7 Questions For: Literary Agent Marie Lamba

Marie Lamba joined the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency as an Associate Agent in 2011.  She is the author of the young adult novel WHAT I MEANT, OVER MY HEAD, and DRAWN. Her work appears in the short story anthology LIAR LIAR  and the anthology CALL ME OKAASAN: ADVENTURES IN MULTICULTURAL MOTHERING.  

Marie's articles appear in more than 100 publications, including national magazines such as Writer's Digest, Garden Design, and RWR.  She has worked as an editor, an award-winning public relations writer, and a book publicist, has taught classes on novel writing and author promotion, and is a member of The Liars Club.

The Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency is a New York City-based full-service literary agency founded in 2001 and named one of the top 25 literary agencies in the country by Writer’s Digest.

The agency represents children’s literature for all ages – picture books and middle-grade and young adult novels – but also represents high-quality adult fiction and non-fiction in a wide range of genres. The categories we are most enthusiastic about agenting are literary and commercial fiction; mysteries, thrillers, celebrity biographies; humor; psychology and self-help; parenting; health and fitness; women’s issues; men’s issues; pop culture; film and television; social issues and contemporary affairs.

If you're planning to submit a query to Marie Lamba, make sure you follow her guidelines.

For more information, check out my friends Natalie Aguirre and Casey McCormick's wonderful blog, Literary Rambles.

And now Marie Lamba faces the 7 Questions:

Question Seven: What are your top three favorite books?

What? Just three???

1. Searching for Caleb by Anne Tyler

2. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffeneger

3. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen 

Question Six: What are your top three favorite movies and television shows?

                               

Okay, I know I should be all clever and pick high brow stuff...but let's be honest ... I love to laugh, and I'm a sucker for romantic comedies.

1. Silver Linings Playbook

2. Never Been Kissed

3. Bridget Jones

Television

1. The Bachelor or The Bachelorette

2. Big Bang Theory

3. How I Met Your Mother

* Also enjoy Castle and The Mindy Project, but I usually fall asleep before I can catch them.

Question Five: What are the qualities of your ideal client?

Talented (of course), open to edits, professional, personable, enthusiastic and positive.

Question Four: What sort of project(s) would you most like to receive a query for?

I'm looking for original stuff, not just knock offs of what's already out there. Give me a strong voice, and interesting point of view, and real heart. Make me spit out my coffee with laughter, or bawl over my lunch salad, or both! I'm looking for fiction including middle grade, YA and adult, and some memoir. And, given my penchant for romantic comedies, I'd love to get a smart and funny women's novel.

Question Three: What is your favorite thing about being an agent? What is your least favorite thing?

Most favorite? Helping writers' dreams come true. Least favorite? Having to reject a novel that is really promising but just not for me.

Question Two: What one bit of wisdom would you impart to an aspiring writer? (feel free to include as many other bits of wisdom as you like)

Always continue to learn more and more about the business and about your craft. And view your career not as one book or one big break, but as a lifetime of books and opportunities, and conduct business accordingly. If you do this, disappointments won't derail you, you won't burn bridges, and all you will do will pull you closer to your goals. 

Question One: If you could have lunch with any writer, living or dead, who would it be? Why?

Anne Tyler, because I so admire her use of imagery and voice. 

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