Carly Watters ON: Her MSWL, How to Define Commercial Fiction, and the Power in an Author-Agent Relationship

“I think it's really important to be working with creators that have a really strong point of view, and they know how to communicate that point of view.” – Carly Watters, Senior Literary Agent and SVP at P.S. Literary Agency

Abigail K. Perry sits down with Carly Watters to talk about her manuscript wishlist (#MSWL) and the role she plays in the agent-author relationship. From there, Carly shares her insights on the publishing industry and expertise that come from her eleven years working at P.S. Literary Agency. Carly teaches writers the difference between literary fiction, upmarket fiction, and commercial fiction—and Carly also emphasizes the importance of taking writers seriously as entrepreneurs. As an agent, Carly’s goal is to sell books that reach the most people and that play a role in moving the conversation forward.

About Carly:

Carly is a Senior Vice President and Senior Literary Agent at P.S. Literary and the sitting VP of PACLA, the Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents.

She has a BA in English literature from Queens university and the man. Studies from Sydney university, London, Carly joined PS that our agency in 2010 and has sold over 100 books during her career. She represents award-winning and bestselling authors in the adult fiction and nonfiction categories and select children's books.

Carly is known most for her long-term vision for authors and being an excellent collaborator with a nose for commercial success. Her client's books have been translated into forty languages option for TV and film adapted into podcasts and have been on every bestseller list from coast to coast and cleaning the New York times USA today, LA times the Washington post, the Toronto star and the globe and mail today currently is also a co-host of the popular writing podcast, The Shit No One Tells You About Writing.

Carly's MSWL:

Smart Book Club Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Upmarket Adult Fiction, Commercial Adult Fiction, Domestic Suspense, Literary Mystery & Thrillers, Historical Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Pop Science, Business and Psychology, Cookbooks, Unique Memoirs, Lifestyle Non-Fiction: health, wellness, relationships, parenting, lifestyle, Narrative Non-Fiction, Platform-Based Non-Fiction: must have demonstrable expertise and a quantifiable market

Find us on our socials:

Twitter: @abigailkperry @carlywatters

Instagram: @abigailkperry @carlywatters

Website: www.abigailkperry.com | https://www.carlywatters.com

Read the books discussed in this episode:

Carly Watters ON: Her MSWL, How to Define Commercial Fiction, and the Power in an Author-Agent Relationship

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