An Agent in Our Midst

I know I said that this blog was going to be all about me me me, but this is too interesting to pass by without commenting.

These are fascinating times for the real-life writers’ group that I belong to, the Verulam Writers’ Circle. It’s changed out of all recognition since I first joined back in the early nineties: not only do we have rising star Toby Frost, the third book of whose Space Captain Smith series will be coming out later in the year, but we also now have four (five? I’m losing count) other writers who have acquired agents in the last year or so.

And now we have a real live agent in our midst. Kate Nash, a writer with several published novels under her belt, has taken the decision to launch herself as an agent this year. Now in some ways this might seem a – ahem – brave thing to do now of all times, but it’s not quite as risky as you might think. First of all, there’s a highly plausible theory doing the rounds that in a recession, entertainment is one area that tends not to suffer as much as the rest. Escapism, see?

The second and somewhat more significant factor is that of all the people I know, Kate is probably the only one who could make a go of something like this. She’s a quite shameless networker with excellent contacts, and she knows the market and business inside out, as a writer herself and having acted as PR for the likes of Myrmidon Books. And she seems to have made a cracking start.

So keep an eye on her. Actually, that’s even easier than you might think, ‘cos she’s got a blog over here.

Back to normal me me me tomorrow. But expect more on my talented chums in the VWC from time to time. I’m hoping some of it’ll rub off on me one day.