London Writers' Salon
#164: Liv Maidment — A Literary Agent’s Playbook for Writers: Query Smart, Pick Comps, Nail the Pitch & Synopsis, and Today’s Market
Episode Summary
Head of Books at the Madeleine Milburn Agency, Liv Maidment, shares how literary agents read, evaluate, and champion submissions (from pitches and comps to strategy, timelines, and today’s AI-driven market), helping writers pitch their work clearly and confidently.
Episode Notes
Head of Books at the Madeleine Milburn Agency, Liv Maidment, shares how literary agents read, evaluate, and champion submissions (from pitches and comps to strategy, timelines, and today’s AI-driven market), helping writers pitch their work clearly and confidently.
You'll learn:
- How to build a snappy 1–2 line elevator pitch that helps everyone down the chain sell your book (“the art of summing something up in one or two sentences”).
- Tips for writing comp titles and using them smartly.
- Blurbs vs synopses: how the pitch sells your book while the synopsis tells your book.
- What strong synopses and author bios must include: how much to reveal, and why they matter.
- Why agent editorial and development with an agent still matter.
- Today’s submission etiquette: realistic timelines, when to chase, and how resubmissions work.
- Market and positioning: genres currently on the rise, platform and geography demystified (do you need social media, does location matter).
- Implications of AI in today's publishing landscape: contracts, transparency, and more.
- More exclusive insight and advice for writers from an expert on the other side of the publishing industry.
Resources and Links:
About Liv Maidment
Liv Maidment is Head of Books at the Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency, representing a prizewinning list of literary, upmarket, and book club fiction. She previously worked at The Blair Partnership and United Agents and has brokered major UK and North American deals, guiding debut and established authors throughout their careers.