Polly Halladay-Jones joined Georgina Capel Associates in 2021, having studied Literature at the University of Oxford and holding an MA in Creative Writing Prose Fiction from the University of East Anglia. She represents literary, book club, and commercial fiction, as well as poetry and short story collections, and is actively building her list. Her clients include Manya Wilkinson, whose novel Lubin won the Hawthornden Prize for Literature, the Wingate Literary Prize, and the RSL Encore Award for best second novel. She also represents fantasy writer Ola Adeoye and romcom author Steph Vizard.
What was your journey to becoming a literary agent, and what do you enjoy most about the job?
I studied English at university, then Creative Writing, which included a publishing module. I did extra-curriculars in different publishing ventures during both my BA and MA. After university, I managed to get a few work experience placements (journalism wasn’t for me) and internships. Eventually, I became an intern at Georgina Capel Associates and have worked up from there. I most enjoy working with writers on their work at the very beginning of their careers, and onwards!
What are publishers looking for in short story collections? Should writers build them around a theme or concept, or should they simply present the writer’s best work?
A submission should always be the writer’s best work. A collection doesn’t have to be built around a single theme or concept, but there must be some sense of curation, cohesion, some kind of organising principle—whether this is a theme, setting, voice, or emotional focus, etc. This will also help marketability.
How marketable is a short story collection? What are you looking for from a short story writer that will make a publisher take interest?
It totally depends on the collection and the publisher, but for me, the answer to this question is just great writing. It should be distinct, original, and confident. Stories that have previously won competitions or been featured in reputable journals and magazines will also be a draw.
Are publishers looking for short stories of a certain length, or a similar length in a collection?
I find variety in one collection exciting. Some long, some short, maybe a couple flash. For a first collection, publishers will care more about the quality of the work than the specific length of each story, but also the length of the collection as a whole. As a debut, they won’t want to publish a tome of all your work, which is why curation is important.
What common mistakes do you see in the short story collection submissions you receive?
They often lack that curation. Sometimes, they are too long (or short), and the selection of stories seems random.
What are the opportunities for translation rights for such collections?
We always hope to sell translation rights.
How important are short story competition wins or placements?
They are not the be-all and end-all, but they can help get your writing noticed. You should submit your work to competitions and see, but don’t bankrupt yourself! There’s a great article on Literary Hub about collecting rejections that I would recommend to all aspiring writers. (Why You Should Aim For 100 Rejections A Year by Kim Liao. https://lithub.com/why-you-should-aim-for-100-rejections-a-year/. Liao later followed this up with another article three years later called, What Collecting 100 Rejections taught Me About Creative Failure.https://lithub.com/what-collecting-100-rejections-taught-me-about-creative-failure/)
Should a collection include previously published stories, stories that have won writing competitions, newly written stories, or a mixture?
Although it can be a mixture, mostly new work is best.
Is there a right time in a writer’s career for a short story collection? Does it help if they’ve had novels published, or can it be a useful stepping stone to writing publishable novels?
No, there is no right time. Both can help. Write what you need to write when you need to write it.
Polly Halladay-Jones’ Top Tip
Write what you need to write. Get feedback on it. Read short story collections! Look back over your work and see if there is a preoccupation in your writing… most likely there will be. Could that be an organising principle? Play around with curation. Edit. Strip back. Submit. Kill your darlings. Read aloud.
Further Information
The agency prefers submissions by post, including a cover letter, a 500-word synopsis, and the first three chapters, but will accept email submissions. For details about how to submit, visit https://georginacapel.com/submissions
© Simon Whaley