July Agent Spotlight: Leah Pierre
Jul 19, 2022

BIO

A Texas native, Leah briefly moved to the East Coast to attend Rosemont College and to pursue her dream of working in publishing. Now having graduated from Rosemont with her B.A. in English and History and having accomplished that dream, she has moved back to the South to begin her next adventure. In addition to searching for the next commercial YA or Adult project that will hook her (or make her cry), Leah is currently pursuing her M.A. in Publishing. Leah spends her time enjoying the company of fictional characters more than people. When not in the company of fictional characters, Leah hangs out with friends and family, cooks, and catches up on the movies and tv shows she is always behind on.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME AN AGENT?


Growing up reading books that didn't feature main characters who looked like me.

WHAT’S CHALLENGING ABOUT BEING A BLACK AGENT IN PUBLISHING?

It's a variety of things. It feels like you have to fight for not just your clients to be heard and taken seriously but you yourself as well. It's knowing that the bar for BIPOC writers is set so unreasonably high and means that we have to jump through hoops white writers don't. Then there's the fact that there are opportunities and chances given to white writers that aren't to marginalized creators. And if you happen to find that one person willing to give/take a chance on them, they sometimes don't have the support and/or resources needed to take things all the way.


It just ultimately feels like you're in a constant state of imposter syndrome.

WHAT’S A COMMON MYTH ABOUT AGENTS?

That all of us do this full time. Truth is this that we're often working a full-time job and/or part-time job in addition to this and will be for a long time. So a lot of this work is done in our free time and for free.

PUBLISHING CAN BE A LOT. WHAT KEEPS YOU GOING?

My clients because I truly believe in them and their stories. They deserve to have their stories told.

WHAT'S AN EXISTING BOOK (CAN BE A CLASSIC) YOU WISH YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO REPRESENT?


Ooo, either The Ember in the Ashes Quartet or The City of Brass series

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR QUERYING WRITERS?

Two things: 

1) "Comparison is the thief of joy." - Theodore Roosevelt


2)  Nothing in publishing happens over night---it is 100% a long game. I know things may seem to be happening fast for a lot of other writers when it comes to either getting an agent or getting a book deal but it isn't. There is so much going on behind the scenes and a lot of it  is simply waiting.

FUN QUESTION! IT’S LUNCHTIME! WHAT ARE YOU BRINGING TO THE FIRST BLACK PUBLISHING COOKOUT?

Fried Cabbage and Cornbread!

WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND YOU?

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