Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Polly Nolan of Paper Cuts Literary Consultancy met me on a chilly morning on Zoom. As we both sat at our computers with our hot water bottles on our laps – Polly just in from her daily swim and me from my walk, she told me all about her life leading up to being an agent.
After twenty years of working in editing in London, Polly had been ready for a change but not a step away from the world of books. So, when Greenhouse Agency approached her and asked if she wanted to be involved in the UK side of the agency, she jumped at the chance. It meant she could work much closer and more directly with authors. Polly told me that she’d always worked in the field of children’s editing and so it was the obvious route for her to become a children’s agent. As a child, she read widely and loved all the Enid Blyton books and well as the Mrs Pepperpot series. Now Polly loves to be gripped by a good story; to be hooked by the first few pages and not notice the time going by until she’s finished the book.
In 2020, Polly set up her own agency, Paper Cuts Literary Consultancy, and moved home to the west coast of Ireland. Moving back to Ireland meant she didn’t have a long commute every morning and she could enjoy sea swimming each day. Papercuts not only offers agency representation but also an editing service for writers, and she works very closely with her clients to make sure the editing is spot on.
Like many of us, working from home during the covid lockdown became normal as did Zoom meetings, so Polly was able to continue building up her agency in this manner. She does however much prefer face-to-face meetings as she feels they can throw up different opportunities and discussions. If she is in London visiting publishing houses, which she does regularly, then as well as meeting a particular editor she might get the opportunity to pass the desk of another and stop for a chat. ‘That kind of in-person meeting can lead to all sorts of connections whether it’s finding a new interest in a client’s story or sussing out what editors are looking for at the moment.’
When it comes to book trends, for the first time in her career, Polly says she’s finding that editors are looking for everything. ‘Underrepresented authors and characters, and contemporary stories particularly in the middle grade area. There seems to be a move away from fantasy and adventure. YA romantic comedy is also a genre being mentioned, particularly British or Irish ones.’ But Polly advises writers not to write for trends. Trends come and go, if the story is good enough, editors will be interested.
Children want to be immersed in good read, and perhaps, at times like this when the world can look quite bleak, they’re looking for something that transports them to a different place. Humour can play a big part in children’s stories and editors are always on the lookout for humour across all the age ranges. Although Polly tells me, as with everything, humour is subjective and not all editors have the same sense of humour- no matter how funny your story is. Fundamentally it is the story for Polly, and if somebody can make her laugh then that’s an absolute plus.
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If you are a children’s writer, Polly would recommend being a member of Children’s Books Ireland as they do a lot of outreach work and offer writing courses.
When it comes to submitting your work, Polly tells me that the biggest stumbling block for writers is that they send in their work too early. Her biggest tip would be that when you’ve worked on your novel and polished it, and you think it is ready to go then put it in a drawer and leave it for a few weeks. You will be amazed when you go back to it to find what that bit of distance from the story shows up.
It’s important to be as professional and disciplined as if you were applying for a job when submitting. All agents have different submission criteria and although it can be frustrating for a writer, it is essential to follow them. Making sure you work on your submission email is crucial as this is the first thing agent reads.
Polly has great advice for writing the synopsis too: write a summary; you don’t have to make it exciting and dynamic. Don’t cram in every detail or character. Think of how you might describe a film you’ve watched to a friend. Keep it simple and ‘don’t send in your submission with some jaunty font or sparkly bits or animation; it is just distracting from your story. Keep it professional.’
Polly Nolan and Paper Cuts reopens for submissions and editorial services on the 7th of January 2023 and for the first time is open for adult fiction submissions. Polly would like to discover new Irish writers and stories.
Here is the link to Paper Cuts Literary Consultancy: https://www.papercutsltd.com
(c) Lucy O’Callaghan
