for their story. So, a compelling narrative insists the reader continue to turn pages to find answers. Without that tension, a reader will put down the book and walk away. Clear, escalating stakes and a logical progression of both plot and character create propulsive storytelling. That’s how to sell me. If you can give me a 1-line pitch to accompany your high stakes, compelling narrative? Golden. 

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

I love exposition but my eyes will never skim dialogue, and very often, dialogue either merely bookends the first chapter’s opening and ending or begins somewhere around the sixth page. By then I’m hungry to be immersed and hoping to be perched right on the character’s shoulder for authenticity. 

Response Time:

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

Right now, I’m considering manuscripts from Feb 2025, and I try to hold myself to a three-month window of consideration for full manuscripts. 

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! Compelling storytelling that deserves a wider audience deserves an agent bridging the gap.

Clients:

12. Who are some of the authors you represent?

Jen Michalski, Melinda Gong, Igor Belogolovsky, Ryan Rae Harbuck, Mowa Badmos, Jen Fier Jasinski, Melanie Pierce

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.
N/a

Links and Contact Info:

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

https://querytracker.net/query/ArtHouseLitSubmissions

Additional Advice:

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

Be tenacious! Keep going! Don’t stop writing! The pen will kill fascism. 

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Esty. 

Giveaway Details

Esty 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 April 19th. If I do not have your email (I can no longer get it from your Google Profile), you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address. 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

Monday, April 14th I have an interview with author Mia Araujo and a giveaway of her MG Afia In the Land of Wonders 

Wednesday, April 16th I’m participating in the Raindrop in Roses Giveaway Hop

Monday, April 21st I have an agent spotlight interview with Carey Blankenship-Kramer and a query critique giveaway

Wednesday, April 23rd I have an agent spotlight interview with Rebecca Eskildsen  and a query critique giveaway

Monday, April 28th I have an interview with debut author Alby Williams and a giveaway of their MG Where There Be Monsters

I hope to see you on Monday!