Katharine Sands

Katharine Sands – Editor

Literary agent with love of practicing Pitchcraft for books that benefit readers' lives in fresh looks, new intel and urgent storytelling.

Overview

Literary agents are always on a treasure hunt. But few writers know what it takes to make an agent yell, “Eureka, I’ve struck gold!” A first glance is all that most writers will get before the agent moves on without ever reading further, and that first glance needs to be a “Eureka” moment. I would love to show you how to cut through the mystery of getting an agent to want YOU.

You need to find the best ways to showcase your writing as a bold, new entry into its category and yourself as a potential author with an intriguing book poised to spring forth. We can work on your hooks, selling points, and engines so that you will be able to sum up your entire book with a two-line description—and that’s gold! We’ll dive into best practices that will allow your pitch to either give off sparks or create a moment or pose a provocative question. You’ll learn you how you can avoid ‘Querial’ Killers: the easy-to-fix mistakes writers make when querying agents. And, of course, we’ll talk (in detail) about your writing.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

How to make the perfect pitch
How to deliver the flavor your book to whet the reader’s appetite for more
How to keep the momentum going through the first pages
How to start in a logical place—yet from a compelling perch
How to identify the most exciting elements that illustrate your work
How to encapsulate (in clear core points) when proposing a book
The five key takeaways you need to entice an agent/editor
How to amplify your chances for being selected
What to do—and what not to do—when summarizing your book in 200-250 words. You want the neurons in the agent’s mind to decide, “Yes, keep reading!”
Services
Non-Fiction
Career Guides Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits Entertainment Health & Wellbeing Self-Help & Self-Improvement Travel
Fiction
Fantasy Historical Fiction Science Fiction Thriller & Suspense
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

Making the Perfect Pitch: How to Catch a Literary Agent's Eye

Jan, 2018 — Present

Testimonials

Hi Katharine! Thank you for your great idea at last year's American Society of Journalists and Authors, Inc. (ASJA) pitch! I sold the book!!
***

In the writing world, the right marketing skills can mean the difference between survival or a career dirt nap. Talent often takes a back seat to persistence and preparedness --and only the strongest and savviest survive. Katharine Sands offers professional ammunition for the battle which will help any writer--both professional and neophyte--hone his or her target eye. I have been writing for a living for nearly ten years and don't often read how-to books. But Katharine's keen insights and her no-nonsense but supportive voice gave me a bracing shot of career espresso. Her book is now on my work shelf next to the other tools of my trade: a twelve ounce coffee cup and Roget's Thesaurus.
***

Thanks to Katharine, who agented, nursed, buoyed, endorsed, goosed, pumped up and supported this project every waking moment since its first light.
Laura Levin, Elvis and You
***

Katharine Sands, a successful literary agent with the Sarah Jane Freymann Agency in New York, corrals 40 top agents and experts from CAA, Trident Media, Meredith G. Bernstein, Jane Dystel Literary Management, and more and gets them to tell what really excites them about pitches, query letters and proposals. "Making The Perfect Pitch" is well organized and the approach is unique. While it's informative to have the expertise of one agent it's invaluable to have the opinion of a number of different agents'. Ms. Sands brings a breadth of knowledge and experience to writers they desperately need and seldom receive. If you're hunting for an agent, you need to know how to pitch and "Making The Perfect Pitch" gives you the ammunition to be dead on target.
Dee Power
co-author, The Making of a Bestseller

Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency

Jan, 1992 — Present

BIOGRAPHY

Katharine has worked with a varied list of authors who publish a diverse array of books including both fiction, memoir and non-fiction.

Among the books she represents are: The Apothecary’s Curse, nominated for the Bram Stoker Award in the First Novel category for 2017; and Girl Walks Out of a Bar, a memoir that was featured by People Magazine as Notable Nonfiction.

She is actively building her list and looking for books that have a clear benefit for readers’ lives in categories of food, travel, lifestyle, home arts, beauty, wisdom, relationships, parenting, fresh looks, life challenges, or popular culture.

When reading fiction, she wants to be compelled and propelled by urgent storytelling, and hooked by characters. For memoir, she likes to be transported to a world rarely or newly observed

Katharine Sands is one of those agents that supports you 150% throughout the process. She never says stop and if you are lucky enough to land her as an agent you will no doubt have a successful career. The great thing about Katharine is she is just as excited about the process as you the author. She has single-handedly placed two books for us and I have no doubt she will continue to place books and give us new ideas as she has a pulse of the readers and the market. She is, without doubt, one of the best literary agents in the business -- Shawn Tassone, MD, PhD

Portfolio

As seen on Dr. Oz, a revolutionary, naturopathic plan that enhances beauty, improves health, and reverses aging, Dr. Pina's powerful program is guaranteed to make you glow from the inside out.The philosophy of naturopathic medicine is to use the most natural m... read more
The Apothecary's Curse

Barbara Barnett

A 2017 Bram Stoker Award nominee, The Apothecary's Curse is an alchemist's brew of historical fantasy and cutting edge genetics as a physician Simon Bell and apothecary Gaelan Erceldoune race against time to recover the ancient book that made them immortal cen... read more
“This essential guidebook is certain to give writers the edge they need in today’s highly competitive market. If you’re serious about getting published, this is a must-read!” – Jeff Herman, author of Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, and Literar... read more
A collection of essays and photographs on today's most important filmmakers by writers ranging from Tobias Wolff to Edwidge Danticat
The go-to guide for everything you want to know about international adoptionFrom the initial decision—Is adoption right for you?—through returning home with your child—How can you ease the transition?—The Complete Book of International Adoption takes parents s... read more
A road map for late-life divorce Divorce can be emotionally devastating at any time, but the emotional and financial challenges are even greater for people who divorce later in life and can face complicated issues of blended families, health care concerns, and... read more
Do you have an upset stomach that just won’t quit? Do you often feel bloated or live with troubling intestinal pains? Do you constantly ask yourself “ what can I eat and not suffer?” Do you have to know where the nearest bathroom is at all times? Have you been... read more
"This is among the most helpful, complete, and positive manuals for saving a relationship that I have seen." -- From the Foreward by Harville Hendrix, PhD Dr. Bonnie has been voted one of America's best therapists by Psychology Today! Bring back the love with ... read more
Taxpayer champion and enrolled agent Bonnie Lee puts the IRS under the microscope and uncovers proven methods, and surprisingly simple strategies to minimize your taxable income, maximize deductions, and, ultimately—add thousands back to your business’ bottom ... read more
This book compiles the latest information about bolstering bones, from prevention to treatment, into a single, easy-to-understand resource. The author, a leading expert on osteoporosis, covers everything you should know about your bones. Using evidence-based r... read more
True crime and suspense stories make a killing at the box office, on bestseller lists, and on TV. Both new and experienced writers have found that they can master the special skills required to make crime pay — in book and movie contracts. Writing Bestselling ... read more
Expectant mothers are virtual magnets for unsolicited advice. Mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, sisters-in-law, new mothers, friends, and even strangers offer what seems to be an endless supply of supposedly authoritative opinions on every aspect of pregn... read more
Branding is the hottest, most talked about phenomenon in the business world today. For in the ultracompetitive twenty-first century, you need more than talent and hard work to get ahead. How do you brand yourself? By forging an identity that will help you make... read more
The richly layered depths of House, M.D. are plumbed in this comprehensive companion to the critically acclaimed Fox television series that has proven to be a study in contradictions as both a straightforward medical procedural and an intricate character drama... read more
The number one way to improve your score on the SAT is by improving your vocabulary. Nothing is more important? Princeton Review Perspicacious. Ubiquitous. Garrulous. Improvident. Solvent. Benevolent. These are the sorts of words that may befuddle you when you... read more
The women who wed Henry VIII are remembered mainly for the ways their royal marriages ended: divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. This book helps to restore full humanity to these six fascinating women by applying the insights of feminist sc... read more
New York City Sightseeing and Studies, Travel & Tourism, NYC Adventure, Urban Studies
The ultimate guide for Elvis Presley fans provides a host of never-before-seen photographs, helpful advice on collecting Elvis memorabilia, trivia, a complete discography, and information on Elvis websites, movies, music, fan clubs, chat rooms, and more. Original.
The Tao of Beauty proves that the latest beauty secrets are 5,000 years old. Ford fashion model Helen Lee comes from a long line of Chinese herbal practitioners, and when she found that Western beauty solutions were not helping her remedy the stress of a full-... read more
There's a whole world of flavor packed into an eighty-plus-square-mile area surrounding the cities of Charleston and Savannah. It's called the Low Country of South Carolina.For centuries, Low-Country cooks have taken the diverse foods of Africa, France, Spain,... read more
Follow the Hero's Journey from Pregnancy to Motherhood Filled with unique insights into the spiritual nature of pregnancy, this compassionate guide takes you, the expectant mother, and your loved ones along a "hero's journey" of discovery. Each trimester corre... read more
"Donna Ballman's book is like having an employment attorney on call to guide workers through every stage of employment, from the job interview onward. It's exactly what employees need."--Alison Green, editor of Ask A Manager blog and career columnist for U.S. ... read more
Connect to the world around you and realize the enormous potential in talking to strangers Everyday, random encounters really can change lives, when you make them happen the right way and leverage the connection at the other end. Talk to Strangers explains how... read more
Lucy O'Neill is a plain-Jane New York Pr assistant with a tiny apartment, a dead-end job, and a pair of annoyingly perfect roommates. Nothing exciting ever happens to her, until one night at a neighborhood pub . . .Lewis Mephisto is tall, handsome, and hot. Ve... read more
GET THE LOVE YOU WANT FROM THE GUY YOU WANT She walks into a room and heads turn. Conversations stop. Drinks spill. The man you've been trying to talk to all night suddenly excuses himself. You hope she'll break a stiletto. Don't hate her. Become her. What wou... read more
Every writing project has one thing in common―they all start with a single sentence. Writers constantly struggle to answer this question: What is your story about?Finally, a guide by a leading Hollywood insider who actually knows the answer―and now she shows y... read more
Reveals the hidden truth behind the songs of one of the most invisible misfit bands of the last two decades
"Lisa Smith gives us a darkly comic, honest, and completely relatable inside look at high-functioning addiction in the world of corporate law-a sort of 'Sex and the Psych Ward.' It's inspiring, informative, and impossible to put down." --Jennifer Belle, best-s... read more

Katharine has 51 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Mark F.

Mark F.

Feb, 2022

Enthusiastic but had trouble with deadlines.
Scott B.

Scott B.

Nov, 2019

My initial response might have lacked the enthusiasm that I later came to have for the professionalism, the astute, comprehensive comments that came to me in a report that I've digested and still keep near for guidance. If there was any lack, it was due to my delays in following up. I'm a fan of Katharine's spot-on, deliberate efforts to improve the quality of my writing. I only wish I could r...
Read more
Luigina V.

Luigina V.

Jun, 2019

If I could I would leave no stars for value. Reedsy allowed this person on the platform, giving them a sense of legitimacy. I paid almost $900 and received very little. The result was many wasted hours and a hit to my own confidence as a writer due to confusing critiques. She was entirely unprofessional and disappointing.
Gerry P.

Gerry P.

May, 2019

Katharine is excellent
Michael B.

Michael B.

Mar, 2019

Katharine did a great job , but took awhile before she really started working hard. the Contract had to be extended several times. I was impressed with her knowledge of the subject matter and she made several suggestions that will definitely be incorporated into the book. I am looking forward to the next step.

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