Working With a Literary Agent: An Appreciation

GUEST POST on the Hiding Spot

We wanted to introduce you to our third writing partner. His name doesn’t appear on the cover of “The Familiars” or anywhere inside for that matter. But his imprint can be felt in the words on every page. He is Markus Hoffmann, our book agent at Regal Literary. Every step along the way of our journey to getting published, Markus has done more than simply sell our material. He has helped make sure it is propulsive, engaging, and richly detailed. Before our manuscript ever landed on the desk of a publisher, it was thoroughly developed and vetted by Markus. No “i” was dotted or “t” crossed without first passing Markus’s sharp eye or keen literary intuitiveness. We’re not sure if every agent goes through this process with their author client, but from what we’ve heard, most do not. He is our secret weapon (not so secret any more). He pushed us just the right amount, always challenged us to do our best, and we are confident that with him at our side, each book we write will get better and better. In a lot of ways he is the mentor who taught us how to be authors. His patience, knowledge of the market, and creative insight are all invaluable. His German accent mysterious and alluring. To Andrew, who still has not been to New York to meet him, he is but an enigmatic voice on the phone, wise and all-knowing. Adam, who has met him in person, has had some of the wizard-behind-the-curtain mystique revealed. But he is no less impressed by his impeccable taste and talent. We thank you, Markus, for embodying all that an agent should. Now if you’ll please review and add your magic touch to this guest blog post, it would be much appreciated.