Laney Katz Becker

I spent more than two decades preparing for the job of literary agent; I just didn't know it!

After graduating from Northwestern University I came to New York and started my career as a copywriter in the advertising/marketing/publicity arena, working for some of New York's top firms: J. Walter Thompson, Benton & Bowles, Foote, Cone & Belding. I continue to use that knowledge and expertise to help my clients put together the best possible submissions, as well as to help my authors figure out creative ways to help capitalize on their publishers efforts to promote their books.

I've also worked as a journalist. My articles and essays have appeared in more than 50 newspapers and magazines including Self, Health, Seventeen, Yahoo! Internet Life, First for Women, and American Health.

And finally, I am also an author of both non-fiction (Three Times Chai) and fiction (Dear Stranger, Dearest Friend ). My novel was a Literary Guild, Alternate Selection; chosen by Redbook as the Editors' Favorite Pick; recommended by Library Journal; and was the recipient of several awards.

Why, you may wonder, have I worn so many hats? The short answer is kids. As mine continued to grow, I altered my schedule to better mesh with theirs. That led to shifts in my career and in my objectives. Throughout the years however, there was one constant: I always remained an active participant in the worlds of writing, publishing and reading. (Isn't every writer a voracious reader?) Well, now the kiddos are older and I'm back to working full time and using my experiences and skills in yet another way... that's really the same way. Or at least it makes use of the same skills. Because it's true what they say: Publishing is a business. And authors and their books are the products.

My decades of experience in advertising, marketing, and writing are invaluable when it comes to working together (you and me) to make sure your manuscript or proposal is top-notch. And once we agree that your submission is phenomenal, (I wouldn't take it on unless it could be, and I won't send it out until it is!), then, and only then, is the product (you and your work) ready to be sold.

Yup. The agent cap fits well. However, please don't send me work that's less than stellar because you think I'll use my skills to do your job; I won't. But once you're thrilled with your project, send me a brief email query about it. If I want to see more, I'll ask for 50 pages, or so. If I request material and it doesn't work for me I'll tell you why. I've always hated form letter rejections, and I'll go out on a limb and assume you hate them, too. So I won't send you one. I won't write a dissertation, but I'll try to be helpful, because, well – I remember what it feels like to be in your shoes.

What I'm looking for

Fiction: Literary, commercial, mainstream, thrillers, Jewish-themed fiction... I love it all. I especially gravitate toward anything that leaves me wanting to talk about what I've just read so desperately that I have a momentary impulse to restart my book group (which I'm tempted to do, but I just don't have the time)! I also love fiction that teaches me something new, but not in a preachy way. Fiction that makes me cry because it's a great story is always appreciated. Character-driven novels and novels with a great voice are also likely to get my attention. Fiction that touches on women/family issues is also a fave.

Nonfiction: I'm crazy about memoirs, especially if they're set in a different country or expose me to a different culture. I'm also a sucker for voice. If your style is fresh, sassy, funny, and/or just has a great personality, chances are I'll want to see your project. I also really (really) like narrative nonfiction, including adventure stories or anything having to do with space exploration. I'm also interested in seeing non-fiction proposals that deal with parenting, family, relationships, pets and any issue that affects women.

What I'm not looking for

Fiction: I am not looking for: Children's, fantasy, paranormal, science fiction, horror, romance, genre mysteries.

Nonfiction: I am not interested in seeing abuse memoirs (sexual, drug, alcohol). I also don't respond well to inspirational and/or spiritual self-help.

How To Contact Me

Query by email ONLY. If it's fiction, in addition to your query, please include the first chapter, or so, but cut and paste the material into the body of the email. If it's non-fiction, cut and paste your proposal into the body of the email or send it as a SINGLE Word attachment. My email address is LKBecker(@)foliolit.com.

I do not accept, nor do I respond to queries sent via snail mail.

My Response Time

I usually reply to queries in a few weeks. I sometimes respond within the hour which, strangely, has caused some authors to think I didn't read their query. I do. I read them all. Promise!

If you send me a query and I don't respond, please assume that the spam filter got to it and resend it.

If I request material from you, I usually respond within a few weeks for partials or non-fiction proposals, and 3-5 weeks for full manuscripts. Typically, it's even faster. If you haven't heard from me within the expected timeframe, shoot me off an email and we'll sort out things.

Representative Deals

Will Lavender's OBEDIENCE (Harmony / Shaye Areheart Books), a really smart psychological thriller set on a college campus. Fiction and reality blur in this taut debut. New York Times Bestseller; International Bestseller. (2/07)

Eve Brown-Waite's FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES MALARIA: How a Peace Corps poster boy won my heart and a Third World adventure changed my life (Broadway Books), a wildly funny, fish-out-of-water memoir about a pampered young woman who decides to save the world. Also a debut. (4/09)

Jim Beaver's LIFE'S THAT WAY (Putnam / Amy Einhorn Books), an exquisitely rendered memoir about love, loss and learning to live again, after the death of the actor's wife. (Jim is best known for his role as Ellsworth on HBO's Deadwood.) Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection. (4/09)

Naseem Rakha's THE CRYING TREE (Broadway Books), a debut novel about a woman's journey from hatred towards forgiveness, when the man on death row who killed her 15 year old son is slated for execution. Book Expo America's Emerging Voices selection; Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection; San Francisco Chronicle bestsellers list. (7/09)

Ted Leonsis, one of our country's leading entrepreneurs and Chairman Emeritus of AOL, explains the connection between personal happiness and professional success in THE BUSINESS OF HAPPINESS (Regnery Publishing). Includes contributions from celebrities and everyday people, as well as results from his Happiness Questionnaire. (2/2010)

Dr. Steven J. Craig's THE SIX MEN ALL WOMEN SHOULD MARRY (Simon & Schuster) revolutionizes the way we view marriage as it identifies the six different people we need to become in order for our marriages to survive and grow. (Fall 2010)

Frequent guest of Dr. Phil, co-founder of Special Needs Network, and an individual rights attorney Areva Martin's THE EVERYDAY ADVOCATE (Penguin / NAL) which teaches parents to become effective champions for their children with autism. (4/2010)

Former Larry King Live producer Carol Ross Joynt's jaw-dropping debut memoir, INNOCENT SPOUSE (Crown) recounts her attempt to pick up the pieces of her life when, after her husband's sudden death, she discovers that he owed the IRS more than $2.5 million, and as his surviving spouse, she's responsible for paying the debt. (Spring 2011)

Alicia Bessett's ALL COME HOME (Dutton), a debut novel in which a young widow forms an unlikely friendship with a 9 year old biracial girl, and the two embark on winning a baking contest together, in this tale about heartbreak, hope, healing and most of all, home. (8/2010)

SHAKE-UP THE FAIRYTALE!: A feel-great guide to being single while seeking your own happily-ever-after (Tarcher), by national bestselling author, journalist and documentary filmmaker, Michelle Cove. This book expands on the issues raised in Michelle's documentary, Seeking Happily Ever After, and helps give single women the tools they need to navigate through all stages of contemporary “singlehood.” (Fall 2010)

David E. Hilton's KINGS OF COLORADO (Simon & Schuster), a gritty and hartbreaking debut novel set in the Colorado mountains, at a boy's reformatory ranch, where the delinquent boys are as wild and willful as the horses they are tasked with breaking. (Fall 2010)

Traci Foust’s memoir CONFESSIONS OF AN UNSANE CHILDHOOD (Simon & Schuster/Gallery Books) is a surreal, sharp-tongued and wickedly funny debut about growing up with OCD, hypochondria and anxiety.