SPOTLIGHT FEATURE: Samar Hammam & Rocking Chair Books Literary Agency

Hello!

Today’s feature focuses on Samar Hammam of Rocking Chair Books—a small, independent agency whose bread and butter is original, page-turning books.

Samar founded her agency nearly ten years ago, after a stint as a Director at Toby Eady Associates. With a background in finance, she has also worked as a literary scout in New York City for Linda Clark Associates, before settling into London and agenting. Outside of her own agency, Samar does translation rights and gets books published in countries all over the world.

Rocking Chair Books looks for submissions across a whole host of genres but the common denominators in successful queries rely on a unique hook, voice, and writing talent.

Check out the interview highlights below, and read it in full on Samar’s AgentMatch profile.

“I’m open. I wait to see what an author sends me, and ask where they would like to go. If a voice and subject compel me, if I can see the vision, then I dive in as an agent…”

Hi Samar, thank you for sharing with us today a bit about yourself and your agency! We would love to know more about what you’re looking for in submissions, your favourite books, and any advice you might have for querying authors.

Q. What’s at the top of your fiction wish-list? What authors do you love? What kind of books?

I read across genres and represent across genres. Non-Fiction and Fiction—both commercial and literary. I’ve done gift books with Mike Medaglia’s successful ‘One Year Wiser’, illustrated meditations, commercial women’s fiction with Amita Murray’s rom com ‘The Trouble With Rose’, literary poetry with Warsan Shire… I’ve done a memoir with Laura Coleman’s ‘The Puma Years’ about an animal rescue shelter in the Amazon jungle. Basically, I’m open. Mostly I wait to see what an author sends me, and ask where they would like to go. If a voice and subject compel me, if I can see the vision, then I dive in as an agent. It’s hard to unpack what these triggers might be. Books I’ve loved though they be innumerable:

Literary: ‘Shuggie Bain’, ‘Dept. of Speculation’, ‘Pachinko’, ‘Mornings in Jenin’

Commercial: ‘Me Before You’, ‘The Hunting Party’, Jilly Cooper and Val McDermid

Non-Fiction: ‘Killers Of The Flower Moon’, ‘This is Going to Hurt’, ‘Sapiens’

I’d love to receive more humour. I love to laugh! I also find that it can be effective in exposing and coping with horror, like a funny book dealing with climate change. A commercial writer who is able to do a book every year or two. I’d love to find an iconic Palestinian writer. Something Creole Voodoo. Nature writing. Gripping suspense. Sweeping epics. I love books that come from communities that will give it a strong voice and atmosphere. I’ve always been a sucker for romance, romantic comedy. If you’re Jilly Cooper come find me as well. Oh, but surprise me! That’s always the most fun.

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

A good way to think of the query letter is as the copy you find at the back of a book, including a short biography. Just a short paragraph that tells you what the book is about and a little bit about the author. Sometimes I get to the end of a query letter and still don’t know what the book is about. It makes it harder to trust that the manuscript will go somewhere. Capturing the agent’s trust in the query letter will help keep them invested in pushing through the early pages and sticking with your story.

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

I tend to refer to the synopsis when I am enjoying the early pages and I want to assess whether to keep reading on. I examine it for plot, and whether the plot holds or it starts to become something I wouldn’t know what to do with. This is because I trade in my time, and have to always be calculating where that time is best spent. A plot is more easily edited than voice in my experience however.

Q. What’s been your favourite recent beach read? Your favourite recent heavyweight novel? A recent non-fiction book that you’ve been talking about with friends?

Favourite Beach Read: ‘Where The Crawdads Sing’ by Delia Owens

Favourite recent heavyweight novel: ‘Luster‘—Raven Leilani’s debut

Non-Fiction book: ‘More Than a Woman’ by Caitlin Moran

Thanks again, Samar!

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

If you’re struggling with your query letter and synopsis, do check out the 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!