Meet DeFiore Literary Agent Caryn Karmatz-Rudy

Read before you query!

DeFiore & Co.

Before she became a literary agent, **Caryn Karmatz Rudy was my editor at Grand Central, then Warner Books. She worked with me on my novel [Flash House](https://bookshop.org/p/books/flash-house-aimee-liu/16427330?aid=1446&ean=9780446691215&listref=books-by-aimee-liu) and later on my memoir [Gaining: The Truth About Life After Eating Disorders](https://bookshop.org/p/books/gaining-the-truth-about-life-after-eating-disorders-aimee-liu/16427540?aid=1446&ean=9780446694827&listref=books-by-aimee-liu)**, both of which became bestsellers. In the process, we became friends.

I can testify that Caryn is a tireless, astute editor and an enthusiastic champion of the books she represents. Her original claim to fame at Warner was the #1 bestseller The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, but she also edited literary fiction and serious nonfiction. When she joined the agency DeFiore and Company in the fall of 2010, she had more than 17 years of editorial experience under her belt. Here’s what that means for her authors now (from the DeFiore website):

Her experience on the other side of the publishing desk has armed her with invaluable insight into the hurdles editors face throughout the entire publishing process from the book’s initial acquisition to the marketing, publicity and sales vital to ensuring strong sales… and she believes falling shamelessly in love with a book is the ultimate weapon in any agent’s arsenal.

To give you a little more insight into Caryn’s skills and process, I asked her four burning questions. You’ll find her answers below.

You can also get a sense of Caryn’s literary taste (always vital to know before you submit to any agent) from the recent titles she’s agented:

Fiction Highlights:

• Joshilyn Jackson’s NEVER HAVE I EVER (William Morrow, July 2019)
• KJ Dell’Antonia’s THE CHICKEN SISTERS (Putnam, June 2020)
• Kathleen Donohoe’s GHOSTS OF THE MISSING (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, February 2020) and ASHES OF FIERY WEATHER (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, August 2016)
• Andy Abramowitz’s A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO FREE FALL (Lake Union, December 2020) and THANK YOU, GOODNIGHT (Touchstone/S&S, June 2015)
• Lydia Netzer’s SHINE, SHINE, SHINE (St. Martin’s Press, August 2012) and HOW TO TELL TOLEDO FROM THE NIGHT SKY (St. Martin’s Press, July 2014)

Non-fiction Highlights:

• Bonnie J. Rough’s BEYOND BIRDS AND BEES: Bringing Home A New Message to Our Kids About Sex, Love, and Equality (Seal Press, August 2018)
• Amy Bloch’s THE POWER OF HEART: When and How to Get Out of Your Brain (St. Martin’s Press, November 2019)
• Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider’s NOT YOUR MOTHER’S RULES: Dating Secrets for Texting, Booty Calls, and Everything Else! (Grand Central Publishing, February 2013)
• Dallas Shaw, THE WAY SHE WEARS IT (William Morrow, March 2017)

4 Questions for Caryn

Q: Small presses, self-publishing, and hybrid publishers have been crowding the Big Five publishers for over awhile now, and they show no signs of letting up. How do you think this affects the chances for mainstream literary writers — novelists and essayists — to get well published?

A: Small presses have been gaining steam for years, and many of them do an excellent job of launching truly special books, so I am very much in favor of submitting my authors to them.

I’m a little less bullish about self publishing — I know authors often feel if they can just get their book out there, it will take off, and the old stigma that used to accompany self-published books has greatly diminished, but many authors find themselves greatly disappointed by these publications, as it is so difficult to get traction with reviewers without a house behind you.

Q: What were the most galvanizing qualities of the last 2 books you fell in love with?

A: One of the projects I read recently is an incredibly smart, lovingly crafted homage to a beloved classic, and I adored how it both hewed to the original and diverged in inventive and engaging ways.

Another recent project seemed like a well written exploration of fairly familiar territory, but then it veered off with a subversive twist. I love when books surprise me — after 30 years in the business, I sometimes feel a bit jaded, so when a book is truly fresh in its approach or plot, when the characters defy my expectations, when the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts, I’m hooked.

Q: What percentage of the manuscripts that you accept still require significant editing before you send them out to editors?

A: It is rare that I send something out without significant editorial work. Even if a manuscript is in pretty good shape, I want to try to take away any potential roadblock an editor faces in acquiring the book, so my clients and I often go through several rounds of edits before we submit.

Q: How much attention do you pay to publication in literary magazines and contests? If a writer has been a finalist or semi-finalist in a contest, should they mention that in their query letter?

A: It never hurts to have literary cred, and it helps to round out a bio in a pitch letter, but I don’t personally put a ton of weight on literary publications or contest winners. I do think if someone has been published in numerous publications, it shows that they are industrious and can probably handle rejection, which is crucial in a client as there is unfortunately a lot of that in every stage of the business! I would certainly recommend mentioning publications or awards in your pitch, especially if the journals or contests are well known.

What Caryn’s looking for:

I gravitate towards fiction with memorable characters, captivating voices, and original plotting, and I relish a great page-turner as much as a literary masterpiece. I am intrigued by a wide range of nonfiction, from narrative to practical, especially focusing on lifestyle, parenting, women’s issues, and memoirs that exhibit quirky perspectives. In both fiction and nonfiction, if you can make me laugh, you’ve won half the battle.

I don’t work with science fiction, horror, romance, or paranormal novels.

How to submit

If you’ve got a manuscript that’s polished and ready, and you think it might appeal to Caryn, please send an email to Caryn@defliterary.com, using the word “Query” and your book’s title in the subject line. Include a brief, compelling description of the book in the email, along with a short bio. For fiction and memoir, include the first five pages of the manuscript in the body of the email. Attachments will not be opened.

An earlier version of this post was published in my Substack publication MFA Lore, where I offer the essence of an MFA in creative writing, minus the tuition. If you’re looking for more pro-tips to elevate your writing, consider subscribing HERE.

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