Barbara Poelle, Literary Agent, Author, Writer's Digest Columnist
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Barbara Poelle
Barbara Poelle began her publishing career as a freelance copywriter and editor before joining the Goodman Agency in 2007, but feels as if she truly prepared for the industry during her brief stint as a standup comic in Los Angeles. She has found success placing thrillers, literary suspense, Young Adult and upmarket fiction and is actively seeking her next great client in those genres, but is passionate about anything with a unique voice. Barbara is also the author of Funny You Should Ask: Mostly Serious Answers to Mostly Serious Questions About the Publishing Industry (Jan, 2020) based on her Writer's Digest column of the same name.
Hustle Hack: I love that Barbara made a huge career pivot into literary representation by first doing informational interviews. What a great example! If you are drawn to another career, do some research ahead of time, connect with people already in that field, and prepare some questions for them. Most people want to be helpful, especially when you come to them with a specific request. These interviews could help you figure out if you really want to pursue a specific career path or if you just like the idea of it.
Moment of Grace: What are you doing for you? Who are you aside from your relationship to others? Those are challenging questions Barbara posed. Do you spend any time doing things just for the sheer enjoyment of them? Personally, I think hobbies are spectacularly underrated. I challenge you to do something this week just for the sheer enjoyment of it.
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