Interview with Literary Agent Andy Ross

I had the pleasure of meeting agent Andy Ross at the North Colorado Writer’s Conference in the spring of 2022. He instantly became the celebrity among all who attended. His anecdotes, his part in the lunch panel, and his one-on-ones with conference goers highlighted his accessibility and his open candor on any subject in the literary world. So I had to corner him for an interview.

Rod Martinez: I understand you owned Cody’s books in Berkeley. There is a lot of history in that store, what caused you to change occupations?
Andy Ross: Buyers habits changed. After about 2000, book buyers increasingly were shopping on-line. Some of the smaller stores continue to thrive. But the larger stores, such as Cody’s have higher overhead. It was difficult to sustain.

RM: Who was your first client and how did you get that deal?

AR: My first client was Paul Krasner, a sixties icon, founder and editor of the realist. His book was a collection of writings. The major New York publishers weren’t interested in the book. Ultimately, I sold it to City Lights Books, which had long associations with the counterculture.

RM: How did you establish relationships with publishing companies and editors?

AR: I started off with an advantage. Most people in publishing had heard of Cody’s. So, I was welcomed, sometimes even as a celebrity or, occasionally, a hero. I had to do a considerable amount of research, though. I had no personal relationships with editors. The website Publisher’s Marketplace has a large database of deals and editors. I studied the deals to see which editors would be likely prospects for my projects.

RM: What is your #1 greatest bragging right in the business?

AR: Agents are inveterate name-droppers. Some of my noted clients are Daniel Ellsberg, Susan Griffin, Fritjof Capra, Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, Jeff Arch (the screenwriter for Sleepless in Seattle), and Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson.

RM: In your opinion, have e-books helped or hurt the industry and where do you see e-books now in the grand scheme of things?

AR: E-books are just another format. They haven’t helped community-based bookstores, so that’s a big negative. But they are a convenient format for some people. When they first appeared, tech gurus claimed the printed page would become obsolete. That hasn’t happened. E-books had exponential growth for some years. But they now account for about 20% of the trade business, and sales have leveled off.

RM: Why or how did you pick the genres you represent as an agent?

AR: I like to say I am a literary gigolo. I will sell books in any genre where I think they will sell. But that said, I seem to be developing a reputation for books about history, current events, and journalism.

RM: What is your #1 pet peeve for submissions?

AR: Many writers don’t have a clear idea of the concept of their book and who would be the likely audience.

RM: Do you work with your author on revisions and copyedits or do you leave it to the editors at the pub house?

AR: I work closely with my clients editing their book proposals for nonfiction and their manuscripts for fiction. Some agents don’t do this, and I think their clients are not well served.

RM: Did Covid help/hurt your job at all?

AR: There were fewer deals during Covid for a number of reasons (although aggregate book sales were strong). I started doing some freelance editing on the side. I learned a lot from doing that.

RM: I have heard you speak, and you humanized the “agent rejection” process in a way that I had never heard before. Explain to the reader how agents also deal with rejection letters.

AR: Typically, I will get 30 rejections from publishers and one or two offers. I tell people my job is a lot like my social life in high school.

RM: Who is your ideal client?

AR: My ideal client is an author who writes a bestseller.

RM: Many writers tire of the submit/wait/rejection rule and are moving forward with self-publishing. What do you say to these authors who obviously are side-stepping the agent route?

AR: It’s become increasingly difficult to get books published from the major houses. Fortunately, authors have other venues to get published. Many authors, whose books can’t find a home, will self-publish.

RM: Is there a book you rejected that ended up a bestseller with someone else?

AR: No. But I hear lots of stories. I know an editor who rejected Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. The book sold over 12,000,000 copies.

RM: Many agents claim they are looking for “fresh, original, authentic new voices,” but then we hear as writers that there is nothing new under the sun.

AR: How does a writer fit that call? All you can do is write the best you can write. You have to be good to attract and agent. But that still doesn’t guarantee you will find a publisher. Publishers make decisions based on marketing, not just on aesthetics.

RM: Do you have any advice for the hopeful writer contemplating submissions to you or any other agent?

AR: Think about whether there will be an audience for your book. Make sure it is as good as it can be and send it out. There is a lot of rejection in this business, so learn how to handle it. It can be demoralizing. If your first book doesn’t find an agent or a publisher, move on to the next project.