SPOTLIGHT FEATURE: Imogen Pelham from Marjacq

Good morning, everyone!

Imogen Pelham is a literary agent who joined Marjacq in 2015 after five years of experience at Aitken Alexander Associates. She represents literary fiction and standout commercial fiction, as well as non-fiction including memoir, history, medicine, psychology and investigative journalism.

Authors represented by Imogen include Annie Garthwaite (Cecily, published July 2021), Gabriella Braun (All That We Are, published February 2022), Yara Rodrigues Fowler (there are more things, April 2022) and Jimi Famurewa (Settlers, published October 2022).

You can find Imogen on Twitter at @immmy. Imogen also offers one-to-one sessions with Jericho Writers – if you think she’d love your work, book now!

“Once a book comes to life – with a cover, in a bookshop, being read, reviewed, and prize-listed – that’s really special.”

Hi Imogen, thanks for speaking with us today! We’re excited to hear about your journey into the industry and what you’re looking for in a submission.

Q. What brought you to agenting?

I always knew I wanted to work in publishing. As I looked into it, I realised that agenting would allow me to work directly with authors, which was important to me, and also to get into the nuts and bolts of the business side. I quite enjoy unpicking knotty contractual language and understanding all the numbers!

Q. What’s at the top of your fiction wish-list?

I love literary fiction that doesn’t shy away from story-telling – Meg Wolitzer, Elizabeth Strout, Katherine Heiny. Novels like Such A Fun Age and Detransition, Baby, which use characterisation and brilliant storytelling to shine a light on other people’s experiences. I also love dark fiction which plays with genre, like Rumaan Alam, Oyinkan Braithwaite, and Megan Abbott.

Q. What’s at the top of your non-fiction wish-list?

I would love something like The Premonitions Bureau by Sam Knight; a book which combines investigative journalism/research and brilliant storytelling. Any kind of history which tells us something about ourselves or our world today; I love books which combine research with compassion.

Q. Is there any genre you’d rather not receive?

In fiction – any Science Fiction or Fantasy. I don’t mind a speculative edge, or something slightly wonky in our recognisable world, but anything which sits more firmly in genre isn’t for me. Also, action thrillers and wartime stories aren’t really for me, either.

In non-fiction – no straight self-help, nor super-straight biography/history. My ideal non-fiction writer is an expert (or fierce researcher!) with a real human touch.

Q: What is a day in the life of an agent like for you?

Hectic! I could very easily spend the day doing emails – whether that’s keeping in touch with authors and editors, contract negotiations, querying royalty statements, submissions, problem-solving, writing editorial feedback, and more. But then there’s all the reading, and the editing, and also all the meetings on top. It’s a constant juggle.

Q. What do you want to see in a query letter? And what do you hate?

The most important thing is a really clear sense of what your book is. It’s all in that pitch: two or three sentences which communicate what the central tension (or thesis) of the book is, and make me want to read more.

Q. Same question when it comes to the synopsis. What should writers do? What should they avoid?

Clarity is everything. We don’t need every detail, we just need the main beats of the plot. When I read a synopsis, it should be clear to me where we start, what is our central question or where does it all go wrong, and whether it’s satisfyingly resolved.

Q. What are you looking for in the opening pages of a novel? What really excites you?

I want the known unknowns! I want to be asking questions, to feel like I have most of the information, but I can tell something is out of my reach, or that something is about to go wrong.

Q. What’s your favourite thing about being an agent?

Looking at my authors’ books and remembering the early stages of the project when it landed in my inbox. Once a book comes to life – with a cover, in a bookshop, being read, reviewed, and prize-listed – that’s really special.

Q. What are some of your favourite authors and books?

In fiction – My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout, My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Otessa Moshfegh, Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion, Faces in the Crowd by Valeria Luiselli, Leaving the Atocha Station by Ben Lerner, and Wait Until Spring, Bandini by Fante. In non-fiction, The Red Parts by Maggie Nelson, and Brain on Fire by Susan Cahalan.

Q. Any final words of advice for authors in the querying process?

Querying is really difficult, and as our business is entirely subjective, sometimes it is just a question of holding out for the person who’s going to believe in and work with you. Keep reading other contemporary writing in a similar area to yours, be as targeted as possible with the agents you choose to query, and try to think critically about your own work and whether it does need some revision before it’s ready for an agent.

The full interview can be found on Imogen’s AgentMatch profile.

In the meantime, if you’re struggling with your query letter and synopsis, do check out our free resources on our website. We have lots of info to help you on your way. Or, better still, if you’re a member with us, our lovely Writers Support team will be happy to offer you a free query letter review!