Consultation with a Literary Agent
Would talking to an expert 1-on-1 make a big difference for you?
I’m a literary agent with over 22 years of experience in children’s books, graphic novels, and the publishing industry.
If you’re thinking about signing up for a call with me, it might be because:
- The publishing industry feels confusing or even impenetrable to you
- You’re finding it difficult to balance the need to create your best work with also somehow “putting yourself out there”
- You’re struggling with the decision of whether to look for an agent and seek a traditional publishing deal, or whether to self-publish or go the crowdfunding route
- You’re planning a book launch but feel completely overwhelmed by everything you’re supposed to do, and unsure how to prioritize
If you can relate to any of these issues, you have come to the right person.
I totally understand how hard this industry can be to navigate. I love helping writers and artists conquer the overwhelm and break things into manageable, step-by-step plans that leverage their own personal strengths.
In other words, my goal is to help you get where you want to go.
What You’ll Get From a Consulting Call
Here’s a list of potential topics we could focus on in a call:
- How your work fits into the overall market for children’s books and graphic novels right now
- How to find your audience and build your “platform”
- How to make a marketing plan for your book launch
- How to set career goals as a graphic novelist/children’s book creator
- Should you self-publish or try to get an agent
- Crowdfunding vs self-publishing vs traditional publishing
- How to leverage your strengths to develop a strong “creator brand”
- Developing a publishing business plan
Most often, I help creators in the following areas:
Is your work ready for traditional publishing?
I can review your work’s concept, structure, and marketability. I will give you constructive feedback on whether your project aligns with current market trends and publisher expectations. I can help you identify the unique qualities of your work that will make it stand out to agents and publishers, ensuring you are well-prepared for the submission process.
How can you reach your target audience?
I can help you identify effective ways to build your author brand, engage with readers (not just on social media!), and leverage online platforms to increase your book's visibility. From creating a compelling website to planning impactful author events, I can guide you through the process, step-by-step. If you invest in a multi-session package, we can work together to develop a comprehensive marketing plan. (If you’re interested in this, we can discuss it on your first call with me.)
What are the pros and cons of different publishing routes?
Nowadays there are so many options for publishing: getting an agent and traditional publishing deal; crowdfunding; self-publishing; and even hybrid publishing. Figuring out which path is right for you depends entirely on which one aligns best with your goals. I can help you clarify your what you want and discuss how to pursue the right publishing and distribution model for you.
How should you build your platform as an author or illustrator?
During our consultation, I can review your current online presence, including your website, social media profiles, and any other platforms you use. Together, we can identify areas for improvement and develop a step by step action plan to enhance your visibility and engagement. I can provide guidance on creating compelling content, optimizing your profiles, and effectively using your personal strengths to grow your audience. (As I said above, developing a comprehensive marketing plan would require a multi-session package.)
Who I Am
Hi, I’m Janna!
I’m a literary agent specializing in graphic novels and visual storytelling. I’m also the founder of Kids Comics Unite, a thriving online community for writers and artists who create graphic novels for kids and teens. Kids Comics Unite has more than 2000 members from over 50 countries – and it’s free.
I started my career at Scholastic, where I co-founded the Graphix imprint. Later, I was the Director of the Kids Group for Diamond Book Distributors, and launched and ran the NYC Department of Education’s “NYC Reads 365” literacy initiative.
I’ve worked with bestselling creators like Raina Telgemeier, Jeff Smith, and Kazu Kibuishi. I’ve helped launch brand new publishing imprints like Graphix and Toon Books. I currently work with emerging talents like Misako Rocks!, Debbie Fong, Shauna Grant, and Rivkah LaFille, among many others. I’ve helped clients earn more than a total of $1M in book advances and have played an integral part in the emergence of kids graphic novels as one of the most dynamic categories in book publishing today.
What Does the Consulting Call Include?
Pre-Consult Prep
A pre-questionnaire you will fill out to help me understand your situation and specific challenges.
Advance review
I can review in advance a query letter, partial manuscript, or pitch; websites and/or social media accounts; or other marketing materials relevant to our discussion. (Note that I can’t read your entire book and I don’t offer in-depth editorial evaluations or developmental editing.)
1:1 Personal Consult
A 45-minute video call where we'll discuss your situation. No chit-chat, we'll get straight to the issues that you need help with! You can ask me any questions you want, and I'll offer my best advice. Most clients get all their questions answered and have concrete next steps within the 45 minute call.
Follow Up Recap
Follow-up in writing recapping our discussion, including links to any books, websites, people, or other resources we discussed.
How to Book a Call
I only have a few coaching calls available per month. The cost is currently $225 for a 45 minute session.
I also offer a package of three sessions for $600.
If you are interested in working with me to develop a complete, customized book marketing plan, you would need to book the 3-session package. Or if you would like me to act as your book coach – offering accountability and feedback over a period of time, this is the right package for you.
If you are interested in the 3-session package, we can set it up on your first call.
Click the button below to schedule — I look forward to meeting you!
Disclaimers
There are some things I can’t help with.
- I do not offer in-depth editorial critiques, developmental editing, or line editing
- I can’t help you find an agent
- I can’t give you a magic formula for book marketing success (there is, alas, no magic formula)
What Consulting Clients Say
"It's far and away the most helpful experience I've had with these kinds of calls. Janna went above and beyond to not just brainstorm, but create new paths that I hadn't thought about. She has such an expansive knowledge of publishing that makes her uniquely positioned to give advice on so many different subjects. And her honesty was refreshing as well."
“The world of graphic novels is so new that figuring out the rules is extremely difficult. You cut through the useless chatter and told me what my next steps should be and how to do them. You had lots of valuable information at your fingertips, including examples and web links.”
– Amy Law
“All the information about publishers and what makes an ideal pitch deck was very helpful as well as the time you made at the end to directly answer specific questions about which pages to include in the excerpt.”
– LD Green
"I found the call very helpful. I appreciated hearing your insights not only from an industry expert's perspective, but also as someone who is seeing my story with fresh eyes. Moving forward, I know which parts of my pitch work well and which ones I may need to change to make it more palatable for agents. I really enjoy one-on-one discussions with people when seeking feedback as it not only helps me to better process the information, but also get a sense of where the person is coming from that provides me a foundation for their suggestions."
"It was so good to hear the perspective of someone who understands the publishing world on some of the questions we had about where our book fit, what route we should take, and what we were totally missing in our promotion and planning! I feel like the call saved us months of pursuing the wrong direction for our project."
"Incredibly helpful. Janna cuts to the chase and gives you actionable insight and advice. We covered all the topics I wanted to address and Janna answered my questions in a way that was both understandable and greatly expanded my understanding of the market and the querying process.
“Janna provided insight and professional suggestions on my publishing direction for an MG GN novel. She was also kind enough to offer additional suggestions of possible industry professionals who may be interested in what I write.”
"I had decided this was THE YEAR to get an agent, and really, you were right, it's really the year of making more comic work and sharing it. Which should have been obvious, because I always lament the lack of comics in my portfolio, but, sometimes the obvious is hard to see. You asked a lot of great questions and were really informative when it came to next steps, why you thought I should do 'a' instead of 'b,' and what agents are thinking when they look at your work."
"I would recommend Janna to anyone choosing a career in comics for sure. I can say honestly I would not be where I am right now if I didn't join the online community of Kids Comic Unite. It's there I built up my confidence and craft. It took me a while before having a 1:1, but anyone who wants to get serious about their comic craft and wants to make those first steps to starting a business and getting published independently or traditionally, should talk to industry professionals like Janna. She's the best."
"'That was AMAZING!' These were the exact words Cassy texted to me immediately after getting off our call. You gave us a roadmap to follow, plus invaluable feedback and resources we never would have found on our own. After speaking with you, we feel excited and energized about our project, but we also have realistic expectations of what we can expect as we go down this road. This mix of feedback, encouragement, and insight into the realities of children's book publishing from someone who's been there and knows the industry was exactly what we wanted—and exactly what we got."
"I just wanted to send you a BIG, BIG thank you for all of your feedback and advice.... I am so grateful for your recommendation to make the pitch packet visual + the example you shared. I have converted my lengthy Word doc into a Canva presentation, and I feel so much better about it. I've also gotten really positive feedback from the few people I've shared it with. THANK YOU again. Your advice was so helpful, and I am grateful."