GumboWriters.com had an opportunity to interview literary agent Scott Kaufman from The Kolstein Talent Agency's new literary agency division. What makes this agency unique is that their focus for many years was for actors in film, television and stage but now they're on the look out for fresh new writing talent in their boutique division.
What's your official title, Scott? I head the literary agency division of the Kolstein Talent Agency. I've been with this agency for a year. I mainly handle film and television writers but am also on the look out for book writers as well.
How did you get started? I started in film and television production with independent films and television specials for PBS. After working in the production area, I decided that I wanted to get into the agency side of the business. I've always had a love and passion for the entertainment industry.
How many clients do you handle? What's great is that I only handle about 20 clients whereas other literary agents may handle a much larger number. Having a smaller number of clients allows me to work one-on-one with each individual.
What are you currently looking for, Scott? Two specific genres that I am looking out for are comedy and horror, because they provide audiences with the opportunities to laugh and escape. I'm also looking for character driven, lower to mid-level budgeted projects. As an agency, we are always looking to package our projects.
What are you not looking for? Right now, I am trying to avoid high priced, tent-pole movie scripts. Another aspect that is very important to me in terms of submissions is proper formatting, because I believe it reflects a writer's level of professionalism and experience.
Why you a writer sign with you, Scott and not someone else? I work with a select group of writers whose abilities I truly admire. Once they are signed with me, I give my clients the attention and time they deserve. I am aggressive, hungry and always working for them. By working one-on-one with each client, we are able to come up with "out-of-the box" ways to attain their goals.
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