Topics covered in this interview include:

• How writers should approach literary agents and how to find the agents most appropriate for their work.
• What fiction and non-fiction writers should have in hand before they reach out to an agent about their work.
• What an author platform is and why writers should start building one before they approach agents.
• How authors can work with an agent most effectively.
• Whether screenwriters who want to author print books should mention their work in creating film and television content.
• How self-publishing on Amazon can be part of building author platform.
• Three kinds of author/agent relationships, and the one you most want to build.
• How to know when an agent/author relationship isn't working and how to legally, professionally, and comfortably let an agent go.
• The work you need to do in order to be able to support your career (appearances, blogging, creating more content to sell, etc)
• How to approach your agent about opportunities or publishers you'd like your agent to pursue.

This is an excellent interview for you to listen to if you are currently looking for a literary agent, or you have an agent but the relationship doesn't seem to be working well for you. 

About Megan Close Zavala

Megan Close Zavala is a literary agent at Keller Media. Her passion lies not only in getting great books published, but in working closely with the authors who write them. Nothing is more exciting than a great new idea or story!

A bibliophile for as long as she can remember, Megan has found her dream job working in the world of publishing. Prior to her agenting career, Megan read, reviewed, edited, rejected and selected thousands of book and script projects for agencies, film companies and publishing companies. She uses her background in entertainment and legal affairs in negotiating the best deals for her clients and in helping them think outside of the box.

While she represents books in all genres, she is currently most interested in the following genres: Self-Help, Relationships, Pop Culture, Pop Psychology, Parenting, Management, Career, Entrepreneurship, Business, Personal Finance, and Fiction (especially Crime, Mystery/Suspense, and Literary).

Note, Megan represents books but not screenplays. If you have a book that would make a good movie after publication, she can work to sell those rights, but she's not the right agent for a screenwriter who wants to sell a script to Hollywood.

Some of her clients include:

Mark O’Connell, prolific film and television writer: https://www.amazon.com/Close-Encounters-Man-World-Believe/dp/0062484176

Natalie McCain, photographer and body image thought leader: https://www.amazon.com/Honest-Body-Project-Untouched-Portraits/dp/1510720936

Music in this Episode was licensed for commercial use from Pond5.com.