Katharine Sands - Editor
Literary agent with love of practicing Pitchcraft for books that benefit readers' lives in fresh looks, new intel and urgent storytelling.
Request a quote
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!”
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!”
Languages
English (US)
Non-Fiction
Career Guides
Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits
Entertainment
Health & Wellbeing
Self-Help & Self-Improvement
Travel
Fiction
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Science Fiction
Thriller & Suspense
Work experience
Developmental Editor / Agent Provocateur
Making the Perfect Pitch: How to Catch a Literary Agent's Eye
January, 2018
–
Present
(over 3 years)
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
Literary Agent
Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency
January, 1992
–
Present
(over 29 years)
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 (29 selected works)
Making the Perfect Pitch: How To Catch a Literary Agent's Eye
Katharine Sands
Writers on Directors (Artist's Choice Book)
Susan Kimberly Gray
A collection of essays and photographs on today's most important filmmakers by writers ranging from Tobias Wolff to Edwidge Danticat
“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 Literary Agents"Do read this book, which should teach you pretty much everything you’ll need to know."– BooklistKatharine Sands, a NYC literary... 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 centuries ago. In Victorian London, the fates of physician Simon Bell and apothecary Gaelan Erceldoune entwine when Simon gives his wife an... read more
The Little Book of Healthy Beauty: Simple Daily Habits to Get You Glowing
Dr. Pina LoGiudice
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 methods to achieve optimal health and beauty. People who follow this philosophy have a "glow"--an almost indescribable radiance, beauty, ... read more
Girl Walks Out of a Bar: A Memoir
Lisa F. Smith
"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-selling author of High Maintenance and The Seven Year Bitch "Whether she's telling the town car driver to turn around so she can ditch sh... read more
XTC : Song Stories (The Exclusive Authorized Story Behind the Music)
XTC, Neville Farmer
Reveals the hidden truth behind the songs of one of the most invisible misfit bands of the last two decades
Sell Your Story in A Single Sentence: Advice from the Front Lines of Hollywood
Lane Shefter Bishop
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 you how to do it yourself! Lane Shefter Bishop, CEO of Vast Entertainment, explains the key to selling your screenplay, novel, or script.... 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 would you rather do-have a strategy to win the guy you want, or sit at the bar all night and wait for him to come to you? Arden Leigh schoo... read more
Dating The Devil
Lia Romeo
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. Very hot. He meets her gaze through the crowd, a wicked grin on his lips, an irresistible invitation in his eyes.He's Mr. Right Times Ten.... 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 to stand out and tap the potential of others by taking notice of who is standing alongside you on the bank line, the latte pickup point... 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. News and World ReportHate your job? Ready to quit?Facing a layoff before you even have a chance to quit? Is your boss is a flaming jerk?... read more
Spiritual Pregnancy: Develop, Nurture & Embrace the Journey to Motherhood
Shawn A. Tassone Tassone, Kathryn M. Landherr Landherr
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 correlates to a stage of the epic journey where emotional, spiritual, and physical connections heighten your awareness of yourself and your u... 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, and the Caribbean and turned them into one of the most intriguing regional cuisines.Marvin Woods, chef/owner of Diaspora Foods in Charl... read more
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-time modeling career, she turned back to the Chinese herbal therapies her mother had taught her. In The Tao of Beauty, Lee demystifies f... read more
Elvis and You: Your Guide to the Pleasures of Being an Elvis Fan
Laura Levin, John O'Hara
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.
New York City Sightseeing and Studies, Travel & Tourism, NYC Adventure, Urban Studies
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 scholarship. Here they appear not as stereotypes, not simply as victims, but as lively, intelligent noblewomen doing their best to survive... 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 take the SAT. What you need is a book that makes these words fun to learn and easy to remember and this one does just that. This clever... read more
Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House, M.D.
Barbara Barnett
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. Exploring the series’ characters, plotlines, and overarching themes, this definitive fan’s guide provides an intelligent and thoughtfu... read more
Brand Yourself: How to Create an Identity for a Brilliant Career
David Andrusia, Rick Haskins
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 a dazzling impression and become a star in the career of your dreams. Marketing experts David Andrusia and Rick Haskins have consulted ... 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 pregnancy: A craving for spicy food denotes a boy. Carrying the baby low denotes a girl. Besides gender predictions, a pregnant woman is also... 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 True Crime and Suspense shows how you, too, can:• Find and develop compelling true crime stories from everyday sources• Dig out the fact... read more
The Complete Book of Bone Health
Diane L. Schneider Md
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 research, first-hand stories, and her own experience, she provides practical recommendations to optimize your bone health. Get the facts ... 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, ultimatelyadd thousands back to your business’ bottom line! Do you owe an insurmountable sum to the IRS? Pay pennies on the dollar. Secret formula the IRS uses to determine an acceptable off... 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 Dr. Bonnie's Smart Heart Skills. Falling in love is easy; staying in love is hard. If you've ever yearned for a connection, or are tired... read more
Trust Your Gut: Heal from IBS and Other Chronic Stomach Problems Without Drugs
Gregory Plotnikoff, Mark B. Weisberg
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 diagnosed with IBS yet still can’t find relief? You might be one of the more than 55 million Americans who needlessly suffer from these... read more
Divorce After 50: Your Guide to the Unique Legal and Financial Challenges
Janice Green Attorney
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 retirement planning. Attorney Janice Green brings 30-plus years of experience as a divorce lawyer, and in particular her experience cou... read more
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 step by step through the entire process of adopting a child from another country. You will find: • An easy-to-understand analysis of the ... read more
Katharine has 50 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
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
Scott Brandenburg, November 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.
Luigina Vecchione, June 2019
Katharine is excellent
Gerry Poulin, May 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.
Michael Bienenstock, March 2019
Thank you! Working with Katherine was encouraging and empowering. She helped me achieve the necessary clarity and narrative flow that was critical to sharing my message. The editorial process was a positive, professional, and energizing experience. She wasn't just focused on my writing but also supported my confidence as a writer. I feel fortunate that I had the opportunity to work with her a...
Read more
RT Stokes, March 2019
Explore the Reedsy Community
Reedsy is a community of top publishing professionals. Join Reedsy today to browse 1000+ profiles.
Claire Winters
I've served as a developmental editor on over 30 non-fiction titles, specializing in psychology, personal development and media subjects.
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Anna Krusinski
Custom-tailored editing from an award-winning editor and writer with 10+ years of experience in book publishing.
Bloomville, NY, USA
