AGENT CONFIDENTIAL Thérèse Coen
Name: Thérèse Coen
Agency: Hardman & Swainson
Genres represented: Both adult and children’s fiction and non-fiction, and then most genres on the children’s side: fantasy, humour, adventure, sci-fi, horror, contemporary.
Authors you represent and recent deals:
Recent deals include the hilarious Ministry of Monsters by SCBWI’s very own Justin Davies to Orchard at Hachette, and the also hilarious The Great Dodo De-Extinction by Fiona Sandiford to Usborne Publishing. A recent success was Alex Bell’s Polar Bear Explorers’ Club which was Waterstones’ book of the month back in November. I’m also about to submit a wonderful fantasy middle-grade adventure about an all-female pirate ship sailing to Morocco in search of a forgotten city hidden beneath the desert sand.
What’s on your wishlist #MSWL?
A hook, a plot, immersive writing and exquisite characters! I want to be drawn in straight away by beautifully constructed worlds and characters with depth. I love adventures, humour, strong feisty characters, or characters who learn and grow throughout the book. Quirky or traditional, as long as they’re original, it’s a big book-world out there and you want to proudly stand out!
What is your working style with clients (e.g. how editorial are you)?
I think most agents have to be hugely editorial these days. I’ve never sent out a book that I haven’t worked on editorially, though the amount of work I do differs from book to book. Sometimes a light edit is all that’s needed, but I’m always determined to polish a manuscript as much as is needed before sending it out. Even if it means taking our time, there should never be a rush to submit a book, as a scruffy manuscript will definitely be noticed (or rather, not) by editors!
Do you choose books with head or heart?
Ooh that’s a good one, I’ve never thought of that. I think I look at submissions with my heart, and then my head has to come into it before deciding to take something on, to ensure it’s actually likely to find a good publishing home.
Which book or character has stayed with you since childhood?
Matilda and The Witches mainly from Roald Dahl’s collection, as well as many European favourites like Pippi Longstocking, Annie MG Schmidt’s books, and of course comics like Tintin and Asterix!
Harry Potter question: Which house would the sorting hat put you in?
Gryffindor – such a teacher’s pet.
How to submit to you:
We’re simplifying our submission process and are asking authors to just send us their whole manuscript straight away, along with a synopsis and the usual submission email.
Submission tips:
A well-structured, thought-out letter which shows that you’ve researched your area and know your title inside out. It doesn’t have to be long or excessively detailed, but professional and designed to pique my interest.
Website: www.hardmanswainson.com
Twitter: @theresecoen
Any upcoming events you have: Bournemouth, SCWBI 1-2-1 and Writers & Artists
Feature photo: Thérèse Coen
Twitter: @KatakusM
Contact: features1@britishscbwi.org
Twitter: @Carry_delaHarpe
No comments:
We love comments and really appreciate the time it takes to leave one.
Interesting and pithy reactions to a post are brilliant but we also LOVE it when people just say they've read and enjoyed.
We've made it easy to comment by losing the 'are you human?' test, which means we get a lot of spam. Fortunately, Blogger recognises these, so most, if not all, anonymous comments are deleted without reading.