Interview with Agent Morgan Hughes

 

Getting to know Morgan Hughes

By Renee Nolte

Lubbock-based Morgan Hughes is from the Midwest. You can take the girl out of Kansas, but you can't take Kansas out of the girl! She and her family are HUGE Chiefs fans, especially Quarterback superstar Patrick Mahomes. She is doubling up on rocking the support because she also attended Texas Tech with him; that's super cool! 

While in college, Morgan interned for agent extraordinaire and NY Times Best Seller Holly McGhee. Hughes learned a great deal from her, including how to exude confidence, which has helped her gain respect in the industry and empowers her to advocate for her clients.

Morgan is now a literary agent for FinePrint Literary, working remotely from the sidelines, taking in Football, and hoping to score some new clients!  

Getting down to the nitty-gritty, here are inquiring questions you may find helpful:

What happens if a pitch is not accepted? First, research who is the best agent for your book. If you get a rejection, select another agent. Be self-aware and be industry-aware of who is looking for what you have!

Can someone query you more than once after a rejection if it is for a different book? Absolutely! I may not be obsessed with everything the client writes, but the book that gets me to take them on as a client should be something that I can't put down, and that helps me build that relationship with the client. So even if they send me something that might not be in my wheelhouse, I understand their writing and can still help them. 

What are your significant turn-offs? Making claims like "this book will outsell the Bible." When the book is too long, like 200K words, that's not for me," and when responding angrily to a rejection. Just sit with it for a moment before you respond.

What should an introduction in a query letter look like? I prefer it when the pitch is the first thing I read. I should be hooked from that first paragraph and place the metadata at the end. If it hooks me [but has more words or is an unrequested genre], I may not care as much; for example, if fantasy is low on my list, yet you hooked me in the first paragraph, I must have that book! There are pros and cons to the order of the query, but that is what I prefer.

Morgan's thoughts on social media for creatives: She encourages this space for sharing what creatives are passionate about. You don't have to be on all the platforms. There is pressure on authors to have a TikTok, an Instagram, an X (formally Twitter), and a Blue-Sky account. There is so much pressure to be seen and to go viral, but if you are nervous, it's not required; if you are excited, go for it! 

Morgan believes your work can speak for itself in the query. Upon interest in your work, Morgan will give honest feedback, inquire about any other projects you are working on, and ask about your career goals; she's looking to see if a collaboration could be beneficial in the long term. But she's savvy enough to recognize that authors have options, too, so expect her to ask what you are looking for in an agent and encourage you to pick someone who is your partner rather than just a person who will sell your book. Morgan Hughes looks forward to sharing as much advice as possible at the next Houston SCBWI meeting on Feb 5th, 2024; if you'd like to come and join in the conversation, register here. Our Monthly meetings are always free.