Updated November 11, 2009
| Red Sofa Literary is the celebration of the quirky, eclectic ideas in our exciting literary community. Realizing that the best ideas come via engaging conversations and over good coffee, while sometimes relaxing in a colorful lounger.Established by Dawn Frederick, previously of Sebastian Literary Agency, she brings a broad knowledge of the book business to the table—with multiple years of experience as a bookseller in the independent, chain, and specialty stores; an editor for a YA publisher, a published nonfiction author, and an associate literary agent at Sebastian Literary Agency since 2002.In addition to her literary agent duties, she extensively volunteers with her local library system, while still finding time to spend quality time on her “wheels.”
She carries a B.S. in Human Ecology, and a M.S. in Information Sciences from an ALA accredited institution. “Not only do I know what people like to read and are currently reading; I also have the experience of working one-on-one with authors, book distribution centers, and literary organizations.”
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| We represent: · Biography-Historical, media-related, political
· Cooking/Food Narratives – Needs to be fun, smart, highly commerical. · Creative Nonfiction — It needs to be smart, with noticeable platform, and highly commercial. · Graphic Novels — No manga please. · History – Books that will engage the commerical reader. ex: Michael Beschloss · Humor – I loved The Zombie Survival Guide, How to be a Villian, and Yiddish with Dick and Jane. · Popular Culture – Especially Americana, and anything quirky · Social Issues/Current Affairs—Women’s Studies, GLTB Studies, Social Sciences, and more. · Sports — Less mainstream, more extreme sport, ex: Roller Derby · Women’s Narratives – chicklit nonfiction, Latina, African-American, and more. · Young Adult – Nonfiction |
We do not represent: —ABSOLUTELY NO PERSONAL MEMOIRS PLEASE NO FICTION or SPIRITUAL/RELIGIOUS QUERIES. I may consider .01% of some fiction/novels through professional reference, with the understanding that 99.9% of my representative list is always nonfiction. In addition, I do not represent spiritual or religious books, to which there are agents who specialize in these categories. They can be found in print and online. |
Submission Guidelines |
| Contact Information: Dawn Frederick, Owner/Literary Agent Email: dawn@redsofaliterary.com Address: 2163 Grand Avenue #2; St. Paul, MN 55105 Phone: 651.224.6670*Note: U.S. Postal service preferred w/o signature required. ThanksNO PHONE QUERIES WILL BE ACCEPTED. Please follow the requested submission guidelines (listed below). Preferred Submission Guidelines (for Red Sofa Literary): I highly encourage everyone to send an email and/or query letter initially, before attempting to send a full book proposal or sample chapters. Ultimately, it will save postage and time. If there is an interest, I will directly contact the author, requesting these materials be sent via U.S. Postal Service. Once these materials are received, I usually respond to these requests in 4-6 weeks, sometimes sooner. Most importantly, in addition to using the U.S. Postal Service, please avoid requiring a signature of receipt. There is nothing more testing than being forced to wait for an unknown parcel/letter. Reading Fee Policy: You will not be charged a reading fee. Going by the usual standards of the query process, please send them via snail mail and/or email, clearly explaining the project, who you are, and why you are passionately pursuing it. Remember to ALWAYS include the SASE. As for any queries by phone, these phone calls will NOT be returned, except in circumstances where the author has been referred by a current author or client. Finally, no chapters sent via email please (as they are read “off-screen”) and I’d like to protect my already tired eyes. Most common mistakes made: As practiced at Sebastian Literary agency, it’s essential that any author reads the newest resource material during the agent query process. Otherwise, time and possibly patience may be lost due to lack of research on the author’s part. I know what I’m looking for, so it’s essential anyone querying Red Sofa Literary consider the types of categories represented at this agency. Know who your competition is, as well as the experience of building a public platform. In summary: Do your research, follow the industry standards of queries and book proposals, and know your competition—while building your own writing platform.
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