The Columbia Fiction Foundry has always been partial to literary agents with Columbia degrees.  Miriam Goderich has two, a BA in Comparative Literature and a MA in English.  Miriam was also the first literary agent to visit our workshop, in March of 2012 so as of June 6 she will be the first agent to have visited us twice. 

Miriam's 2006 blog about the Elusive Perfect Query Letter is about all you will ever need to know about query letters.  But if that's not enough, or if you need an update, then see her 2015 article in the New York City Writer's Network. 

Something else which sets Miriam apart is the editorial support she gives her clients - and in rare cases her prospective clients.  

Dystel and Goderich Literary Management is organized a little differently from other agencies.  Miriam handles the inbox and her partner, Jane Dystel, handles the outbox.  That is to say, Miriam sources manuscripts and Jane places them with publishing houses.  This division of labor enables both of them to do what they do best.  You can't argue with success and D&G has been one of the best in their field as ranked by the Directory of Literary Agents.

So bring your Qs on June 6 and Miriam will supply the As.  Don't bring your entry to the elusive perfect query letter contest though - she'd rather see it in the body of an email to [email protected].