The Purcell Agency Newsletter Issue #2 Aug'26

The TPA Times

The Official Newsletter of The Purcell Agency

AUGUST | 2026 | ISSUE #2

FEATURED:

A Day in the Life of an Agent

It's Not Persoanl—It's Business

4 Reasons Writers Should Read

Tips and Tricks to Ace a Live Pitch

Social Media Posts—Help or Harm?

A Day in the Life of an Agent...

(Looking for my Next Star Author!)

By Emma Levrau

No two days are ever the same, but my favourite part of the job is discovering new characters that stay with me long after I've finished reading.

My first stop is QueryManager. We open for submissions for a few days at a time, receiving dozens of queries each day. I read every submission carefully, getting a sense of the author, their pitch, and their sample pages. I'm looking for stories that spark my curiosity, whether that's through a compelling concept and captivating characters that make me eager to see how the author brings their vision to life.

If I'm intrigued, I'll request the full manuscript. I then consider whether it's a story I can wholeheartedly champion. That means not only loving the story myself, but also believing it is well written, has strong commercial potential, and will resonate with today's readership.

Beyond reading manuscripts, I keep up with publishing trends, speak regularly with industry professionals, and stay on top of what readers are looking for. Every day is an exciting opportunity to meet the next author whose writing I can't wait to champion!

It’s Not Personal—It’s Business

By Kim Monaghan

I’m fortunate to work with a team of professionals who care deeply about their author clients. Our fearless leader is a model of kindness, supporting all authors, client or not.

That said, the kind and caring culture at TPA makes it challenging to say “no.” Whether it’s initially rejecting an author’s submission, bowing out of representing a client’s next book, or parting ways with a client author (though that rarely happens), it’s never easy.

Still, there are times when we have to say “no” for now. Rejection is part of the business. If the manuscript isn’t a fit, it’s impossible to secure a contract that best serves the author client.

We want to be your partner throughout your entire author career. But there will be times when we need to say “no” for now. It’s not personal. It’s business.

4 Reasons Writers Should Read

By Amy Nielsen

Writers are often so focused on writing that reading doesn’t become a priority. But reading isn’t a distraction from writing, it’s quite the opposite. It’s a great way to become a stronger storyteller. Here are four reasons every writer should make reading a priority.

1. Study Strong Storytelling Reading helps you see you other authors hook the reader, build tension, develop characters, and craft satisfying endings. Reading the first few pages of a book can teach valuable lessons about compelling openings.  

2. Identify Strong “Comp Titles” Whether you’re querying agents or submitting to publishers, you’ll need comparable titles. Try to keep it withing the last 2-4 years.  

3. Stretch Creativity Across Genres Don't limit yourself to reading in your own genre. Read across genres to expose yourself to new storytelling techniques, fresh perspectives, and ideas you can bring to your own writing.  

4. Be a Good Literary Citizen Buying, borrowing, reading, and reviewing books supports authors and the publishing industry as a whole.

If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time or the tools, to write. – Stephen King

Tips for a Live Pitch

By Paige Broadbent

1. Master your Query A live pitch should be part query, part discussion. Because of this, I believe it’s okay to read aloud a prepared query if you feel it will help you cover all the important parts of a manuscript and still have time to talk about it after. Regardless, try to keep the query to about 60% of your time and don’t forget your comps!
   

2. Common Questions Be prepared to be asked:Do you have other projects on the go? What are they?Why this story? Why are you the one to tell it?When you say this, do you mean this? (Did I understand the pitch?)
   

3. Relax I know, easier said than done—but the best pitches allow an agent to gain a sense of who the author is as a person as much as who they are as a writer, and vice versa! Remember, this allows you to ask the agent questions to get to know them, too, because in the end, an author-agent partnership should work for both parties.

What Social Media Posts Can Do: Help or Harm?

By Tina P. Schwartz

After I find a manuscript I want to represent, I still research the author who wrote it. One thing I do is check out their social media presence. Not to see if they have tons of followers, but to see if they have anything that is offensive, aggressive, or just plain bothersome. You’d be surprised at what some people post. I love to find people who post fun things and especially if they post useful information that engages the writing community. Don’t worry about going viral online, just worry about creating content that is useful information in a fun and helpful way. It’s a way for people to get to know the real you!