Although the name Sheila Crowley may not instantly ring any bells, if you’ve ever Googled ‘top literary agencies’ then the name Curtis Brown will undoubtedly have flashed across your screen as one of the best on the planet. However, just because you’ve now found the door, doesn’t mean you’ll get in. Because much like those optimistic enough to attempt getting into Berghain on a Friday night, finding representation at one of the most respected agencies on the planet requires a little more than just luck and the right choice of trousers. It requires unmatched artistic obsession and a bulletproof mindset that won’t be deterred by rejection, because trust us, you will get rejected. But if your passion eclipses those teething feelings of self doubt, then you may find, as Samuel Goldwyn once mused, “The harder I worked, the luckier I got.” And that luck is materialised when Sheila Crowley gives you a virtual high five and tells you she’s officially signed on to be your new hype-woman.
Esquire Middle East sits down with the prolific literary agent, Sheila Crowley, to discuss the do’s and don’t’s of pitching your book, how to stand out to agents, and the future of literature in a digital world.
Esquire: The perhaps fairly obvious question is, when reading a query letter, what is the first thing that sticks out: style or substance?
SC: I think it’s a combination of both. I always say to new writers that it’s all about doing your research on what an agent is looking for. Like me, for example, I don’t do science fiction. And then you need to have something that makes your novel stand out. And if agents have international bestsellers, as I am very fortunate enough to have, you are competing for my attention, so your writing and your voice really need to pop.
Esquire: You recently signed Sara Hamdan in a historic 6-figure deal. What do you look for in a debut author aside from the obvious, which is the work itself?
Sheila Crowley: I actually met Sara a few years back when she was moderating the Emirates Literature Festival, but we stayed in touch and she would tell me what she was writing, and we just had this immediate connection. And she’s a Dubai based author but went to Columbia University, so she understands international culture, and she just wrote this fantastic novel which we’ve now secured major deals for which is very exciting.
Esquire: Many people say writing the query letter, nevertheless the synopsis, is harder, and arguably more imperative, than the actual novel itself.
SC: I’m unusual in this, but I very seldom read a detailed synopsis. Most writers put too much emphasis on the synopsis and reveal too much, and that becomes disappointing as a reader. I want to read the novel like I’m picking it off the shelf for the first time, and to discover who these characters really are. I don’t want it spoiled with a synopsis. An agent I know out in LA, Bob Bookman, has a great quote, ‘What’s in the box?’ and that’s essentially what I’m always looking for. That hook, that one-liner, that immediate sell that sets the book apart.
Esquire: Bret Easton Ellis and Ottessa Moshfegh both said that at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is style. The contents of the book may be brilliant, but if the style is boring, then they’ll stop reading. How do you approach this as an agent?
SC: People are quite time-poor, and we are competing with a lot of great drama on TV, film, and even social media, so you need to ensure people want to continue reading your book. Even with a good idea, execution is imperative.
Esquire: How does a writer know when their manuscript is ready for submission?
SC: I suppose you never really know. Some writers can tinker with something forever, and others may have a pretty good manuscript early on. But the best advice for a new writer is that when you finish your first draft, put it in a drawer for a few weeks, and then go back with a fresh set of eyes and read through it. Then you’ll find what works, and what doesn’t. Another thing is that since E-books exploded about twenty years ago, most platforms, like Amazon, will have the first 10% of the book available to read for free online, so you want to make sure that the start of your novel really draws in the reader.
Esquire: What are your thoughts on publishers rewriting old classics due to ‘insensitive’ material?
SC: I think it’s wrong. All books are of their time, and reflective of the era in which they were published. Is there an argument that you should have the original version and a redacted, PC version for today’s audiences? Maybe. People’s views are so heightened today, but that’s the society we live in, we live in this social media world.
Esquire: What are your thoughts on ChatGPT and the future of literature?
SC: As agents and publishers, we have to protect our authors. And now in our client letters, we do ask ‘have you used AI in writing this?’ because we need to be aware of that. But I have read some sample work when people have experimented with ‘write this in the tone of this person’ and you can just immediately tell that a bot has written it. The world is constantly developing and we can’t stop it, so we just have to make sure that we protect the authors and artists, and that major publishers always have their digital and legal people ready for this sort of thing.
Sheila Crowley will be speaking at the Emirates Literature Festival on February 2, 2024. Get your tickets here.
Follow Sheila Crowley on Instagram here.
