AGENT CONFIDENTIAL Becky Bagnell
Name: Becky Bagnell
Agency: Lindsay Literary Agency
Genres represented: Children’s books from picture books up to YA.
Pamela Butchart (bestselling and award-winning author, translated into 17 languages and sold almost 1 million copies in the UK alone), Sam Gayton (author of five middle-grade adventures including most recently, The Last Zoo published by Andersen Press), Sue Wallman (author of four teen thrillers including Lying About Last Summer published by Scholastic), Rachel Valentine (picture book author whose most recent, Don’t Mess With a Princess, published with Penguin Random House), Giles Paley-Phillips (picture book author and fiction debut, One Hundred and Fifty-Two Days), Donna David (picture book author of Oh No Bobo). Most recent deals I can mention would be: J. M. Joseph’s Fire Boy which was bought by Hachette and will be published later this month; and Joe Wilson’s The Island That Doesn’t Exist, which is being published in May by Oxford University Press. Other deals haven’t been announced yet, so I’m afraid I’ll have to keep quiet on them for the moment!
Wishlist #MSWL:
I would love to see a YA version of Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, or a middle-grade travel adventure – but equally I’m happy to be surprised, so keep sending whatever you’ve got.
Agent style:
Having previously worked as an editor at Macmillan before becoming an agent, I am quite hands on. However, I would never take on an author if I didn’t think their script was at least three-quarters of the way there already – I’m not one for suggesting a total rewrite. Every author I have worked with has had a different path to publication, sometimes it’s a super fast turnaround, sometimes more of a slow burner. However, the level of success can’t be measured by the speed with which an idea is turned into a published book and I’m always happy to work with authors and travel at a pace that suits the individual.
Head or heart:
Always my heart, every time. However, the head does come in a close second as I don’t want to be the only reader for an author, and I’m sure they wouldn’t want that either!
Favourite books:
Danny, the Champion of the World was the book that got me hooked on reading and which I still love today.
If you were a character in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, which daemon would you have and why?
I would have a Cocker Spaniel because they're the animal I'm closest to in my normal everyday life and I'd love to be able to talk to my dog!
How to submit: All the details are on our website, but first three chapters, a single page synopsis, plus covering letter would be great.
Submission tips: Less is more and be patient, we’re not the speediest.
Website: www.lindsayliteraryagency.co.uk
Twitter: @LindsayLit
Upcoming events: I will be at the Winchester Writers’ Weekend – 10th July 2020.
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