The Story of an Agent's Downfall Due to a Controversial Tweet
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The Writer Community
The Tale of the Agent Who Lost Their Job Over a Tweet
Drama in the #WriterCommunity and #Querying Hell.
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On June 23, 2024, literary agent Hilary Harwell (@hilaryharwell on X, now deleted) posted the following tweet:
“Just read a query that was essentially THE ROAD meets DELIVERANCE (#YA) and now I want someone to write this for me, please? #amwriting #amquerying #MSWL”
Responses to the Agent’s Tweet:
> Jamie Damato: With all due respect, don’t you see how it could be quite insidious for an agent with industry clout to dismiss a querying writer with little power and then seek someone else to create a 'better' version of that idea just because they didn’t use the same comparisons?
> Morgana Bourggraff: But what about the querier?
> Hilary in response: Hi, no, the author did not pitch it that way, nor was the opening compelling enough.
Hilary, What Did You Do?
By most accounts, Hilary is an excellent literary agent. If you’re skeptical, you can check her Publisher’s Marketplace profile.
- PBS Agent Spotlight
- Literary Rambles Agent Spotlight
- The Word: A storytelling sanctuary for diversity
I queried her back in April and was turned down. She was active during Twitter Pitch events. Even though I have never met her personally, her humanity—evident from her #MSWL and interviews—shows she has a life with kids, pets, and a passion for her career.
Why A Bad Literary Agent Is Worse Than No Literary Agent
What to look for and what to avoid when seeking representation
writingcooperative.com
Why the Witch Hunt?
The implication of the tweet is that she rejected a writer's query and now seeks someone else to develop the original author's concept.
I discovered her tweet through discussions online. It’s notable that Hilary has a history of representing a diverse range of authors. Hasn’t she contributed positively with good intentions?
Hilary joined KT Literary in 2016 and began her career as a literary agent in 2017. I admire her MSWL, which is why I queried her a couple of months ago.
I don't believe she's a bad person, nor do I think her tweet was anything more than an agent expressing interest in a specific genre.
That said, the tweet itself was in poor taste.
> It sends chills down my spine, igniting a paranoia that literary agents are lurking in the shadows, ready to take your meticulously crafted plot and give it to an established author—NO WAY. INCONCEIVABLE!
Yet, it has occurred.
Agent Gives Author’s MS to Another Author
Allegations suggest Emily Kim shared Lynne Freeman's manuscript with Tracy Wolff, who then wrote and published a book through Deebs-Elkeaney.
See the linked court documents for Lynne Freeman versus Emily Sylvan Kim of Prospect Agency and Tracy T. Wolff.
> Thank you to @Beebbopalula on Twitter and AbsoluteWrite.com for sharing.
- Lawsuit against Amazon for publishing Wolff’s books.
- Lawsuit against Deebs-Elkeaney the Publisher.
Response of the Writer Community
If agents are indeed this unscrupulous, vocal critics of traditional publishing are quick to share their stories. This is why you should abandon these futile aspirations and self-publish your work!
> The trouble is, there are challenges in those realms too!
Suddenly, a wave of rejections, negative experiences, and troubling encounters with literary agents becomes ammunition against poor Hilary.
SHAME!
It’s entirely plausible that the original query had nothing to do with THE ROAD meets DELIVERANCE. It might have simply been interpreted that way. Or perhaps the author used other comparative titles, and Hilary was still considering that query while pondering an idea she thought was brilliant.
Poorly written tweet, YES.
Did she consider her audience? NO.
Am I excusing her? Yes.
Why?
Because she’s human. Humans make mistakes.
Then a plot twist. I found this post by Peyton June:
> So I guess an agent deactivated her account after being called out for tweeting the premise of a book she rejected. Last year she turned down my query, saying “no one wants to buy books about grief.” She then tweeted part of that rejection as “advice” for authors. I was devastated. — @peyjuly on Twitter
In Response to herself:
> I almost wanted to quit. How humiliating???? A year later, I signed with the perfect agent, and that “unsellable” book sold.
This industry is highly subjective. Not everyone will grasp your work or treat it with the respect it deserves. But please know that one person cannot represent the entire publishing landscape.
> That writing advice Hilary shared was something I referenced during my background research on her as evidence of her credibility before I submitted my query.
Unfortunately, those tweets and the thread have been deleted along with the account.
Conclusion: The Agent Lost Their Job Over a Tweet.
On June 24, 2024—just one day later—the agency released the following statement on their Instagram:
“We at KT Literary have decided to part ways with an agent whose recent public statements directly contradict our values and the trust we strive to build with our clients. We are reaching out to affected clients to discuss their representation options and ensure continued support. Thank you for your patience and understanding.” — KT Literary
Back to business as usual. That is the harsh reality of the publishing world. When your reputation is on the line, you cannot afford any scandals. When such scandals reveal your inability to manage the ‘subjectivity’ of your agents, the darker aspects of humanity begin to surface.
Amidst the chaos of tweets and threads, we may never learn Hilary’s side of the story. And perhaps, we don’t need to.
The Ugly Side of Literary Agents
In my querying experience, I’ve encountered:
- Literary agents who lack a social media presence, making agency reputation the only measure of their effectiveness.
- Literary agents who disappear after establishing a promising online profile.
- Literary agents who frequently switch agencies, with an appealing #MSWL but unresponsive query queues.
A recurring sentiment in the tweet storm commentary:
The expectation is that a competent agent will collaborate with an author to elevate their work to the necessary standard for querying publishers.
This places significant responsibility on the agent's shoulders.
Some agents, like Hilary, market themselves as developmental editors, query reviewers, and pitch creators. Some even act as ghostwriters, while many are successful authors promoting their own books.
> I understand. An agent may struggle to make ends meet. Agents experience burnout. Some make errors while juggling their side projects. Others may act opportunistically.
Most literary agents, however, are skilled at their craft and are striving to earn a living.
@Shardai_smith on Twitter mentioned encountering an AI agent at Codex Literary Agency.
Response of Literary Agents to the Tweet Storm
The retweets and commentary have been rife with hostility towards the perceived power dynamics held by literary agents.
Literary agents were quick to denounce Hilary’s tweet. Many emphasized their commitment to confidentiality agreements.
Final Thoughts
Stories endure within the writer community: this isn’t the first instance, nor is Hilary the only agent to face such scrutiny. Numerous similar narratives echo from traumatized authors and agents alike. Factual evidence remains scarce.
> When Western-born POCs, like myself, recount experiences of racism, it triggers a cycle of storytelling. I thought it happened to me, but dismissed it because I didn’t want to believe it was real. We’re confronted. Should I speak out? I hesitate to create a scene.
> We often dismiss these occurrences, hoping it won’t happen to us.
Allowing these issues to fade away guarantees their recurrence. There are no repercussions for the system. The agent lost her job. The agency distanced itself publicly. The Twitter account has vanished. The victim remains uncompensated. Authors who self-published find a sense of vindication.
> If I express my fears, will there be consequences? Silence ensues.
Until it happens again.
I wrote this article for those not on Twitter, who are at the end of a game of broken telephone.
Wherever you are, Hilary, I wish you well and hope you learn from your mistakes.
—D.M. De Alwis
Why am I sharing this? The writing community consists of thousands of individuals worldwide. This story won’t be featured in a newspaper.
Literary Agent Hilary Harwell was recognized by many Fantasy and Horror writers for her involvement in recent Twitter pitch events like #DarkPit and #KidLitPit. She specifically aimed to represent BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors.
Take a moment to reflect on the implications of the tweet storm.
The Writer Community online is TIGHT.
If you’re a querying author reading this—now you know. It happened. It’s not merely an urban legend.