ABOUT THE AGENCY

WHO WE ARE

WHERE WE ARE

OUR TERMS FOR AUTHORS

12 GOOD REASONS TO CHOOSE US

HOW TO SUBMIT BOOK PROPOSALS

GUIDELINES FOR AUTHORS

OUR AUTHORS

FORTHCOMING BOOKS

EVANS SKINNER CRIME ARCHIVE

Who We Are

Robert Smith, the agency’s Managing Director, made the change from publisher to literary agent in 1997.

 

He started out as Editorial Manager of Paul Hamlyn’s Octopus Books, moving in the 1980s to become Publishing Director of Ebury Press (now owned by Random House), where he commissioned the bestselling non-fiction book of the decade, The Official Sloane Ranger Handbook (source: Sunday Times). In 1985, he was appointed Publishing Director of Sidgwick & Jackson Limited (owned by Macmillan), where he commissioned many talented and legendary authors, such as Debbie Reynolds, Eartha Kitt, James Lees-Milne, Bruce Dickinson and the Roux Brothers.

 

Being an entrepreneur at heart, he set up in 1990 his own publishing company, Smith Gryphon Publishers, which produced a string of bestsellers including The Diary of Jack the Ripper (world-wide sales of half a million copies), Harry’s Bar Cookbook by Arrigo Cipriani, and Diana In Private by Lady Colin Campbell (No. 1 in The Bookseller Paperback Non-Fiction Chart). His extensive experience in senior publishing positions has proved invaluable in developing the careers of the agency’s authors.

 

Anne Smith has a press and publishing background and is the agency’s Company Secretary, managing finance and accounts, a key part of which is paying our authors promptly!

 

Gemma Quinn is Assistant to Robert Smith and is greatly appreciated by our authors for being so perceptive and helpful. She administers the office and is always on hand to look after our clients’ needs.

 

Louisa Pritchard Associates. Louisa is, in effect, our foreign rights department, selling to publishers principally in Europe and the Far East.

 

Renée Zuckerbrot Literary Agency.  Renée is our co-agent in the USA, representing us from her New York office.