Legendary literary agent Tim Seldes spent most of his professional life in pursuit of great writing and has represented some of the most influential writers in America, including Pulitzer Prize winners Anne Tyler and Annie Dillard. He started as an editor at Doubleday, where he spent seventeen years. In 1972 he purchased the literary agency Russell & Volkening, whose clients have included Eudora Welty, Peter Taylor, George Plimpton, Nadine Gordimer, and Jim Lehrer.

A Legendary Agent Reflects on Publishing

An Audio Interview

Literary Agenting in America (00:14 preview)

In the audio clip here, Tim Seldes describes making his way to Russell & Volkening. He discusses the major shifts in literary culture during the past thirty-five years, with the resulting changes in the role of the literary agent, the erosion of literary readership, and the rising financial stakes in the publishing business during his career.

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