News & Reviews

WORD: Publishing vets parlay experience into new agency Lyons & Pande

Two publishing industry veterans, a literary agent and editor, have parlayed their combined 32 years of experience to launch new agency Lyons & Pande International. Founding partner Ayesha Pande told WORD’N’BASS.com that a desire for more "control over what projects I chose to work on" fueled her move into the agenting business.

Jennifer Lyons, a literary agent for 17 years at Writers House, and Ayesha Pande established Lyons & Pande International in August 2005. The New York City-based firm is focused on a broad spectrum of genres, especially literary and commercial fiction.

Pande moved into the agenting business after stints at Random House and HarperCollins imprints, and most recently at Farrar Straus and Giroux, where she bought Chris Abani’s acclaimed debut novel Graceland.

Pande says she is currently building her stable with a special interest in writers representing different cultures and backgrounds. After years of guiding authors in the later stages of publication, Pande said she welcomes having more say in the projects she handles as a literary agent.

"I love our independence and our ability to forge a distinct identity for our company," said Pande. "I wanted more control over what projects I chose to work on, and because publishing companies are becoming more and more marketing and publicity-driven."

Lyons and Pande have already cut deals since launching the boutique. Lyons recently sold Taking Back God by Leora Tanenbaum to Farrar Straus and Giroux, and Pande sold The German Greeting by Tilman Allert to Henry Holt/Metropolitan Books.

Lyons & Pande also handles nonfiction including history, biography, popular culture, science, health, psychology, women’s issues and religious titles. While the firm could grow to include new agents over time -- Writers House started as a two-agent firm that eventually bought the Lyons-managed Joan Daves Agency in 1987 -- Pande said she wants to continue with the personalized service that many associate with boutiques.

"We intend to grow our agency only to extent that we (can) provide personalized service to each of our clients, including editorial advice and career planning," said Pande.

In addition to working with North American publishers, Lyons & Pande International has various subagents handling foreign and all subsidiary rights.

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