This event is virtual-only (via Zoom) and is open to Helen Zell Writers' Program MFA students and Zell Fellows, as well as U-M graduate and undergraduate students. It is not open to the general public. Please email Ashley Bates (asbates@umich.edu) for login instructions.

In this interactive presentation, Lisa Grubka will discuss subsidiary rights (primarily foreign, UK, and film/tv) – what they are, when they are sold, and how they can boost your book.

Lisa Grubka is an agent at Fletcher & Company in New York. Lisa began her career at Farrar, Straus and Giroux and the William Morris Agency, and is a graduate of the University of Michigan. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children.

Lisa represents a variety of fiction and non-fiction authors. Her writers have won many awards, including the National Book Award and the PEN American Literary Award, and she has represented dozens of New York Times bestsellers. Her clients’ books have been successfully adapted for television and translated into more than 30 languages. She is also a member of the AALA (Association of American Literary Agents) and a mentor in the Agents of Change mentorship program.

In fiction, Lisa is seeking literary, upmarket, and literary suspense novels. She appreciates a strong sense of place, unique and diverse voices, and is often drawn to novels that explore complex relationships or family dynamics. In non-fiction, she is looking for narrative, science, nature, journalism, and conversation-changing perspectives on current events. She often enjoys reading about subcultures or deep dives into a topic.