Faculty Interview: Mary Sue Seymour

Compiled by Jason Henry

Are you excited? We certainly are! Why shouldn't we be? The 2015 Pikes Peak Writers Conference is just around the corner! It has been an absolute pleasure recruiting the incredible faculty that we have lined up for you this year and the workshops they will be teaching are proving to be just as amazing.

Pikes Peak Writers Conference is known as one of the best and friendliest conferences for many reasons. One of those reasons is that we provide as many opportunities as possible to not only learn from our faculty, but to get to know them. Keeping in the spirit of that very statement, we interviewed all of our faculty members to get inside their heads just a little. Really, we don't see the point in waiting until April. Do you?

Over the weeks to come, we will be posting those interviews along with the responses right here on the PPW Blog. Be sure to check in on Facebook and Twitter as well! We hope you enjoy reading these brief Q&As as much as we have!

Mary Sue Seymour (Agent/Founder, The Seymour Agency)

1. What are the most compelling elements you feel are necessary for a good read? 

Fast pace and well drawn characters – a great hook helps.

2. What do you see as the pleasures and difficulties of being a writer/artist in today's world?

 The markets are tougher.

3. What is the best career/writing advice someone has given you? 

Not really a writer.

4. What do you love most about your career? 

Discovering new talent.

5. What is something you wish everyone knew (or didn't know) about you? 

I love people and try to be nice to everyone

6. Which fictional character do you relate to the most, and why? What character would your friends/family pick for you? 

I can’t think of any fictional character I can relate to – hope that isn’t a bad thing

Quick Qs:

Pen or Keyboard? Keyboard

Plotter or Pantser? Not a writer

Book or E-Book? Book

Spicy or Mild? Either

Sunrise or Sunset? Sunrise – I’m a morning person

Mister Rogers or Sesame Street? Sesame Street – love Big Bird

Facebook or Twitter? Both

Mary Sue Seymour, nominated for American Christian Fiction Writers Agent of the Year, has been agenting for over 20 years, and is listed as a top deal-maker for inspirational fiction on Publisher’s Marketplace. She has sold New York Times selling projects such as The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook and Shelley Shepard Gray’s Missing. She has also sold multi-book deals to Thomas Nelson, Zondervan, Harvest House, Bethany House, Cook, Harper One, Abingdon Press, B&H, Guideposts, Summerside, Kensington and others. She travels the country and world presenting writing workshops, mentoring writers, and doing appointments with them. She has been a guest agent at The Women’s Fiction Festival in Matera, Italy, has attended the London Book Fair, and has traveled to almost every American city for writing conferences, and she’s loved every minute of it.

Mary Sue represents several best selling Christian authors such as New York Times best selling author Shelley Shepard Gray, Mary Ellis, Vannetta Chapman, Ruth Reid, Don Reid of the Statler Brothers and others; her writers have won numerous publishing industry awards and have been the subject of articles and starred reviews in Publisher’s Weekly and other publications.