Author & Agent Interview: Kealani Netane and Ellen Goff

Today, we are thrilled to be interviewing Kealani Netane, a Kanaka Maoli and Samoan children’s writer and author of the picture book, TALA LEARNS TO SIVA, and her literary agent, Ellen Goff. You can learn more about Kealani on her website, Twitter, Tiktok, and Instagram, and more about Ellen can be found on her agency's website.

You can add Kealani's picture book, TALA LEARNS TO SIVA, to your Goodreads here, or to your Storygraph here. You can also buy Kealani's book from these retailers.

We started this Author & Agent blog series to spotlight Pacific Islander creators and their agents for Asian and Pacific Islander month. Our hope is that this series will inspire other Pacific Islanders interested in pursuing traditional publishing as creators or as agents. As we learned in the creation of our website, there is not a single Pacific Islander agent, and we hope to see that change.

Thank you for joining us!

Interview with Kealani

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, and the project for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?

I am Kealani Netane, the author of Tala Learns to Siva. I am Native Hawaiian and Samoan and I live in Hawaiʻi. I queried TALA in 2021 and that is the book in which I found representation. TALA was the third picture book I wrote. The first two were not good and will never be published. While writing and editing TALA, I had a feeling that this was the book that could go far. I was originally inspired by the idea of a child falling in love with dance for the first time. I remember the feeling of being in awe of a taualuga dancer and I wanted to capture that moment. 

What resources did you use to compile your list of agents to query? What criteria did you use to build your list? 

To compile my list of agents, I looked at manuscriptwishlist.com, Query Tracker, and Twitter. I searched for those who were looking for diverse picture books. I compiled a list who I thought might be a good fit and I grouped them into batches. Then, I sent my first batch of queries. Not long after that, I found out about APIpit, a twitter pitch event where Asian and Pacific Islander writers collectively pitch their projects on twitter. If agents like their tweet, then the creator is invited to query them. Ellen was one of the agents who liked my tweet and a week or so after the event, I sent her my query. 

What advice would you give creators looking for representation?

I trust my naʻau (gut) in pretty much everything I do. If something feels right, then I do it and if it doesnʻt feel right, then I don’t. Even in these types of situations, we can rely on our indigenous knowledge. So, I think the best way to know if you should query an agent is to do a gut check. 

When Ellen offered, what made you decide to sign with her? What criteria did you consider?

Ellen was a newer agent when I queried her so there wasn’t a lot to research. But, she did have a couple book sales under her belt and she was mentored by the head of her literary agency, HG Literary. Her mentor had amazing clients and her literary agency had a great catalog of authors and illustrators in the children’s book space so I felt confident that Ellen had a strong support system within her agency. 

When we met on video chat, she was just as excited about my work as I was. She had a strong submission strategy and she had great notes on how I could elevate my work. We also just had great vibes. I felt so comfortable with her. Whenever we communicated via email, she was quick to reply. She asked if I would do a revise and resubmit (R&R) with her and I agreed. For those who don’t know what that is, it means that an agent gives you feedback and if you accept the feedback, then you make changes to your manuscript and send it back to them. This is all before they make an offer of representation. There are many reasons agents will ask for an R&R. Looking back at my work, I can definitely see why I needed an R&R. The plot was strong, but my book was long with too many details. 

After implementing most of her feedback, I sent my manuscript back to her and she loved the changes. She offered to represent me and itʻs been great. 

How long have you been signed together? What’s your favorite thing about Ellen?

We have been together for about three years. Ellen is an amazing champion for her clients. She’s very knowledgeable about the industry and if she needs help, she’s not afraid to reach out to other people at her agency. I also love her feedback on my manuscripts. I have included almost every note sheʻs suggested. And I will say that editorial notes are suggestions. Authors donʻt have to agree with every suggested change. With Ellen, I agree with her on most things. 

What advice would you give to Pacific Islander creators looking for agents?

The best thing I ever did was find a writing community. Thereʻs a huge learning curve at the beginning and thereʻs a ton of websites and companies that charge money for information. Iʻve found that the best resources to elevate my writing and to learn about the publishing industry are actually free. People who are in this industry are very willing to share information and resources. So, before you start querying, I encourage you to find a community. 

I’m in a critique group with other diverse writers and I have a strong community of Pacific Islander writers. Those two groups have been great resources. Once you find your community, get feedback on your work. Make sure that the manuscripts you are submitting to agents are quality work. Tighten your word count. Every word should be necessary to your story. Cover your plot holes. And most importantly, get feedback on your query letter. One of my favorite places on the internet for query letter feedback is on Reddit in the r/PubTips subreddit. 

Interview with Ellen

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? What categories and genres do you represent? What do you love about agenting?

I work at HG Literary, a medium-sized agency in the heart of NYC. I'm originally from Kentucky. My client list consists of authors writing for all age groups, from picture books to middle grade to young adult to adult, in both fiction and nonfiction. I also represent illustrators, for kidlit and adult projects, as well as graphic novelists. In addition to building my own domestic list, I'm now the International Rights Manager of the company’s Children’s & YA list, which includes the International Rights for several large Estates like the Shel Silverstein Estate. For fun, I run a writing workshop and critique group in the heart of New York City. 

I love agenting because it puts us directly at the desk with the author or illustrator. Editors see the projects after they come from us, so the agent is really the first person to get a glimpse of a client's newest project. I truly love getting into the nitty gritty of editing and editorial shaping with my clients, so that the projects have the best shot with editors. In general, the HG Lit is heavily editorial and thorough on manuscript development.

What do you look for in a query letter?

First, I look to see if someone has done their research about my list. I change it up once in a while as to what I'm looking for, so I know when someone has taken a moment to see if their project really fits my wishlist. Personalization is totally necessary, however, if the hook is good and grabs me. A concisely written and clear hook (and query letter) tells me the writer 1) knows how to present their project well and 2) their writing is probably fairly tight and solid in the novel itself. I also like to see a little bit about the writer in their bio -- if there's a connection and clear reason why they're the best person to write this book. 

Do you ask for any pages with a query letter? What do you look for when you're reading those pages?

I ask for 5 sample pages pasted at the bottom of the query, which usually gives me a good sense of the voice in that short amount of space. Sometimes, if I like the concept enough and it's a plot or topic I've been craving, I might ask to read the full manuscript even if I wasn't sold on the opening pages. I'll give the manuscript a chance. Often writers take a chapter or two to actually write into their own novels and the real beginning is 20 pages in. But overall, I'm always looking for voice, whether third or first person, a call that makes me want to lean in and read more. 

Any pet peeves when it comes to query letters and/or pages? Any dos and don’ts?

It's usually the small stuff -- an incorrect address going to a different agent, my name spelled wrong. Or no address at all, just Dear Agent. Really odd fonts that make reading difficult. I have terrible eyes. If I can't read the query well on my phone on the subway train to work, I'm going to skip over the email. Also, a shorter query is always preferable to one that goes on too long with too much info. If an agent is interested enough in the plot and concept, they will ask for more details. 

Do you have a Manuscript Wishlist? What sort of projects are you hoping to find in your inbox? Any specific stories you’d love to see from Pacific Islander creators?

I go into more detail on our website, but I'm always looking for stories celebrating girl power and intersectional feminism. I have a soft spot for southern stories that remind me of Kentucky, and I love a darn good love story. For picture books, I mainly look for author-illustrators, and gravitate toward projects that highlight the sparse and simple. I do all genres and formats of MG and YA, especially anything spooky, graphic novels, novels-in-verse. In adult, I represent fantasy and romance and their intersection. Ellen might be convinced on a nonfiction project if it involves food.

What about Kealani's project grabbed your attention? What about Kealani as a client?

Kealani's manuscript was so poetically short and sweet and left so much room for me to imagine the art. She conveyed the story and Tala's journey clearly, but without trying to tell us everything at once. Leaving room for an artist to play is really key, especially for a writer who is doing text only. I'm also a sucker for family stories and girls learning from their matriarchs, so her picture book immediately spoke to me and was not something I had ever seen on a shelf. Kealani herself was like her text -- so kind and clearly full of creative potential! She had other project ideas, and clear publishing goals, but was also completely open to editorial feedback I gave.

What qualities do you look for in a potential client?

Often, we have to remind writers that in a way agents have to edit books to give them the best chance at landing on a bookshelf, even if it means trimming favorite parts. So I know I personally look for clients who are willing to hop on board to tweak their book to give it its best shot. I don't do thorough edits with the intention of changing a story, ever -- I want it to resonate with the themes and language true to the author. But I also want to make sure the writer can work well with feedback, because their relationship with a future editor and in publishing will depend on it. 

Any advice for querying creators?

Do research on the agent you're querying--try to find that personal connection if possible. And find critique partners and/or a writing group. This is crucial! Having feedback from other voices will help make your manuscript even better before it ever hits an agent's desk, and is something you can mention participating in in your bio. It's another sign that a writer is open to feedback and collaboration. And you need writer friends on this publishing journey, agent or no agent. Also, at least at HG Lit, we are very focused on the career, not just the project. So for us, it can be helpful to know what else you're working on, to see if we represent the areas you're working in now but also want to work in at some point in the future. If you've queried with a YA but your heart is in picture books, you'll want to submit to those agents who can do both. We see a lot of querying writers in our inboxes who split with their previous agent because the agent didn't represent the area the writer was growing into. 

Any advice for aspiring agents?

Read widely widely widely to find your passion. Thinking early about what kind of area you might like to represent will help you stand out during interviews with agencies. Usually, junior folks begin as assistants and move up once they slowly begin taking on their own clients. So a senior agent will first want an assistant who reads widely enough to know what's working in the marketplace (to help find new clients). Paying attention to publishing news via a service like Pub Marketplace is helpful if you can. Editors move around often, but other gaps and promotions at houses and at agencies will highlight where there might be slots to fill or step into. Also, don't be afraid to form opinions on manuscripts you're reading for senior agents. Agents receive so many queries and projects, that we need folks to help us narrow down the potential reading. A firm yes or no on a manuscript or a book goes a long way.