Listen:
I love speaking with literary agents—especially those who truly understand the market from the inside out, because they’ve been on both sides of the publishing wall. (Just like me, coming from the magazine world.) That’s why I’ve been eager to bring Joelle DelBourgo on the show ever since we connected through the wonderful author Michele Borba. Joelle held high-level positions at Big Five publishers throughout her career, and she brings an eagle-eyed view of what works—and why—at every stage of the publishing process. This episode is a true masterclass in book publishing intel.
In This Episode
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Joëlle shares what she looks for in nonfiction and fiction submissions [6:50]
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Her background in both sides of the publishing wall [6:50]
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Why she considers herself a “Renaissance Agent” [7:10]
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The excellence advantage that writers need to get on her radar [14:24]
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How to craft a compelling proposal that gets attention from agents and publishers [14:49]
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Joëlle’s tips for memoirists [18:05]
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Why your query letter matters and what red flags agents look for [19:59]
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Why obsession can help get a writer a book deal [26:54]
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Can a writer jump genres? [27:26]
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Some of her authors success stories [31:16]
Watch on YouTube
About Joelle DelBourgo
Joëlle Delbourgo is President of Joëlle Delbourgo Associates, a boutique literary agency founded in 1999. She represents a broad range of adult nonfiction and fiction. Her authors include NYT bestselling and award-winning novelist Ben H. Winters; Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Debbie Cenziper and Dale Russakoff; award-winning educator Michele Borba, the late Dr. Susan Forward, memoirists Ariel Burger, Rachel Stolzman, Grace Jung and Sara Sherbill; historians Philip Freeman, Joanna Sliwa and Elizabeth White; true crime writer James Renner; and novelists Marilyn Simon Rothstein, Lindsey J. Palmer, Roy Hoffman and Rosa Kwon Easton, and Tommy Hays. A former senior executive at HarperCollins and Ballantine Books, she has a Masters in Literature from Columbia University and graduated from Williams College.
Connect with Joelle
Episodes Mentioned
Episode #69 Georgia Hughes formerly Editorial Director of New World Library
Episode #43 Writing a Bestselling Book and Making Mistakes Featuring Michele Borba
Connect with Estelle
Get Writing That Gets Noticed, named a Best Book for Writers by Poets & Writers Magazine.
Order the Audiobook
Sign up for Estelle’s Substack(for craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests.
Read Estelle’s latest post on Substack (and an offer to paid subscribers) Why Your Memoir Title Matters More Than You Think (And How to Nail It)
Classes
Email her at [email protected] to get on the list for her next personal essay writing class (in October) and find out how to secure your spot.
Her newest NYU class now taking registrations is Writing About Your Life Through Memoir, Essays and Articles.
Webinars
This one is coming up. Sign up now for my Webinar on April 24th from 1:00-2:30 pm ET for Writer’s Digest: Layering Throughlines and Timelines into Your Essays and Books to Pack a Punch. It will be generative, informational, and interactive.
