{"id":6246,"date":"2001-12-01T19:58:43","date_gmt":"2001-12-01T23:58:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bookdragon.si.edu\/?p=6246"},"modified":"2015-08-17T10:38:30","modified_gmt":"2015-08-17T14:38:30","slug":"literary-agent-profile-theresa-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/apa.si.edu\/bookdragon\/literary-agent-profile-theresa-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Literary Agent Profile: Theresa Park [in aMagazine: Inside Asian America]"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Park<\/a>The Dealmaker<\/strong><\/p>\n

Six years ago, as a brand-new literary agent, Theresa Park<\/a> was handed a certain letter by her then assistant. It came from the unwanted slush pile (one toss away from the garbage can) of a senior agent in the venerable Sanford J. Greenburger Associates office who had suddenly passed away. That\u2019s how Nicholas Sparks\u2019 The Notebook<\/em> made publishing history, followed by Message in a Bottle <\/em>(which then became a\u00a0three-hankie movie starring\u00a0Kevin Costner and Paul Newman), A Walk to Remember<\/em> and The Rescue<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In less than a decade, Park has firmly established herself as a major literary force. She regularly handles eight<\/em>-digit deals \u2013 and yes, her Harvard law degree comes in very handy working mega-contracts. She has a penchant for first-time authors, with whom she builds successful long-term careers. Her client list includes thriller writer Margaret Cuthbert, Simple Living<\/em>-author Janet Luhrs, and renowned scientist Lee Silver. And just out last fall is Sparks\u2019 latest, A Bend in the Road<\/em>, yet another guaranteed blockbuster.<\/p>\n

What do you look for in a manuscript?<\/strong>
\nA good story, most importantly, but it must<\/em> be well told. A lot of people think having an incredible story is enough, but the reality is you have to be able to get that story across. \u00a0Also, what I look for in an author is even more important. I expect professionalism and sophisticated people skills, because publishing is a collaborative business. Although people might still think authors sit in attics writing for 10 hours a day, the reality is that the publishing world demands an ability to work effectively with many other people \u2013 the editorial staff, marketing department, doing effective PR in public. And as in any venture, conflicts are inevitable; the ability to resolve those conflicts maturely and effectively is an underestimated skill required of authors.<\/p>\n

What do you think of the recent jump in Asian American titles? What do you think accounts for it?<\/strong>
\nFirst of all, the growth is great. Asian American authors have been a very underrepresented population forever. I think the growth is an indication of a whole new generation of Asian Americans who are being encouraged and allowed to write about their experiences. The first wave of immigrants were focused on survival, with virtually no time left for art or storytelling. Now their children or their children\u2019s children are being encouraged to be literature majors, to be allowed to not <\/em>be doctors and lawyers and engineers, to allow their artistry and creativity to flourish.<\/p>\n

Any \u201chot\u201d titles \u2013 Asian American or otherwise \u2013 we should be on the look out for?<\/strong>
\nI can\u2019t wait to read Chang-rae Lee\u2019s next book \u2013 he\u2019s not talking too much about it, but I\u2019m sure it\u2019s going to be great.<\/p>\n

Tell me about your new Korean American discovery.<\/strong>
\n Janice Lee<\/a>. I just took her on as client. She\u2019s Korean, but grew up in Hong Kong before coming to the States for school. She\u2019s currently working on a novel. She\u2019s had some short stories published. She\u2019s definitely worth watching.<\/p>\n

You just got back from vacation. What did you take with you?<\/strong>
\nRose Tremain\u2019s The Way I Found Her<\/em> \u2013 which I liked. The voice of the 13-year-old protagonist was very well done. Dennis Lehane\u2019s A Drink Before the War<\/em>, a debut thriller. And Anne Fadiman\u2019s The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down<\/em>, about the Hmong culture versus the American medical system. You have<\/em> to read it this book. RUN to the book store and get it!<\/p>\n

What books are on your night table right now? <\/strong>
\nMostly manuscripts. And Corelli\u2019s Mandolin,<\/em> because a Korean American agent friend recommended it to me.<\/p>\n

Agent profile<\/strong>: “The Dealmaker,” a<\/strong>Magazine: Inside Asian American<\/em>, December 2001\/January 2002<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"ParkThe Dealmaker<\/strong><\/p>\n

Six years ago, as a brand-new literary agent, Theresa Park was handed a certain letter by her then assistant. It came from the unwanted slush pile (one toss away from the garbage can) of a senior agent in the venerable Sanford J. Greenburger Associates office who had suddenly passed away. That\u2019s how Nicholas Sparks\u2019 The Notebook<\/em> made publishing history, followed by Message in a Bottle <\/em>(which then became a three-hankie movie starring Kevin Costner and Paul Newman), A Walk to Remember<\/em> and The Rescue<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In less than a decade, Park has firmly established herself as a major literary force. She regularly handles eight<\/em>-digit deals \u2013 and yes, her Harvard law degree comes in very handy working mega-contracts. She has a penchant for first-time authors, with whom she builds successful long-term careers. Her client list includes thriller writer Margaret Cuthbert, Simple Living<\/em>-author Janet Luhrs, and renowned scientist Lee Silver. And just out last fall is Sparks\u2019 latest, A Bend in the Road<\/em>, yet another guaranteed blockbuster.<\/p>\n

What do you look for in a manuscript?<\/strong>
\nA good story, most importantly, but it must<\/em> be well told. A lot of people think having an incredible story is enough, but the reality is you have to be able to get that story across. Also, what I look for in an author is even more important. I expect professionalism and sophisticated people skills, because publishing is a collaborative business. Although people might still think authors sit in attics writing for 10 hours a day, the reality is that the publishing world demands an ability to work effectively with many other people \u2013 the editorial staff, marketing department, doing effective PR in public. And as in any venture, conflicts are inevitable; the ability to resolve those conflicts maturely and effectively is an underestimated skill required of authors.<\/p>\n

What do you think of the recent jump in Asian American titles? What do you think accounts for it?<\/strong>
\nFirst of all, the growth is great. Asian American authors have been a very underrepresented population forever. I think the growth is an indication of a whole new generation of Asian Americans who are being encouraged and allowed to write about their experiences. The first wave of immigrants were focused on survival, with virtually no time left for art or storytelling. Now their children or their children\u2019s children are being encouraged to be literature majors, to be allowed to not <\/em>be doctors and lawyers and engineers, to allow their artistry and creativity to flourish.<\/p>\n

Any \u201chot\u201d titles \u2013 Asian American or otherwise \u2013 we should be on the look out for?<\/strong>
\nI can\u2019t wait to read Chang-rae Lee\u2019s next book \u2013 he\u2019s not talking too much about it, but I\u2019m sure it\u2019s going to be great.<\/p>\n

Tell me about your new Korean American discovery.<\/strong>
\n Janice Lee<\/a>. I just took her on as client. She\u2019s Korean, but grew up in Hong Kong before coming to the States for school. She\u2019s currently working on a novel. She\u2019s had some short stories published. She\u2019s definitely worth watching.<\/p>\n

You just got back from vacation. What did you take with you?<\/strong>
\nRose Tremain\u2019s The Way I Found Her<\/em> \u2013 which I liked. The voice of the 13-year-old protagonist was very well done. Dennis Lehane\u2019s A Drink Before the War<\/em>, a debut thriller. And Anne Fadiman\u2019s The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down<\/em>, about the Hmong culture versus the American medical system. You have<\/em> to read it this book. RUN to the book store and get it!<\/em><\/p>\n

What books are on your night table right now? <\/strong>
\nMostly manuscripts. And Corelli\u2019s Mandolin,<\/em> because a Korean American agent friend recommended it to me.<\/p>\n

Agent profile<\/strong>: “The Dealmaker,” a<\/strong>Magazine: Inside Asian American<\/em>, December 2001\/January 2002<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32524,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,4,6,426,38,20,6535],"tags":[4822,6608,4885],"class_list":["post-6246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adult-readers","category-author-interview-profile","category-fiction","category-japanese-american","category-korean-american","category-nonfiction","category-repost","tag-amagazine-inside-asian-america","tag-bookdragon","tag-theresa-park"],"yoast_head":"\nLiterary Agent Profile: Theresa Park [in aMagazine: Inside Asian America] - BookDragon<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/apa.si.edu\/bookdragon\/literary-agent-profile-theresa-park\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Literary Agent Profile: Theresa Park [in aMagazine: Inside Asian America] - BookDragon\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Dealmaker Six years ago, as a brand-new literary agent, Theresa Park was handed a certain letter by her then assistant. It came from the unwanted slush pile (one toss away from the garbage can) of a senior agent in the venerable Sanford J. Greenburger Associates office who had suddenly passed away. That\u2019s how Nicholas Sparks\u2019 The Notebook made publishing history, followed by Message in a Bottle (which then became a three-hankie movie starring Kevin Costner and Paul Newman), A Walk to Remember and The Rescue. In less than a decade, Park has firmly established herself as a major literary force. She regularly handles eight-digit deals \u2013 and yes, her Harvard law degree comes in very handy working mega-contracts. She has a penchant for first-time authors, with whom she builds successful long-term careers. Her client list includes thriller writer Margaret Cuthbert, Simple Living-author Janet Luhrs, and renowned scientist Lee Silver. And just out last fall is Sparks\u2019 latest, A Bend in the Road, yet another guaranteed blockbuster. What do you look for in a manuscript? A good story, most importantly, but it must be well told. A lot of people think having an incredible story is enough, but the reality is you have to be able to get that story across. Also, what I look for in an author is even more important. I expect professionalism and sophisticated people skills, because publishing is a collaborative business. Although people might still think authors sit in attics writing for 10 hours a day, the reality is that the publishing world demands an ability to work effectively with many other people \u2013 the editorial staff, marketing department, doing effective PR in public. And as in any venture, conflicts are inevitable; the ability to resolve those conflicts maturely and effectively is an underestimated skill required of authors. What do you think of the recent jump in Asian American titles? What do you think accounts for it? First of all, the growth is great. Asian American authors have been a very underrepresented population forever. I think the growth is an indication of a whole new generation of Asian Americans who are being encouraged and allowed to write about their experiences. The first wave of immigrants were focused on survival, with virtually no time left for art or storytelling. Now their children or their children\u2019s children are being encouraged to be literature majors, to be allowed to not be doctors and lawyers and engineers, to allow their artistry and creativity to flourish. Any \u201chot\u201d titles \u2013 Asian American or otherwise \u2013 we should be on the look out for? I can\u2019t wait to read Chang-rae Lee\u2019s next book \u2013 he\u2019s not talking too much about it, but I\u2019m sure it\u2019s going to be great. Tell me about your new Korean American discovery. Janice Lee. I just took her on as client. She\u2019s Korean, but grew up in Hong Kong before coming to the States for school. She\u2019s currently working on a novel. She\u2019s had some short stories published. She\u2019s definitely worth watching. You just got back from vacation. What did you take with you? Rose Tremain\u2019s The Way I Found Her \u2013 which I liked. The voice of the 13-year-old protagonist was very well done. Dennis Lehane\u2019s A Drink Before the War, a debut thriller. And Anne Fadiman\u2019s The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, about the Hmong culture versus the American medical system. You have to read it this book. RUN to the book store and get it! What books are on your night table right now? Mostly manuscripts. And Corelli\u2019s Mandolin, because a Korean American agent friend recommended it to me. 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It came from the unwanted slush pile (one toss away from the garbage can) of a senior agent in the venerable Sanford J. Greenburger Associates office who had suddenly passed away. That\u2019s how Nicholas Sparks\u2019 The Notebook made publishing history, followed by Message in a Bottle (which then became a three-hankie movie starring Kevin Costner and Paul Newman), A Walk to Remember and The Rescue. In less than a decade, Park has firmly established herself as a major literary force. She regularly handles eight-digit deals \u2013 and yes, her Harvard law degree comes in very handy working mega-contracts. She has a penchant for first-time authors, with whom she builds successful long-term careers. Her client list includes thriller writer Margaret Cuthbert, Simple Living-author Janet Luhrs, and renowned scientist Lee Silver. And just out last fall is Sparks\u2019 latest, A Bend in the Road, yet another guaranteed blockbuster. What do you look for in a manuscript? A good story, most importantly, but it must be well told. A lot of people think having an incredible story is enough, but the reality is you have to be able to get that story across. Also, what I look for in an author is even more important. I expect professionalism and sophisticated people skills, because publishing is a collaborative business. Although people might still think authors sit in attics writing for 10 hours a day, the reality is that the publishing world demands an ability to work effectively with many other people \u2013 the editorial staff, marketing department, doing effective PR in public. And as in any venture, conflicts are inevitable; the ability to resolve those conflicts maturely and effectively is an underestimated skill required of authors. What do you think of the recent jump in Asian American titles? What do you think accounts for it? First of all, the growth is great. Asian American authors have been a very underrepresented population forever. I think the growth is an indication of a whole new generation of Asian Americans who are being encouraged and allowed to write about their experiences. The first wave of immigrants were focused on survival, with virtually no time left for art or storytelling. Now their children or their children\u2019s children are being encouraged to be literature majors, to be allowed to not be doctors and lawyers and engineers, to allow their artistry and creativity to flourish. Any \u201chot\u201d titles \u2013 Asian American or otherwise \u2013 we should be on the look out for? I can\u2019t wait to read Chang-rae Lee\u2019s next book \u2013 he\u2019s not talking too much about it, but I\u2019m sure it\u2019s going to be great. Tell me about your new Korean American discovery. Janice Lee. I just took her on as client. She\u2019s Korean, but grew up in Hong Kong before coming to the States for school. She\u2019s currently working on a novel. She\u2019s had some short stories published. She\u2019s definitely worth watching. You just got back from vacation. What did you take with you? Rose Tremain\u2019s The Way I Found Her \u2013 which I liked. The voice of the 13-year-old protagonist was very well done. Dennis Lehane\u2019s A Drink Before the War, a debut thriller. And Anne Fadiman\u2019s The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, about the Hmong culture versus the American medical system. You have to read it this book. RUN to the book store and get it! What books are on your night table right now? Mostly manuscripts. And Corelli\u2019s Mandolin, because a Korean American agent friend recommended it to me. 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