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Haley Casey

@haley_j_casey

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associate literary agent @cma_lit who's interested rewatching shows I've already seen & owning every. single. book.

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As a literary agent, there are a few reasons I might pass on a query letter, and this one speaks to the business side of the publishing industry. 🖋

If an agent passes on your manuscript because it's "too similar" to a project already on their list, that rejection can feel counterintuitive, because it proves that she sees potential in manuscripts exactly like yours. You did the research, you understood her wish list, and you queried her with a book that matches what she's requested to see.

However, the job of an agent is to set up every author on her list for as much success as possible. That means not only seeing potential in their voice and concepts and writing style, but understanding which editors and imprints are seeking that type of manuscript. And when an agent has already submitted—or already plans to submit—one of her existing clients' books to those promising editors, it means that she actually can't submit a second book at the same time. Most publishers' submission guidelines require an agent only send one project to one editor at each imprint at a time.

Because of this, if an agent took on two fundamentally similar manuscripts, she would be setting those books up to be in direct competition, or for the success of one manuscript to depend on the failure of the other, and that does both authors a disservice. Because down the line, an editor also can't acquire two books that would compete for promotional opportunities and future book sales. Agents need to think about these big-picture concerns when it comes to offering on a manuscript.

If you do receive a rejection like this, don't overlook the positives! Your manuscript has potential, and marketability, and it's likely not a commentary on the quality of your work. Keep querying elsewhere—or see if another manuscript is a better fit for that same agent. You're on the right track!

#querytip #amquerying #writersofinstagram #queryletter by @haley_j_casey

October was my month for travel, for client work, and for reading every possible spooky book that I could fit into my schedule. Here's everything I read last month—personally and professionally! 📖

Personally, I finished 8 books:

SALVACIÓN by Sandra Proudman
THAT WHICH FEEDS US by Keala Kendall (not pictured)
KISS SLAY REPLAY by Rachel Harrison
COME OUT, COME OUT by Natalie C. Parker
THE INTRIGUE by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
STRANGE PICTURES by Uketsu
THE HOLLOW PLACES by T. Kingfisher
THE NUDGE by Joseph Fink

KISS SLAY REPLAY is the only book on this list that I finished in a single day, so I think it has to take the top spot this month! I was desperate to see how it all came together; I so enjoyed every twist on the horror classics; and I always appreciate that Rachel Harrison has a theme woven into her fast-paced, commercial plots.

There are 2 other books that I started reading in October:

DRIFTWOOD by Marie Brennan
SO THIRSTY by Rachel Harrison (not pictured)

As for agenting:

QUERIES: 381
REQUESTED MATERIALS: 1,091 pages
CLIENT MSs: 774 pages

My clients are doing AMAZING things, and I have so much to get done before publishing winds down for the year, but I'm looking forward to a November full of even more horror novels, plenty of nonfiction, and some of the titles I've been saving for Native American Heritage Month!

#bookcommunity #agentsofinstagram #monthlyreading #octoberreads #whatireadinamonth by @haley_j_casey

I'm actually planning to read a very normal number of books before October officially ends. Why do you ask?

#octoberreading #fallreads #tbr #amreading by @haley_j_casey

I'm returning from Georgia unhaunted (sadly), but absolutely full of incredible food, lots of rosé, and unparalleled memories!

It all started with meeting some wonderful writers at the Moonlight and Magnolias Conference in Atlanta, and it ended with a few days in Savannah—taking in the sights, the art, the shops, and the snacks. Plus, another October ghost tour in the books! 👻

I'm so lucky to have a job that helps me connect with writers across the country, and friends who will turn a work trip into a vacation!

#travelgram #moonlightandmagnolias #savannahgeorgia #historicsavannah by @haley_j_casey

It's Banned Books Week! 📕📙📔📘📗

This year, the theme is Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read. As the ALA says, this campaign is all about embracing joy and creativity as acts of resilience, "reminding our communities that a handful of people running organized censorship campaigns should not be allowed to dictate what the rest of us can read."

While we should always be buying and reading banned books, this week is an opportunity to be an outspoken part of the book community and keep promoting (and writing) books that will help readers feel seen—especially given that bans disproportionately affect BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ books.

I've had FUN HOME by Alison Bechdel and THE NOWHERE GIRLS by Amy Reed on my shelves and on my TBR for far too long, and with a little dedication, I think I can finish at least one before the week is over!

#bannedbooksweek #readbannedbooks #letbooksbe #protectthefreedomtoread #booklove by @haley_j_casey

👻 I'm so lucky to have kicked off October with a road trip to Eureka Springs, Arkansas! 👻

We spent the weekend admiring the historic downtown; dining on the balconies of not one, but two, haunted hotels; learning the local true crime lore; experiencing a ghost tour at the Crescent Hotel; and also just enjoying the view of Beaver Lake in between scary movies.

This weekend away couldn't have come at a better time! Here's to plenty more spooky experiences this month!

#travelgram #eurekaspringsarkansas #basinparkhotel #crescenthotel #beaverlake by @haley_j_casey

If only I had the words to describe how hectic September felt... Honestly, discovering my own stats for the month came as a surprise, because I would have been willing to swear I barely accomplished two tasks on the to-do list. There's plenty more that needs doing in the coming months, but until then, here's everything I read last month—personally and professionally! 📖

Personally, I finished 2 books:

PLAY NICE by Rachel Harrison
MODEL HOME by Rivers Solomon

Again I find myself in the impossible spot of comparing two incomparable books—one voicey horror novel and one very literary—so while I was enjoyed both, PLAY NICE read like it was written just for me! The writing! The characterization! The atmosphere! Could I have used a tinge more horror? Sure. Did I immediately buy Harrison's next book? Of course.

There are 3 other books that I was actively reading in September:

THE INTRIGUE by Silvia Moreno Garcia
DEAD SILENCE by S.A. Barnes
SALVACIÓN by Sandra Proudman

As for agenting:

QUERIES: 529
REQUESTED MATERIALS: 854 pages
CLIENT MSs: 686 pages

September wasn't easy, but between mutiple conferences and pitch events, wonderful client work, and a little time to myself to refocus on hobbies, I had a more productive month than I would have guessed. (Even though the queries... They are piling up.)

Here's to a slower October full of fall activities, a taller spooky TBR than I can realistically manage, and actually checking items off my to-do list!

#bookcommunity #agentsofinstagram #monthlyreading #septemberreads #whatireadinamonth by @haley_j_casey

The subjective nature of publishing means that it can feel impossible to get a straight answer to even the most basic questions about writing, querying, and the industry in general. While I can't change the subjectivity of the business, I do want to shed light on the questions that I get asked most often as an agent!

Can I answer this question succinctly, even though I have a 45-minute presentation on this very topic? How many hand gestures do I need to use? How many times will my dog interrupt the audio?

All these answers and more while I share my reply to something I hear all the time: "What makes you request pages of a manuscript?"

#writersofinstagram #writingcommunity #amquerying #askanagent #amagenting by @haley_j_casey

She's here because she got new glasses and literally only because she got new glasses 👓 by @haley_j_casey

As a literary agent, there are a few reasons I might pass on a query letter, and genre is an important one. 🖋

It's expected that agents will reject a query for a book whose basic genre isn't one they represent. For example, I represent nonfiction, but not self-help books. I'm open to fantasy novels, but not epic fantasy series.

Those distinctions aren't a commentary on the quality of manuscripts in those genres, their marketability, or even an agent's personal reading taste. Instead, this has everything to do with that agent's understanding of a genre's conventions, her familiarity with the current market for that genre, and the professional connections she has that can be used to find the book and author the proper editorial home.

My job as an agent is to understand how to best position your book. That means reading widely, paying attention to what's working (and what's not) in the marketplace, and building a professional network that includes editors whose tastes and wish lists align with the work my clients are doing. That's what allows me to evaluate where a queried manuscript might fit on shelves, help an author edit their work accordingly, and finally pitch it as successfully as possible. But I don't have the bandwidth to put that amount of time into better understanding genres that I don't represent, just in case a well-written book in that genre comes along.

This means that it's not only important for authors to have considered their book's genre, so they can pitch it correctly, but it's also important for them to pay attention to what subgenres an agent is actually open to seeing. Do your research. Read their wish lists. Pay attention to what books and authors they already represent. And make sure your genre feels like a match—otherwise you might be setting yourself up for rejections that are more reflective of an agent's work than yours.

#querytip #amquerying #writersofinstagram #queryletter #understandinggenre by @haley_j_casey

Look at me! Setting a very normal two-book reading goal for Hispanic Heritage Month that surely will not change whatsoever over the next 30 days!

#hispanicheritagemonth #tbr #septemberreading #octoberreading #amreading by @haley_j_casey

There's a lot of work to get done before publishing wraps up for the holidays, so while I love receiving and reading queries, I've decided I'll be closing my inbox on October 1.

If you'd like to send me your work before then, please do! I'll still be responding to the projects I have as promptly as possible. If your manuscript still isn't quite ready, though, no worries; I'll be reopening in early 2027—refreshed and ready to find that next perfect project for my list!

#agentsofinstagram #amagenting #writingcommunity #querytrenches by @haley_j_casey