After graduating from Barnard College, Alia Hanna Habib began her publishing career at Houghton Mifflin as a publicity assistant to the Director of Cookbook Publicity. There, she says, she "discovered two unexpected loves: cookbooks and breaking out new talent." From reading cookbooks, she learned to cook, and after reading the manuscript of Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer, she volunteered to work extra hours to help with the publicity campaign.

In 2002, she left Houghton to pursue a graduate degree in nineteenth-century British literature. After graduate school, she lived in Italy, where she volunteered on organic farms throughout the Italian peninsula. On returning to New York, Habib was re-hired by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt as a publicity manager. Some of her most notable campaigns include How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer, Whatever It Takes by Paul Tough, Mrs. Astor Regrets by Meryl Gordon, Finding Nouf by Zoë Ferraris, and Hello, Cupcake! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson.

Habib is now a literary agent at McCormick & Williams in New York City, where she specializes in narrative non-fiction, memoir, literary fiction, mysteries, and cookbooks. She lives in Brooklyn and says she still loves to cook.

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett: You've spent time in book publicity, and now you're an agent. How and why did that happen?

Alia Habib: What I loved most about publicity was being an advocate for my books and authors, and that relationship was most satisfying to me when I was with a book from the very beginning, when I'd read a proposal and gotten behind it from in-house. I began to think about careers in publishing that would allow me to use my publicity skills while working with books and authors at the earliest stages. I did informational interviews with a slew of inspiring agents, and it was clear from the first conversation that this was what I wanted to do. My authors from HMH were generous about introducing me to their agents, and in fact, one of my favorite HMH authors introduced me to the agency I work for now.

BDB: I find it interesting that during a tough time in publishing, you migrated to agenting. Or has it always been a tough time in publishing?

AH: I don't think anyone goes into this business looking to get rich! Yes, it's a hard time, but frankly, I saw a number of titles at HMH do quite well, in a difficult marketplace. I don't think I could go forward, no matter where I worked in publishing, without believing that good books, given a good launch, can make money. I've seen it happen enough to have faith that I won't starve.

BDB: I imagine that your experience in book publicity serves you well as an agent.

AH: I like to think so! Agents, like publicists, need to "sell" books to people who get bombarded with information about new books all day. Bear in mind that I'm just starting out, but it's clear that in both roles you have to be able to convince other people to act on your enthusiasm and to trust your judgment. My experience in book publicity also informs how I work with my clients. One of the frustrating things about being an in-house publicist was to have talented authors arrive on my lap at the end of the publication process, without having gotten any advice about how to promote their work and get it out there. I've seen the difference in support that an author gets from the publishing house when it's clear that the author is relatively publicity savvy and has already built a platform. I see my role as helping authors with that aspect of their career from the beginning, rather than waiting until their first book is on the shelves.

BDB: Do you see yourself more as an agent for fiction or nonfiction?

AH: Like most people who love books, I fell in love with reading from reading novels. I'll always represent fiction, but my split between fiction and nonfiction reflects my reading habits now. I probably read two nonfiction books for every fictional one. But as a lifelong novel lover, I tend to like nonfiction that reads like fiction. I want to learn something, but I like to have a good story and compelling characters, too.

BDB: How difficult is it to sell literary fiction, and what does it take to move a project to "yes"?

AH: The market for literary fiction is smaller than for commercial fiction, so it has been and always will be harder. The quality of the work is the deciding factor, but it helps if the author (and of course, the agent) can talk about the work in an exciting way. Editors give a book a chance for the same reason that consumers do: it sounds interesting, or someone whose taste they trust recommended it. Not incidentally, how you're able to talk about the book also can determine the kind of support you get from publicity and marketing once the book is sold.

BDB: Easier to sell mysteries?

AH: There is a solid, avid market for mysteries, which can make them easier to sell. Mysteries are narrative-driven, and frankly, fiction with strong plotting is more marketable, no matter the category.

BDB: Cookbooks, too .... I've heard that unless you're a celebrity, forget about trying to publish a cookbook since no one uses cookbooks anymore; they go online for recipes.

AH: That's not true! Cookbook sales actually were up in 2009. And one of the biggest sellers was The Pioneer Woman Cooks. Ree Drummond is a celebrity now, but she certainly wasn't when she started blogging. If you're not a celebrity chef, it's difficult to sell a cookbook without a building a platform first, or making your recipes part of a larger story. We all know, however, that the best cooking advice often comes from other home cooks, not celebrity chefs—which is part of the appeal of recipe websites, as they allow you to learn from the mistakes of others through the comment section. I think there will always be a market for the kind of curated content cookbooks offer, especially if that content holds up in actual kitchens.

BDB: How about memoir—is the genre saturated, or will there always be a market for memoir?

AH: I can't imagine we'll exhaust the market for memoir anytime soon. Readers have always looked for a good story, and we live in a confessional culture. Memoir merges the two. And since it's considerably easier to publicize a memoir, they are particularly appealing to publishing houses.

BDB: One editor I spoke with at a major publisher said she doesn't read novels anymore—she goes online to feed the need for fiction. But memoir ... she loves memoir.

AH: I can't imagine swearing off novels like that, though I do understand the satisfaction of a good memoir. There is something particularly comforting about knowing it's a "true story." Your relationship with the author feels so much more intimate. Oddly enough, my favorite memoirs tend to be really artful about that relationship. I love, for example, the weird little memoirs of the French writer Gregoire Bouillier. They're very much based on how his own reading has shaped the telling of his own life's story, and that sort of self-examination wouldn't be as compelling if it were all fictional.

BDB: Are memoirs like fiction in that if you want to sell a memoir, you need to finish the book? Or can you sell a memoir on the basis of a proposal?

AH: As a publicist at HMH, I came across some proposals that were partials, but the best-case scenario is a finished manuscript, especially in this risk-adverse environment. If the story behind the memoir is strong and the writing of the first seventy pages is also top-notch, a sale is possible, but that is increasingly less common.

BDB: I assume that it all begins with a query letter. Anything you can tell me about what sets a query letter apart from the masses that come in?

AH: I'm much more likely to spend more time with your submission if it's clear that you've done some research about me or our agency. No one wants to feel that they're a random choice. Also, keep in mind that you're building a relationship that will last a long time, so be professional. Above all, particularly for nonfiction, I want to see an idea that's clearly articulated and original.

BDB: Is it in a writer's best interest to meet you, or an agent they wish to woo (at a conference, say), or is a good query letter enough?

AH: I really like meeting people in person, so if there's a way to make that happen, go for it. Also, know that talking with an agent is a two-way audition. Ask the agent about other books she has worked on, or particularly likes, to get a sense of how she or he talks about books. Keep in mind that the agent will be doing the same with you. We only take on a fraction of what we read, however, so a good meeting does not mean you've found representation. Ultimately, that decision is made by the quality of the work, and whether or not the agent thinks he or she can sell it.

BDB: What are the most important aspects writers should keep in mind when looking for an agent?

AH: You want to feel that the agent will be a passionate and effective advocate for you. Talk to the agent about his or her past projects, but you also want to get a sense of how the agent will handle yours. You want someone who is excited to work with you, and will be responsive and supportive and honest throughout what can be the rather brutal process of publishing a book.

BDB: Platform can't help but come up when I talk with agents, and since you used to be a book publicist, what can you offer regarding platform?

AH: As a former publicist, I see helping my clients build or expand their platform as part of my job, because I know how important "platform" can be. Of course, writers can do a lot on their own. As you think about getting your work out there, think about how you found out about xyz writer or book. Do they have a blog? If so, why do you like to read it and how did you find out about it? If authors you like have an online presence, by all means, reach out to them! Do some detective work about your favorite books. How did the author manage to break through the noise? Something was happening there before he or she got on Oprah. Also, get to know other writers in your community by going to readings and literary events or by joining a writers' group. Your actual community can be the beginnings of your platform, so to speak. And always be generous with other writers who contact you about linking to your blog or reading their work, or whatever it may be. Think of "platform" as building your community of readers and as a give-and-take.

BDB: If you take on a project, are you apt to try 30 publishers if that's what it takes to sell it, or might you want to regroup after a half dozen rejections?

AH: It really depends on the project and why it's being rejected. Hopefully, you'll get feedback on why, and that sort of feedback can be really helpful as a writer plans for a lasting career.

BDB: Do you take on work you love, regardless of what the marketing potential might be?

AH: If you love books, it's hard not to do that, so yes, I do. That said, finding ways to make things marketable that don't initially seem to be, is part of the fun and the challenge of working in this industry.

BDB: Any mistakes you see authors—or potential authors—make, that you wish they wouldn't?

AH: Trying to imitate all the obvious recent successes. I like seeing book comps in a query letter because it shows the writer has a basic understanding of the marketplace, but you lost me at Eat, Pray, Love. And once you do get published, be really nice to your publicist.

BDB: Any last words, tips, pearls of wisdom?

AH: Even if you're writing fiction, learn to talk about your project in an interesting way, and be an active part of helping your agent, then your editor, and then your publicist to do the same. It's important to get feedback on your work, so establish a community of trusted readers and critics. Be sure to ask your trusted readers to read your query letters as well as your drafts. And remember always to thank them profusely, no matter what they say.