About/The Robert E. Shepard Agency
The best
books must be sought out and crafted. Now in its 14th year, The Robert E.
Shepard Agency seeks authors who are expert in their fields and in the use of
prose, as well as works that will set new standards in their fields,
benefitting, informing, and entertaining their readers. The Agency furthers
this mission by working exceptionally closely with a relatively small base of
client-authors, and by maintaining thoroughly professional relationships with
editors and publishers. Welcome!
I look for authors who can break new ground
in their approaches to contemporary issues. I want to hear from experts who
have been notable in their own fields, even if they are not well-known to the
general public: authors whose fresh ideas can change the way readers think
about their own lives and the world around them. The Agency's philosophy
rejects an "assembly-line" approach, emphasizing that close
interaction between author and agent can result in better-crafted books and a
more enjoyable, fulfilling publishing experience for everyone involved. An
agent can also help initiate and moderate an ongoing "dialogue" between
author and editor, cultivating relationships that remain productive and
collegial over the lives of many works. That is, in a sense, an old-fashioned
approach and, unfortunately, it must be tempered by the new realities of
American publishing. As publishing houses have merged into ever larger (and
fewer) entities, many book editors have found themselves with less time to edit
more books. Every book proposal must not only describe a compelling work, but
convince editors and their colleagues that the proposed work will fill a need
and reach a large market. The role of the editor as advocate for her authors
and books is thus more important than ever; and continuity in the author-editor
relationship is also important, since it so often results in better-crafted
books. One of the Agency's goals is to help authors feel as comfortable as
possible with the complexities of writing, so they'll want to write more.
Even though publishing (and "agenting") have long since entered the
age of email and the Agency's clients can be found around the world, the old
maxim about location still holds true. I'm fortunate to be based in the San
Francisco Bay Area, a great cultural center with a proud and enduring literary
tradition. San Francisco's vibrant community of authors, journalists, booksellers,
and publishers, its cutting-edge research laboratories, and its great
universities (including the University of California in the Agency's hometown
of Berkeley) make it fertile ground for new ideas and perspectives. Trade
publishers, so many of whom live and work in New York, are always interested in
hearing the latest news from the other side of the country.
About
Robert
In 2008, I mark my 24th year in the book publishing world. For more than a decade, I've worked exclusively with authors of non-fiction, representing some of the world's most talented and knowledgeable authors, among them distinguished journalists, scholars, executives, and self-taught experts. I'm proud of my list and all of its successes, and especially proud to be representing many of my clients on their second, third, fourth, or even fifth projects. There is perhaps no greater measure of success in representing authors than watching them develop their careers over many years and many book projects.
My background on three sides of
publishing--editorial, marketing, and sales--has always helped me add value to
my relationships with authors. I was Manager of Special Markets and National
Accounts in the trade group at Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, responsible
for millions of dollars in sales. In nearly nine years with that company, I
created and managed a wide variety of marketing programs, helped develop
specialized books, and worked closely with authors, booksellers and publishers
abroad, as well as editing and acquiring books. Subsequently, I formed a
consultancy, advising a variety of publishers on issues related to marketing,
product development, customer satisfaction, and organizational development,
before returning to my literary "roots" and forming the agency that
had long been a dream of mine, in 1994.
I hold bachelor's and master's degrees in English from the University of Pennsylvania, in whose alumni
affairs I remain very active. Locally in the San Francisco Bay Area, I've
taught a course on writing and publishing non-fiction through the Learning
Annex. I participate in a number of literary conferences, and have served on
the faculties of the San
Francisco Writers Conference as well as of the Jack London and East of Eden
Writers Conferences, both sponsored by the California Writers Club. Farther
afield, I'm on the faculty of the Willamette Writers
Conference (Portland, Oregon) and have also presented at the Maui Writers
Conference. I regularly attend several major industry fairs, including Book
Expo America and the London International Book Fair. Here in cyberspace, I was
AOL's first "Ask the Agent," more than a decade ago. I am an
associate member of the Authors Guild,
one of the most useful and supportive organizations for authors, and a member
of the San Francisco chapter of the Women's National Book Association. I'm
proud to be part of a great communnity of literary agents based in the San
Francisco Bay Area. All of us take our work on behalf of authors very seriously
and represent authors from across the country and beyond. I visit editorial
offices in New York and other cities several times a year, and know hundreds of
book editors personally.
In my spare time, I am a volunteer with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory, which tracks the movements of 19 species of raptors (hawks, falcons, eagles, etc.) in the Marin Headlands, just north of San Francisco. I'm an avid cyclist, riding thousands of miles a year, and a regular participant in charity bikerides. I'm a student of French, Italian, and German and consider myself a stickler for English grammar, which is also something of a hobby for me. A native of New Jersey, I'm proud to call California my adoptive home.