Three of the UK’s leading literary agents — Madeleine Milburn, Abigail Bergstrom and Juliet Mushens — on what happens after an agent says yes: building a writing career that lasts, turning an idea into a distinct author brand, and moving forward after both success and disappointment. You’ll learn What good author care looks like, especially when the news is bad.When the biggest advance isn’t the best offer.Why a writing career is a long game, from reinventing a stalled career to surviving the pressure of a big debut.How to find the unique lens that makes your idea worth writing.What turns an author into a brand, and a simple way to stay consistent without becoming gimmicky.A literary agent’s lessons from querying her own novel under a pseudonym.The marketing questions worth asking a publisher before you sign.What really happens on the call when an agent offers representation, and how to choose between agents.Balancing passion and the market when deciding what to write next.How to move forward when a book doesn’t sell, and why success can be just as tricky to handle.Episode Links #064: Madeleine Milburn — Catching an Agent’s Eye & Building an Author-First Agency#57: Abigail Bergstrom — Becoming a Literary Agent, Building an Author Brand, Inside the Publishing Industry, Recovering From Burnout#189: Juliet Mushens — Building Bestselling Writer Careers, Decoding Agent Feedback, and Why Writing for the Market Rarely WorksResources & Links Madeleine Milburn at the Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film AgencyBergstrom StudioSomething to Say, Abigail Bergstrom’s SubstackWhat a Shame by Abigail BergstromJuliet Mushens at Mushens EntertainmentAbout the Guests Madeleine Milburn has been on the committee of the Association of Authors’ Agents (AAA). She has appeared on The Bookseller’s list of the 150 most influential people in the book trade every year since 2017. Since founding the agency in 2012, Madeleine was awarded Literary Agent of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2018 and was shortlisted again in 2020. She has been responsible for discovering some of the highest-selling and award-winning contemporary authors who consistently hit the bestseller lists in the New York Times, including Nita Prose (The Maid), Costa Book Award winner and multi-million copy bestseller Gail Honeyman (Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine), Ashley Audrain (The Push), Elizabeth Macneal (The Doll Factory) and Holly Bourne. She represents multiple bestselling crime and thriller brands, too, including C.L. Taylor, C.J. Tudor and Mark Edwards. Abigail Bergstrom is a Welsh writer who has written for national magazines and broadsheets, including ELLE, Sunday Times Style, the Telegraph and Refinery29. Having worked in publishing for over a decade, she is an industry leader and an expert in navigating the cross-section between digital and print. She’s edited some of Britain’s most prominent feminist voices, was nominated for Literary Agent of the Year 2020, and was listed in The Bookseller 150. An intersectional feminist campaigner, she co-founded the campaign ‘This Doesn’t Mean Yes,’ which was covered in the media internationally. She founded Gleam Titles and now runs Bergstrom Studio, a literary agency and publishing consultancy, and writes the Substack newsletter Something to Say. She is the author of the novels What a Shame and Selfish Girls. Juliet Mushens is the founder of Mushens Entertainment and has been a literary agent since 2011. More than a dozen of her clients are Sunday Times bestsellers, with more than half a dozen reaching the number one spot. Her clients include million-copy no. 1 bestseller Jessie Burton, multi-million copy NY Times bestseller Taran Matharu, and record-breaking multi-million copy no. 1 bestseller Richard Osman. The Times ran a piece recognising her as the first agent to represent the number 1, 2 and 3 UK bestsellers in the same week: ‘Star literary agent first to top the charts three times’, a feat she has since repeated. Juliet sits on the advisory board of Book Brunch, is President of the British Fantasy Society and sits on the board of the Women’s Prize Trust. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com. For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com. * FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON Twitter: twitter.com/WritersSalon Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!
