Interview with Literary Agent Marietta Zacker of Gallt & Zacker

About Marietta: Marietta has worked with books, authors and illustrators throughout her career — studying, creating, editing, marketing, teaching and selling. She takes pride in her work as a Latina in the world of publishing. She is always on the lookout for visual and narrative stories that reflect the world we live in, not the bubbles in which we put ourselves. She loves books that make readers feel and shies away from those that set out to teach the reader a lesson. Marietta looks for a book in which young readers can identify with the actions and reactions of the characters, not the perspectives of the author or illustrator. Diversity in the story must be inherent and authentic, not trendy. She is thrilled to shine the spotlight on soulful, insightful, well-crafted, literary or commercial projects aimed at any age group from young adult to the youngest of readers. Upcoming books she is championing include LUCÍA THE LUCHADORA AND THE MILLION MASKS by Cynthia Leonor Garza, BROWN BABY LULLABY by Tameka Fryer Brown, I GOT NEXT by Daria Peoples Riley, TRACE by Pat Cummings, CATERPILLAR SUMMER by Gillian McDunn, THE MOON WITHIN by Aida Salazar, THE YEAR THEY FELL by David Kreizman

Connect with Marietta:

@AgentZacker on Twitter

@GalltZacker on Instagram

Why and/or how did you become an agent?

My road was not typical and it took many unexpected turns, but looking back, I landed where I did because of Abuelo, who was a writer. He was NEVER without paper and pen. I feel like my work is my homage to him.

What’s a day in the life of literary agent Marietta Zacker like?

It’s truly different every day, but everything I do — from reading submissions to reviewing contracts to posting good news about my clients and everything in between — is focused on great storytelling for young adults and young readers.

What sets a great manuscript apart from the rest of the crowd for you?

Great writing and illustrations that make me feel something.

What’s on your #MSWL?

http://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/marietta-b-zacker/

Anything that’s definitely not a fit for you?

If you decide to write because you want to teach children and young adults something, it’s not for me. This coming from a former teacher and one who believes that all books enlighten us in some way, but if that is your intent from the get-go, I guarantee it’s not ideal for me.

Do you receive many manuscripts from diverse authors?

I suspect I receive more than your average, but certainly not as many as I should given the number of writers and illustrators who are a part of marginalized communities. What we need to keep in mind is that the responsibility for rectifying this issue rests on those of us — all of us — in the industry, not on those who are choosing not submit or who don’t feel welcome to do so or who don’t see a stepping stone to step onto.

What do you perceive to be some of the greatest challenges to diversity faced within the industry?

There are many who came before us who have been pushing for this very thing. We owe a debt of gratitude to those who have been doing the work and also owe it to them to continue the work. We are righting a very slow moving (and very set in its way) ship, but I am confident that eventually we’ll have enough oars.

How do you approach and encourage diversity?

Calling myself diverse is strange because I simply am who I am. I don’t promote diversity because it’s a topic to discuss, but rather because I want a well-rounded canon of children’s and young adult literature. I firmly believe that having that will change the world for the better. So I approach and encourage diversity as a fact. It’s our world and we are all a part of it. Our literature should reflect that, period. Certainly, though, we have specific opportunities within the industry to support the work so we can get to that point. among other endeavors, I am the agent liaison of the We Need Diverse Books organization. I also support the Latinx in Publishing group, the PoC in Publishing group, the endeavors of my colleague Beth Phelan through #DVpit, and I keep my eyes open for any opportunity to support diversity in publishing.

What are some ways you feel agents can increase diversity within the publishing industry?

I don’t want to speak for everyone, but I will say again that the onus is on all of us. We have to keep talking and pushing and supporting the work. As I say often, we’re not going anywhere!

Are there any upcoming conferences or twitter events you’ll be participating in?

Everyone in our agency stays pretty active, and typically we’re communicating that information via our Twitter profiles. So please check there!

Final advice for writers and/or illustrators?

Read everything you can get your hands on before feeling like it’s your turn to add to the canon. Read widely and specifically seek out the books of those from marginalized communities (whether you are part of any one of those communities or not!). Read, read, and then read some more!

Wildcard Question:

If you could spend a day with any person, living or dead, who would it be?

Abuelo. Always Abuelo.

If you could have any career (outside of publishing), what would it be and why?

Ballroom dancer. I simply love to dance.

 

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