SPOTLIGHT FEATURE: Introducing The Liverpool Literary Agency, and founder Clare Coombes

Happy Wednesday, all!

Today I am excited to share with you a little bit about a new and upcoming agency that is really opening doors for Northern writers.

Clare set up The Liverpool Literary Agency—the city’s first—in 2020, to help other writers break into publishing. The impetus behind the decision came from observing the many barriers which befall local and talented, yet underrepresented, writers from all backgrounds.

Clare is a new agent, but with her wide array of experience, gained from working in PR and marketing, undertaking an MA in Writing, and publishing her own books (both with an indie press and her own imprint), she is more than qualified to take the lead on such a promising project. In fact, in just a year, the Liverpool Literary Agency has already expanded and is now excited to welcome Anna Gamble to their lovely and growing team.

Clare is one of our many agents offering 121s this summer. This is our bespoke service offering both valuable and personal feedback on your work from leading literary agencies across the country. Clare and her team have already signed an author through this service, and she has very kindly taken some time away from her busy schedule to offer us a short yet exciting interview.

Without further ado, below are some highlights from the interview, where Clare tells us a bit about what she’s seeking as an agent, and the future of Liverpool Literary Agency.

Don’t hesitate to check out the interview in full, on Clare’s AgentMatch profile.

“It’s amazing seeing the creativity come out of the region and the amazing stories people tell, and the ethos, the moral compass and messages within the books. Even a crime book can have a message about social inequality but keep the plot exciting and the reader hooked.”

Hey Clare, thanks for joining us today! We’d love to get to hear more about what you’re looking for in your submissions this year, your advice for authors, and not to mention the exciting plans you’ve got for Liverpool Literary Agency!

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

I love historical settings, women’s fiction, psychological thrillers, unreliable narrators, dual narratives, and stories about identity and our place in the world. I love historical fiction, especially World War Two resistance stories… it’s where I found my voice as a writer. I think it’s because that period in history shows the life and death decisions people had to make, and raises that question of—what would you do? There are too many parallels of war, refugees and prejudice, between then and now, and I think writing in this genre can help to open people’s eyes.

Q. What do you look for in a query letter?

I like it when writers create their own logline/elevator pitch, even if we later tweak it. We had a great pitch with a ‘Sophie Kinsella meets Schitt’s Creek’ for a women’s fiction book, and I want writers to know that they should feel confident enough to align their work with well-known examples. Don’t say your book is ‘unlike anything else out there’—it’s an instant red flag because we agents need to know how to pitch it to the commissioning editors at publishing houses. If you, as the author, don’t know where it sits in the market, then neither will they.

A key thing for me is also seeing, is the passion there? Why does the writer want to tell this story? What’s their story? You can be narrating any gender or background, telling any story—it doesn’t have to be based on personal experience, but what is it about that particular story for you?

Q. Any advice on writing a good synopsis?

A good rule of thumb for determining what stays and what goes: If the ending wouldn’t make sense without the character or plot point being mentioned, then it belongs in the synopsis. If the character or plot point comes up repeatedly throughout the story, and increases the tension or complication each time, then it definitely belongs.

Q. It’s so exciting to see the Liverpool Literary Agency grow, what shall we expect from you and your team next?

We’re launching a new website soon, listing all our authors, and we’ll be excited to announce the recent deals on there too. We’re excited to keep growing, helping more writers from underrepresented backgrounds get into publishing, and hopefully expanding our team.

If you are interested in booking a one-to-one session with Clare, please visit here.

If you‘re in need of some support and advice in regards to your query letter and synopsis, please do check out our resources on our website; we have lots of information to help guide you on your way. Or, if you’re a member with us, our lovely Writers Support team will be happy to offer you a free query letter review! Login to access the service here.