SPOTLIGHT FEATURE – Kesia Lupo from The Bindery Agency

Good morning, everyone!

This week, I’m delighted to introduce Kesia Lupo: editor, author, and new Associate Agent at US literary agency The Bindery.

Kesia started her publishing career in Editorial Services at Pan Macmillan before moving to children’s book publisher Chicken House where she worked up to the position of Senior Editor. In 2019, Kesia’s first novel We Are Blood and Thunder was published by Bloomsbury YA, with a sequel following in 2020. Her latest novel, YA thriller Let’s Play Murder, was published in April 2023.

As an agent, Kesia is primarily looking for YA and middle grade fiction, but she is also open to adult genre fiction including fantasy, horror and psychological thriller.

You can find Kesia on Twitter @keslupo, where you can learn more about her experiences as an editor and agent.

“Having an agent on my side since 2015 has been so valuable and I would love to provide that kind of support to others.”

Hi Kesia, thanks for speaking with us today!

What brought you to agenting?

I’ve been working in publishing for around a decade now. I started out in Editorial Services (working on copyedits, proofreads and project management) for Pan Macmillan – where I got to work for some amazing imprints including SFF/Horror list Tor – then I spent eight glorious years working my way up from Junior to Senior Editor at boutique children’s publisher Chicken House, acquiring and editing middle-grade and YA fiction. An international move (from the UK to California) led me to a big crossroads in my career. I was attracted to the Bindery – and agenting generally – for a lot of reasons. The Bindery is a small and passionate team, their main expertise is in non-fiction but they’re keen to expand into other areas (hence hiring me!). I love the idea of learning a new area of the industry I love, and especially the idea of advocating for authors and finding and developing new talent ready for publishers.

How has your editorial background influenced your approach?

I’ll probably always be an ‘editorial agent’ – meaning I will be expecting to work on projects editorially before submitting to publishers. I love the idea of finding something with real potential, then working with the author to make it sellable. I think my experience on the other side of the publisher/agent desk will really help here as I know what editors (especially in children’s!) are looking for.

What about being a published author yourself? Has this influenced the way you approach your work as an agent, or your understanding of what makes a good author-agent relationship?

I love the fact that as an author myself, I understand better than most people what authors are going through and what they want and need. Namely: communication, kindness, realism and transparency! As a result of my experiences, I will always level with my authors as well as fighting for their best interests. I’ve learned from the best: my own agent (Veronique Baxter at David Higham Associates) has been incredibly supportive and kind to me. Your relationship with your publisher and editor is important and can last years, but due to a variety of factors (staff turnover at publishers or writers wanting to pursue different genres, for instance) you are more likely to change publisher/editor than you are to change your agent. Having an agent on my side long-term (since 2015!) has been so valuable and I would love to provide that kind of support to others.

What’s your favourite thing about being an agent?

So far, I’m loving all the submissions I’m receiving and talking to lots of authors online! There has been so much excitement about a new agent on the block. I know there will come a point when the number of submissions feels overwhelming, but right now I’m so grateful and am enjoying reading so much creative work.

What’s at the top of your wishlist in fiction?

I would love to continue in my areas of expertise – YA and MG fiction. In YA I’m particularly looking for original fantasy, romantasy, psychological thrillers, horror, science fiction and heart-pounding adventure. In MG I love stories that feel classic but accessible across genres, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, adventure and contemporary.

In addition, I’m looking to build a genre fiction adult list: fantasy, psychological thrillers, horror – I enjoy adult science fiction too but it has to be accessible, I’m not the right fit for big, complex space operas. I’m interested in romance and historical fiction as well.

In general, I adore anything high concept and absolutely love a twist. And I love it when an author brings their personal experiences to bear on what they write. Finally, if you consider yourself or your experiences underrepresented in publishing, I would absolutely love to hear from you.

For lists of titles I acquired and edited at Chicken House, books I wrote and some books for adults I like please see my bookshop.org shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/kesialupo

How about non-fiction?

I’m really interested in history (my bachelor’s degree was in history!), culture, politics, psychology and narrative non-fiction. Across the board, I am looking for non-fiction proposals to feel accessible and engaging. My non-fiction favourites include The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson, Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright, A Bit of a Stretch by Chris Atkins, and Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb. I listen to lots of non-fiction podcasts on subjects such as mythology/paranormal activity (I love Lore!) and true crime, though I prefer tricks and scams (Scamfluencers is my absolute fave) to murder and violence – so I’d look at non-fiction in those areas with interest, too.

Are there any genres you would prefer not to receive?

I’m not the right person for poetry, very literary/experimental fiction, anything highly illustrated or academic non-fiction. Beyond that, there’s nothing I would specifically rule out!

What does the day in the life of an agent look like for you?

You’ve caught me on my very first week of being a literary agent! At the moment, I don’t have any clients (!) so my day is literally spent reading submissions and spreading the word that I’m open to submissions. Within the first 48 hours I had well over 200! I’ve already made a few full manuscript requests which is really exciting. I’ve also been shadowing my lovely new boss, Trinity McFadden, and getting acquainted with the rest of my team – so I spend an hour or two on Zoom every day.

When you’re reading a query letter, what are some things you like and dislike seeing?

I love to see the author telling me a bit about themselves and why their story is important to them – it’s something that I often find is missing (people don’t like talking about themselves!). An author who pitches their book well and with clear, strong comparison titles is also a wonderful thing. If the author has addressed the letter to me personally and said why they think I’d be a good fit, that’s also a huge plus! I’m not so keen on letters that skimp on any of these things, or in general letters that feel impersonal or a complete copy-and-paste job.

Some agents love synopses, others don’t. What do you think of them, and are there any things you look for in a synopsis?

They are a necessary evil! Nobody likes writing or reading them, but I have to know what happens in the novel to see whether it’s likely to live up to the pitch. They need to be short (no longer than a page, single spaced) and they need to cover the whole plot from beginning to end, including spoilers. Try to be clear and don’t get lost in the detail of the story, just cover the main points. If the synopsis feels overcomplicated that’s a big warning sign to me that the book might be too.

Is there anything an author can do in the first few pages of their manuscript that will really grab your attention? Anything you don’t enjoy as much?

Avoid starting with anything passive e.g. a long piece of description (however good the description is), or anything bland e.g. your character waking up in the morning. Instead, I think it’s generally better to start with action or occasionally dialogue. Ideally something big should happen within the first few pages. I have very plot-driven taste so if I’m not seeing the story moving forward quickly, I’m likely to lose interest!

Many authors have concerns about submissions etiquette: how long should they wait before sending a follow-up email; when is it appropriate to send an update or resubmit, etc. Do you have any guidance to help authors navigate the querying process?

I am currently estimating an 8-week response time to queries. I have no idea how realistic that is, but I’ve seen it elsewhere so I’ll give it a shot! I’m mainly using Query Manager right now which really helps me see and respond to queries quickly, so fingers crossed. Please feel free to chase me after 8 weeks. And if you do use Query Manager, I believe you can withdraw your submission at anytime to resubmit, as long as I haven’t responded yet.

Are there any books you’ve enjoyed recently?

I’ve just recently read The Magicians trilogy by Lev Grossman – several years late but I loved it!

Outside the world of books, do you have any hobbies or passions you’d like to share?

80s music, especially 80s era Bruce Springsteen – I have a secret talent for harmonizing too after years of choral singing and growing up in an extremely musical family! I love thrifting and try to buy all my clothes second-hand. My guilty pleasure is reality TV (Love is Blind, Married at First Sight Australia… I can’t get enough).

Any last pieces of advice for authors in the querying process?

If you’re querying a project for the first time, I would select a small number of agents (max 10) to submit to in the first instance, and ensure you tailor your query to each one, letting them know why you’d be a good fit and that you’ve only submitted to the agents you really want. Expand the circle slowly if you get rejections or don’t hear back. Most importantly, querying can be tough – look after yourself and step away from the dreaded email refresh! Don’t take rejections to heart; just because something isn’t a good fit for me doesn’t mean it isn’t good.

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!