Inciting Incidents, Writing Between Genres, and Newer Agents with Haley Casey, Creative Media Agency

The Manuscript Academy

We are so happy to welcome Haley Casey to the podcast! Haley Casey graduated from The University of Kansas in 2015 with a BA in creative writing, and that fall, she attended the Denver Publishing Institute. She began her full-time career at Ogden Publications, where she was an editor for four years. There she worked with a variety of authors across multiple magazines, wrote over a dozen articles, edited audio for podcasts, and even styled cover photos—anything to add some creativity to her days. In 2020, she interned at Metamorphosis Literary Agency and Creative Media Agency, Inc. before stepping into her role as a junior agent at CMA. She also manages the digital arm of the company. In this episode, we cover the following: 9:37 Haley’s MSWL, and what she hopes to see in her inbox 11:18 The memoir market from Haley’s perspective 12:39 How long can you wait to send an agent requested materials? 14:40 What does it mean if a work is called “upmarket”? 19:02 When do you expect to see the inciting incident? 20:53 How long does it take to hear back from an agent? 24:06 What if the only comp you can think of is a runaway bestseller? 26:33 How do you know if you’re starting in the right place in your story? 32:27 What if your work is between two genres? 35:50 What are your best tips for writers? 38:20 What do you do with an English degree? 46:42 What’s it like to work with a newer agent? Do they have mentorship? What ensures that it will go well? 51:54 What’s something you’ve changed your mind about in your time in the industry?