Frequent Questions Answered, Part 2

ACFWAdvice, Agents, Authors and writing, writing Leave a Comment

by Mary Sue Seymour
The Seymour Agency

Mary Sue Seymour is back again today answering more questions.

Do you represent any projects currently that are unusual or different?
I am circulating NY Times best-selling author Cec Murphey’s Slow Death in Muma which is a murder mystery. I don’t usually handle this genre, but I couldn’t put Cec’s book down. Also, I am circulating Don Reid of the Statler Brothers’ Stranger in Mount Jefferson. Again this is not a genre I usually handle, but I loved Don’s smooth, easy to read writing style. I sold Don’s first series to Cook.

What unique things can you offer your clients?
I like to think of The Seymour Agency as a family of writers. When my published authors and I get together at ACFW or other conferences, I like to treat them to dinner or for drinks. Even when we all sit down and have a glass of iced tea together and chat, it’s nice catching up on news with everyone’s families and careers. I also love giving my clients little gifts to show my appreciation of their loyalty. Emily Keys who worked in foreign rights and contracts for Simon & Schuster looks over our contracts and sells our foreign rights. As a former teacher who holds New York State certification, I like to think I’m a good editor. If there’s something wrong with a book, I can write a prescription to fix it. Whether it’s picking out Christmas gifts for my clients or praying about their children with them, as I said before, I like to think of us as a family. In the end as Christians we must model ourselves after Jesus Christ who was an advocate of love.

What are some of the upcoming writers’ conferences you’ll be attending?
I’ll be attending Heartland of America Christian Writers Network in Kansas City, Oregon Christian Writers Conference, Florida Writers Association Conference, Florida Christian Writers Association Conference, Nola Stars in Louisiana, Unicorn Writers Conference in Connecticut, Charter Oak Romance Group in Connecticut, Tallahassee Writing Association Conference in Florida, the WisRWA Annual Writers Conference in Wisconsin, American Christian Fiction Writers in Indiana, and Romance Writers of America National Convention in Georgia. At some of these conferences I will be presenting workshops, sitting on panels, and listening to pitches. I hope to meet you at one of them! If you do attend, please come up to me and introduce yourself. I love meeting new people!

For what are you thankful?
I have so much to be thankful for. I am always asking God why I have a roof over my head, heat in my house and food to eat, and why my children have medical care and an education, but so much of the world doesn’t. Why did God choose me to receive these gifts? This is a mystery, and I have no answers. I am thankful for my friends and family especially my sons, Matt and Luke; daughter-in-law, Nicky; and my co-agent, Nicole Resciniti, who is the daughter I never had – but always wanted. I am thankful for my clients who allow me to direct their writing careers. I am thankful for the editors who have bought my clients’ books because they have launched them into the beautiful world of Christian publishing. I’m also thankful for the editors who have not bought my clients’ books because those editors are in a position to open peoples’ hearts to Jesus Christ through the projects they do buy.

But most of all, I am thankful to God for hearing the prayer of that little girl in the brooder house.


Mary Sue Seymour, nominated for American Christian Fiction Writers Agent of the Year, has been agenting for 20 years, and is listed as a top deal-maker for inspirational fiction on Publisher’s Marketplace. She has sold multi-book deals to Thomas Nelson, Zondervan, Harvest House, Bethany House, Cook, Harper One, Abingdon Press, B&H, Guideposts, and others. Mary Sue and her co-agent, Nicole, are writing a book titled The Smart Guide to Getting Published which will be released in 2013.

Mary Sue represents several best selling Christian authors such as New York Times best selling author Shelley Shepard Gray, Beth Wiseman, Mary Ellis, Amy Clipston, Don Reid of the Statler Brothers, Vannetta Chapman, and others.

Mary Sue likes to keep busy since her sons, Matt and Luke, have grown up. She ran the Disney half marathon this past January and took 317th place in her age category of 55-59. She teaches art on cruise ships in exchange for a complimentary cruise for two (which has made her exceedingly popular with her friends!).

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