Editor / Agent Spotlight

Meet Literary Agent Lori Steel

By Susan Koehler on October 30, 2024 / Articles, Editor / Agent Spotlight

It’s been a big year for Lori Steel. As an established literary agent with a track record of solid experience and successful clients, she decided to open her own agency, SteelWorks Literary. We’re grateful that Lori found the time to be a part of our agent spotlight, and we know you’ll enjoy learning more about her.

Hi Lori! I think it would be great to start our conversation by learning a little about your path to becoming an agent.

My path to agenting started working with books first as an educator and school librarian, where I had the privilege of matching young readers to books. I am also a writer, and my experience as an MFA student at Vermont College’s Writing for Children and Young Adults program was transformative. Shortly after graduating in 2012, I was given the unexpected opportunity to be an assistant at Greenhouse Literary, which was then housed near DC. Later, I interned at other agencies, before joining Jacqui Lipton and team at Raven Quill Literary. When RQLA merged with Tobias Literary, I joined the wonderful team at Red Fox Literary before founding my own agency, SteelWorks Literary.

Starting your own agency is a big deal! Can you walk us through the experience?

It’s been an exciting and busy launch, with an incredibly warm reception (and support!) from editors, fellow agents, and other industry colleagues. It’s gratifying to see SWL client projects already thriving, with plenty of new deals, books releasing to strong reviews, and recent Society of Illustrator recognitions for two SteelWorks titles.

How would you describe the mission and vision of SteelWorks Literary?

I’ve always had a vision for creating an agency home focused on craft and career development, and a sense of community. A place where deals are made, of course, but also relationships are forged, alongside a professional development mindset. SteelWorks Literary is a space where creatives are supported and encouraged to explore, stretch, and grow beyond expectations and conventions.

It sounds like you’ve created a great environment. I’m sure a lot of authors are watching for your submissions window to open. What are some things you’d like to see in their queries?

A strong pitch that showcases the narrative voice and plot effectively, compelling pacing, fully realized setting, and a professionally crafted query letter will get the best attention.

Which genres/themes/subjects are you drawn to/not drawn to?

I’m drawn to middle grade stories that reflect a deep understanding of their audience and trust readers to create inferential leaps where warranted. I’m particularly drawn to setting-rich environments – even in contemporary novels – where the author’s sense of place feels authentic and realized.

Didactic narratives that place message above story-telling, space-bound sci-fi, and overly heavy informational text aren’t strong fits for my list.

What advice do you have for authors who would like to send you a query?

Give yourself time and space to ensure your project is ready for submission. A few weeks or months later is not going to impact interest, but quality of story will! And when it’s ready to share, keep an eye open on SteelWorks Literary’s social media pages and the agency’s website for open windows. I also open for special events such as conferences and workshops.

Here at the Mixed-Up Files, we are all about middle grade, and I understand you also have a great fondness for this wonderful category of literature. What do you love most about middle-grade novels?

Middle Grade is that special audience of independent readers, who are still open to trying all varieties of formats. With the age range of 8-12 (generally), this audience tends to have wide appetites. They’ll read an entire mystery series, before diving into a WW2 historical novel, or a humorous contemporary, illustrated novel. They crave connection and insights into the world, as they seek to find their place within it. What I love most is that this audience is still open to read-alouds – and a strong MG novel will always have this quality! Hook a reader at this age, and you have a reader for life.

What are some of your favorite current middle-grade novels?

Right now I’m reading Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures and am swept away by the rich language and worldbuilding, dynamic pacing, and a sincere trust she shows her readers. Her books never disappoint and I have a deep appreciation for the depth of scholarly work she puts into each of her books.

We’ve all heard the distressing news about the “middle grade slump” and some downward trends in this market. Where do you think the middle grade market is headed?

This is a tricky question as it’s impossible to know how the market will respond to readers’ fluctuating needs, interests, and other outside forces. Currently, we’re seeing strong interest in graphic and illustrated novels, and a return to the shorter, more accessible middle grade novel format. While more robust page counts have been challenging to sell this past couple of years, the pendulum will swing back again. It always does! Readers need books, and new stories, with as much page count, genre, and format varieties as their intended audiences.

It seems like you’ve been very busy at SteelWorks Literary. Tell us about some current SWL projects that you’re excited about.

I’m excited about all SWL forthcoming projects! But since we’re talking middle grade, I’ll share Tate Godwin’s debut graphic novel series – starting with Operation: Cover Up! – which releases January 2025 from Andrews McMeel. Operation: Cover Up! introduces three unlikely friends as they navigate the complicated and comical terrain of fifth grade, learn how to be good friends, and remain true to themselves.

I’m also excited about Jilanne Hoffmann’s HeartLand debut middle grade novel. It’s a coming-of-age story told in parallel timelines and alternating POVs – in both prose and verse – about a girl on a sixth-generation Iowa farm, the legacy of the 1980s farm crisis, and a rooted-in-reality environmental cover-up that threatens the groundwater of the entire state (Little Brown Young Readers, fall 2025).

We’ve learned a lot about your work. I’m sure everyone would like to know more about ***you*. What are some of your favorite things that have nothing to do with being an agent?**

Time with family and friends. Being outside – whether that’s walking the dog, working in the garden, being near the water, or going for a hike…and baking for after-walk treats.

Where can authors learn more about you?

You can find out more about SteelWorks Literary on Instagram and Facebook @Steelworksliterary, and on Bluesky @steelworksliterary.bsky.social. Of course, you can also check out my MSWL.

Thanks so much for joining us, Lori! It’s been great learning about you and SteelWorks Literary, and we wish you all the best!

NEW AGENT: Meet East/West Literary Agent Jim Averbeck

By Erin Dealey on October 7, 2024 / Editor / Agent Spotlight, For Writers

We are thrilled to welcome Jim Averbeck to the Agent Spotlight on The Mixed-up Files of Middle Grade Authors today. Jim Averbeck is NEW to agenting as of his September announcement, but definitely not to #kidlit. He is looking to represent picture book author/illustrators as well as middle grade and YA authors. The first client to join him was the NYT #1 bestselling, critically acclaimed author Ellen Hopkins. We are excited to hear all about his new venture with East/West Literary Agency.

Welcome Jim. Are you ready for some questions?

ED: Your #kidlit resume includes so many “chapters” –from award-winning author/illustrator/ middle grade author, SCBWI RA, to mentor and conference critiques and editorial feedback. How might these experiences influence your approach to agenting?

Jim Averbeck: Thank you for featuring me today. As a middle grade author, myself, I have always appreciated this blog.

ED Fun fact: Jim’s mg A HITCH AT THE FAIRMONT (Atheneum) is mentioned in a MUF post: https://fromthemixedupfiles.com/cope/

Jim Averbeck: As for your first question, I think the biggest influence on my agenting style will be the mentoring/editorial work I’ve done (and still do) with authors who want to make their manuscript the very best it can be.

I’ve had more than a dozen people thank me on social media for helping them polish their manuscript in a way that resulted in them selling their first book. They, and many others, have said they are grateful that I was able to see into the emotional heart of their stories and was able to identify the way to bring it to its best. So I hope to bring that ability to my clients.

ED: How important is the query letter?

Jim Averbeck: It’s an opportunity to give some insight into what is unique about your story and why you are uniquely suited to write it. But ultimately the work has to shine on its own.

ED: In addition to repping picture book author/illustrators, your E/W Literary announcement states: In middle grade, YA, and graphic novels, Averbeck is interested in science fiction, low or historical fantasy, and literary fiction with memorable, quirky protagonists and steadfast supporting characters who break stereotypes and tropes. Are there published examples that come to mind, or books that you wish you had agented?

Jim Averbeck: Great question! Here ’s a list of published books I like:

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

The City We Became by NK Jemisin

The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E Butler

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

Those books by Laini Taylor about the fierce little fairies (I was super-bummed they didn’t catch on so the series could continue) …

Anything by Neil Gaiman

Anything by Steve Sheinkin

Anything…you know what? How about I just take pictures of my bookcases. Most of what is on them survived the “cull” when I moved 3 years ago, so I probably like the books shown.

Click the photos for an Inside Look at what’s on Jim Averbeck’s shelves!

Jim Averbeck: As for my TBR pile, I just received a copy of Ellen Hopkins’ latest, SYNC, and can’t wait to dig in.

ED: Claudia, one of the main characters in E.L Konigsburg’s book Mixed Up Files… for which our group is named, is a stickler for grammar. Would you stop reading a submission if it has a few typos, grammatical errors, or misspelled words?

Jim Averbeck: Typos and misspelled words tell me the author is careless so maybe I’d stop if the work wasn’t immediately brilliant. Grammar could have been tossed in service to character or author voice so that probably wouldn’t stop me. That said, I really hate it when people can’t get lie vs lay straight! So much so that whenever anyone says “I’m going to lay down” I mentally add “my troubles” to stop from squirming uncomfortably.

ED: Do you plan to notify all who submit to you—both the yays and the nays?

Jim Averbeck: That’s the plan. It would be somewhat rude to leave people hanging. That said, my current system still has a few kinks so it might take a while before it is all running smoothly.

ED: What was your favorite book as a child? What’s on your TBR pile right now? (Besides manuscripts.)

Jim Averbeck: My favorite book as a child was Kathryn Jackson’s and Richard Scarry’s “365 Stories: One for Each Day of the Year” It’s had a number of titles over the years. I still have the same copy I had as a child – a very worn, very torn copy.

ED: Are you interested in being invited to writer’s conferences?

Jim Averbeck Yes.

ED: And now for the question all our readers have been waiting for: How should authors submit to you? Is there a link?

Jim Averbeck: Folks should go to jimaverbeck.com/agenting. There is a button there for submitting a query, as well as information on what to submit.

Endless Thanks to Jim Averbeck for letting us celebrate his new AGENT hat today.

Wishing you great success, Jim.

Let the querying begin!

Editor Spotlight With Hannah Kimber

By Lisa Schmid on September 29, 2024 / Articles, Editor / Agent Spotlight

I’m thrilled to welcome Andrews McMeel Kids editor Hannah Kimber to the Mixed-Up Files. She is the proud cat mom of Gordo, Kiko, and Pickle. She is also my editor for HART & SOULS. I am so grateful she could tear herself away from work and her fur babies long enough to share her wisdom and publishing insights.

Let’s do this! (Meow)

Lisa: Hi, Hannah! Please tell us a bit about Andrews McMeel Kids.

Hannah: Andrews McMeel is known in the publishing world for its high quality webcomic collections, poetry, and of course a handful of middle grade bestsellers like Big Nate, Phoebe and Her Unicorn, and Trapped in a Video Game. In the last few years we’ve added some amazing titles to our kids’ roster, including Meems and Feefs, Pocket Peaches, Enola Holmes Graphic Novel Series and Cat Ninja. Our kids’ publishing program acts as an extension of our history in newspaper comic syndication: high quality graphic novels that inspire, delight, and make reading fun! In addition to graphic novels, we have illustrated middle grade prose (Matt Sprouts and the Curse of the Ten Broken Toes, Hart & Souls, and the Show Strides series), non-fiction, and younger reader graphic novel formats (Bean the Stretchy Dragon, Birtle and the Purple Turtles, and Kitten Ninja). At Andrews McMeel we hope to connect to the—not necessarily reluctant or hesitant, but—”distracted” reader.

Lisa: How did you get involved with children’s publishing?

Hannah: I started as an assistant to the Andrews McMeel CEO, Kirsty Melville. This was a really unique position because I got to see the business from the top down. Kirsty is a very hands-on publisher and the team is intimate, so I was able to participate in a variety of meetings and tasks related to publishing on both the editorial and the sales and marketing side. I initially thought I wanted to work in adult publishing, but then I met Erinn Pascal, our fantastic Senior Editor, and working with her convinced me that kidlit was the place to be—it’s meaningful, rewarding, and SO much fun! I love that working in children’s publishing reminds me not to take myself so seriously.

Lisa: What middle grade books inspired you as a child?

Hannah: I’m peak Millennial, so I have to, of course, say Harry Potter. I remember staying up late, the night before I started a new school. I couldn’t sleep but was immediately comforted by escaping into the world of Harry Potter! I was a big fan of fantasy, so I also loved reading The Chronicles of Narnia, His Dark Materials, and even Lord of the Rings when I was a bit too young to truly take it in, but was excited about the movies coming out (I reread it later in college).

I had a lot of other one-off books that also inspired me. I loved Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, Holes by Louis Sachar, and Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. I grew up in Kansas so I also had a particular affinity for the Laura Ingalls Wilder series! I loved anything that was an escape.

Lisa: What middle grade books are you working on now that you’re excited about?

Hannah: I’m doing a lot of graphic novels, which is really fun because my educational background is in art/art history. It’s so fun to not only be stretching my writing muscles all the time, but extending that to visual storytelling and the way that the text and the images work together. I just finished working on a great graphic novel called Life Really Socks about a pair of socks where one “twin” gets lost in a washing machine portal. It’s clever and silly—my favorite!

Lisa: What tips do you have for writers regarding writing and submitting?

Hannah: Don’t give up! But also, don’t linger. Let me explain: Try to remember that publishing and in general the book market is very cyclical. What may be rejected or not sought after for a period of time can also see a resurgence in many ways later down the road. That isn’t to say that we should be repeating things we’ve done in the past, but rather adding new and modern spins to them. If you have a project that continues to get rejected—don’t necessarily give up on it. It’s okay to keep it on the back burner for a while and revisit it later when it may be more viable on the market. And similarly, don’t linger on a project so long that you forget that you have other projects inside of you, too! Keep writing, keep creating, keep being curious and seeing what is out there.

Lisa: What advice would you give to a debut author? Both in terms of writing and working with an editor?

Hannah: In writing and in terms of working with an editor I would say be flexible and open to collaboration! Editors are kind of interesting people because we have to have both the creative side (type B) and the business side (type A). As a fellow creative, I know how vulnerable it can be to put your work out there, and I try to always respect that in the work I do with authors. The business side of me also wants the project to be the best that it can be based on the knowledge I’ve gathered working as an editor, and the knowledge my team brings to the table! I think it is the most fun for both author and editor when the creative process is a respectful collaboration. And I think that creating kidlit should be fun, honestly!

Lisa: What are some under-represented MG topics you’d like to see more of?

Hannah: I think we are lucky to be in a time where people are becoming more cognizant that there has been a lack of topics, themes, or voices on the market. At Andrews McMeel we are constantly striving to make sure that our books do not reflect one world view or theme, and we are also very careful to make sure that a variety of people with a variety of backgrounds work on each of our books to ensure that they are authentic, sensitive, and relatable. That being said, there are still plenty of topics out there that are not being covered by authors! For example, mythology is a very trendy theme but we still see a lot of Greek or Western-centric mythology. I also am loving the recent surge in middle-grade novels-in-verse. It seems like this format can tackle a lot of themes or topics that may be untouched because they are sensitive (i.e. grief, death, bullying, etc.) I think that whatever theme authors are writing about, as long as it is authentic and comes from a sincere place, then there is a place for it out there!

Lisa: What makes your eyes light up and your heart sing when scanning the submissions folder?

Hannah: A proposal that helps me answer the hard questions! Don’t be afraid to position your proposal and envision it on the market. Don’t be afraid to have comp titles or potential BISAC codes! I think some people can be worried about putting labels on their work too soon and having that be a turn off, but publishers are going to change BISACs/positioning ideas/etc. as they see best for the book. As an editor, what I love is when I can see that the author has thought through some of these questions and really knows their work inside and out. Obviously the real work begins when the deal is made, and many of those things can change. But what doesn’t change is my impression that the author is thinking through all of the decisions related to their book!

About Hannah:

Hannah Kimber has been with Andrews McMeel since 2019. In 2016, Hannah graduated with her MA in English Literature from Saint Louis University in Madrid, Spain. After three years of living and working in Madrid, Hannah moved back to her hometown of Kansas City and started working as a store manager at Barnes & Noble, a dream-come-true for anyone who understands a serious book-buying addiction. While pursuing a role in publishing, Hannah encountered Andrews McMeel—an independent publishing house right in her own backyard. After joining AMU as an assistant to President & Publisher Kirsty Melville, Hannah was able to get a top-down view of the publishing business.

As an editor, she mainly acquires children’s books in the upper middle grade age-range, with the occasional adult humor or comics collection. Hannah also works on licensed projects in both the children’s and adult categories. Middle grade and YA graphic novels and illustrated fiction are always welcome, but she also enjoys projects that play with format and design in interesting ways. Fantasy, adventure, and historical and contemporary fiction are her favorite themes. She appreciates stories told from a fresh perspective.

To learn more, please check out her Manuscript Wishlist .