Be Careful What You Say / Or You Give Yourself Away

Maud Newton launches a new feature, "Secret Agent," in which an anonymous literary agent fields questions about bad cover letters, problems with manuscripts, and whether you need a good author photo or not.

When I first started working at an agency, editors had a lot more say over what they could buy. Now, even the most senior editors can be overruled by marketing, even if they desperately want something and only have to pay $20,000. So, unfortunately, I’m almost never 100% sure anymore that something will sell, and that’s the biggest change.