Ampersand Agency Interview

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WriteWords talks to Peter Buckman of the Ampersand Agency about what makes his heart sing or sink, and how he manages to respond to submissions in under a month

Tell us all about the agency; history, ethos, your list etc

I started The Ampersand Agency in 2003, having been a publisher in London and New York and then a full-time writer. Agenting has always been part of my life, as I’m married to Rosie, who runs The Buckman Agency (handling foreign rights) with our older daughter Jessica. Rosie was taught the business by Peter Janson-Smith, who represented Ian Fleming, Eric Ambler, and other great writers, and I sought his advice on starting up. He is now Ampersand’s consultant, and brought us the Georgette Heyer Estate. We have some thirty writers, ranging from first-time novelists like Will Davis to much-published authors like Beryl Kingston and Philip Purser. It’s a business in which you have to combine instinct with experience, knowing what works and who to send it to, and having contacts in all media here and in the USA means we can offer a full range of services despite our small size. And in a publishing climate that has got harsher even in the two years we’ve been going, translation rights – handled by The Buckman Agency – form an important part of our clients’ income.

How do you find your writers?

Most of them seem to find us, either through related websites or word of mouth. We respond quickly, honestly, and personally to all enquiries; we read all sample material sent to us; we contact new writers offering our services (but never poach, of course); we come up with ideas and try and match them to writers. We get around 100 submissions a week, and our response time is under a month. The close personal and professional relationships we have with our writers also gets us recommended.

Favourite writers and why?

I wouldn’t dream of publicly favouring some of our authors at the expense of others. Nor would I want to list my own favourites among the classic greats, as I’d then be deluged by people claiming to write like them.

What excites you about a piece of writing- what keeps you interested?

An intriguing opening, obviously, and a good story told in a distinctive voice and peopled by credible characters. Even non-fiction needs a narrative to bind it together and keep you reading. And the art of keeping things simple is much under-appreciated.

-and what makes your heart sink?

Self-consciously “literary” writing. Lists of facts and slabs of background research material. The overuse of the present tense. Lengthy synopses and character descriptions. Prologues in italics.

A longer version of this interview is available to WriteWords Full and Community Members.
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Comments by other Members

EmmaD at 22:12 on 25 November 2005 Report this post

Interesting and practical stuff. So much is rumoured and agonised over about agents; it's nice to have a straightforward take on the business.

Emma

<Added>

And I'm with him on over-use of the present tense!

Read the WriteWords interview with Emma Darwin (EmmaD)