7 Questions For: Literary Agent Lana Popovic

Lana holds a B.A. with honors from Yale University, a J.D. from the Boston University School of Law, and an M.A. with highest honors from the Emerson College Publishing and Writing program. She joined Zachary Shuster Harmsworth in 2012, after interning at the Perseus Book Group foreign rights department and the Kneerim & Williams Literary Agency.

At ZSH, Lana works closely with authors on a wide range of both fiction and nonfiction projects, and is committed to providing extensive editorial guidance. She is particularly interested in edgy Young Adult and New Adult works, running the gamut from realistic, gritty novels and exquisitely beautiful, powerful teen voices to contemporary fantasy, crime, and horror. She is also keen to represent literary thrillers, and well-crafted projects for adults in the areas of fantasy, horror, mystery, and dark, unconventional romance. In terms of nonfiction, Lana is looking for fresh perspectives on popular culture and science from bloggers, academics, and journalists.

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

 

And now Lana Popovic faces the 7 Questions:


Question Seven: What are your top three favorite books?

I’m going to cheat a little here, because my favorites are actually series, and they are the following: 

1) Lev Grossman’s MAGICIANS series (amazing voice along with killer snark and relatable angst), 
2) Stephen King’s THE DARK TOWER series
3) Jacqueline Carey’s KUSHIEL’S DART series


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

1)Battlestar Galactica, the 2005 reboot
2) Supernatural
3) BBC America’s Sherlock

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

My ideal client is like a cross between a really close friend and a cash cow:) 

Seriously, though, I love writers who are so committed to their craft that they actually enjoy revising and actively seek feedback from me, but who also have the initiative and deep creativity to take my editorial comments and really run with them. 

Since my plan is always to be the agent an author will have for the entirety of her career, we also need an aligned vision with regard to what her dream future holds, whether that be writing YA exclusively, or branching out into NA and adult. 

And humor. We’re going to spend a lot of time together, either on the phone or corresponding via email or Twitter, and we’ll get both the best and worst of news together, so there has to be a strong camaraderie there. 


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

Upper YA is closest to my heart, and I love both extremely high-level contemporary realistic novels and really dazzlingly imagined contemporary fantasy or historical fantasy. 

In terms of contemporary, I’d love to see literary mysteries and thrillers, as well as non-American settings and edgier novels that explore alternative culture—tattoos, graffiti, that kind of thing. 

In terms of fantasy, I love elaborate mythologies, either already existing—I’d love to see a Slavic-inspired fantasy, for example—or entirely original, as in DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE.   


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

I love giving authors good news. I think that’s everyone’s favorite thing! 

Least favorite would have to be receiving nasty responses to rejections—we all get those, and wow do they always sting—and rejecting projects in general. This is also why I no longer give feedback when I pass on a project. Keeping it short and sweet seems to work best. 


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)

Keep trying, always! If you haven’t had any luck querying a particular novel, but are committed to making writing your career, write another novel and give that one a shot. 

I recently competed against ten other agents for a writer who had previously queried another novel and hadn’t received a single offer of representation. Just because this book might not be your first to be published doesn’t mean it won’t be your second. 


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

Has to be Stephen King. It would be a very silent and awkward lunch, during which I would gaze at him with adoring, awestruck eyes, but still—totally worth it.

www.zshliterary.com  

Lana holds a B.A. with honors from Yale University, a J.D. from the Boston University School of Law, and an M.A. with highest honors from the Emerson College Publishing and Writing program. She joined Zachary Shuster Harmsworth in 2012, after interning at the Perseus Book Group foreign rights department and the Kneerim & Williams Literary Agency. - See more at: http://www.zshliterary.com/lana-popovic.html#sthash.VJMIOEyS.dpuf

Lana holds a B.A. with honors from Yale University, a J.D. from the Boston University School of Law, and an M.A. with highest honors from the Emerson College Publishing and Writing program. She joined Zachary Shuster Harmsworth in 2012, after interning at the Perseus Book Group foreign rights department and the Kneerim & Williams Literary Agency.
At ZSH, Lana works closely with authors on a wide range of both fiction and nonfiction projects, and is committed to providing extensive editorial guidance. She is particularly interested in edgy Young Adult and New Adult works, running the gamut from from realistic, gritty novels and exquisitely beautiful, powerful teen voices to contemporary fantasy, crime, and horror. She is also keen to represent literary thrillers, and well-crafted projects for adults in the areas of fantasy, horror, mystery, and dark, unconventional romance. In terms of nonfiction, Lana is looking for fresh perspectives on popular culture and science from bloggers, academics, and journalists.
- See more at: http://www.zshliterary.com/lana-popovic.html#sthash.VJMIOEyS.dpuf

Lana holds a B.A. with honors from Yale University, a J.D. from the Boston University School of Law, and an M.A. with highest honors from the Emerson College Publishing and Writing program. She joined Zachary Shuster Harmsworth in 2012, after interning at the Perseus Book Group foreign rights department and the Kneerim & Williams Literary Agency.
At ZSH, Lana works closely with authors on a wide range of both fiction and nonfiction projects, and is committed to providing extensive editorial guidance. She is particularly interested in edgy Young Adult and New Adult works, running the gamut from from realistic, gritty novels and exquisitely beautiful, powerful teen voices to contemporary fantasy, crime, and horror. She is also keen to represent literary thrillers, and well-crafted projects for adults in the areas of fantasy, horror, mystery, and dark, unconventional romance. In terms of nonfiction, Lana is looking for fresh perspectives on popular culture and science from bloggers, academics, and journalists.
- See more at: http://www.zshliterary.com/lana-popovic.html#sthash.VJMIOEyS.dpuf

Lana holds a B.A. with honors from Yale University, a J.D. from the Boston University School of Law, and an M.A. with highest honors from the Emerson College Publishing and Writing program. She joined Zachary Shuster Harmsworth in 2012, after interning at the Perseus Book Group foreign rights department and the Kneerim & Williams Literary Agency.
At ZSH, Lana works closely with authors on a wide range of both fiction and nonfiction projects, and is committed to providing extensive editorial guidance. She is particularly interested in edgy Young Adult and New Adult works, running the gamut from from realistic, gritty novels and exquisitely beautiful, powerful teen voices to contemporary fantasy, crime, and horror. She is also keen to represent literary thrillers, and well-crafted projects for adults in the areas of fantasy, horror, mystery, and dark, unconventional romance. In terms of nonfiction, Lana is looking for fresh perspectives on popular culture and science from bloggers, academics, and journalists.
- See more at: http://www.zshliterary.com/lana-popovic.html#sthash.VJMIOEyS.dpuf

Lana holds a B.A. with honors from Yale University, a J.D. from the Boston University School of Law, and an M.A. with highest honors from the Emerson College Publishing and Writing program. She joined Zachary Shuster Harmsworth in 2012, after interning at the Perseus Book Group foreign rights department and the Kneerim & Williams Literary Agency.
At ZSH, Lana works closely with authors on a wide range of both fiction and nonfiction projects, and is committed to providing extensive editorial guidance. She is particularly interested in edgy Young Adult and New Adult works, running the gamut from from realistic, gritty novels and exquisitely beautiful, powerful teen voices to contemporary fantasy, crime, and horror. She is also keen to represent literary thrillers, and well-crafted projects for adults in the areas of fantasy, horror, mystery, and dark, unconventional romance. In terms of nonfiction, Lana is looking for fresh perspectives on popular culture and science from bloggers, academics, and journalists.
- See more at: http://www.zshliterary.com/lana-popovic.html#sthash.VJMIOEyS.dpuf

Lana holds a B.A. with honors from Yale University, a J.D. from the Boston University School of Law, and an M.A. with highest honors from the Emerson College Publishing and Writing program. She joined Zachary Shuster Harmsworth in 2012, after interning at the Perseus Book Group foreign rights department and the Kneerim & Williams Literary Agency.
At ZSH, Lana works closely with authors on a wide range of both fiction and nonfiction projects, and is committed to providing extensive editorial guidance. She is particularly interested in edgy Young Adult and New Adult works, running the gamut from from realistic, gritty novels and exquisitely beautiful, powerful teen voices to contemporary fantasy, crime, and horror. She is also keen to represent literary thrillers, and well-crafted projects for adults in the areas of fantasy, horror, mystery, and dark, unconventional romance. In terms of nonfiction, Lana is looking for fresh perspectives on popular culture and science from bloggers, academics, and journalists.
- See more at: http://www.zshliterary.com/lana-popovic.html#sthash.VJMIOEyS.dpuf