The T2 Agency: Q & A
Get to know us a little more!
Q & A with Heather Long
Why the move to New York City?
Why not?! After turning 50 a few years ago it really hit me that we have limited time and so much to explore and discover. It has really brought out my adventurous spirit.
What are you enjoying most about the city?
There is so much to do! We’ve been visiting museums, seeing shows, doing walking tours, and eating. Lots of eating!
What is your favorite food?
It’s a toss up between pain au chocolat and a really good chocolate chip cookie. I’ve been on a mission since moving to find the best of both—there are lists…there are rankings. Let me know if you have any contenders you think I should try!
Enough about New York. Let’s get to some random information about you.
If you had to pick a reality competition show to compete in, which would it be?
Project Runway. I have a degree in Fashion Design and used to fantasize about competing on the show. The stress of only having 30 minutes at Mood to choose fabrics gave me nightmares though. It takes me hours to pick fabric!
What is the most used app on your phone?
Audible. I love listening to audiobooks almost as much as I love reading books. It actually makes me look forward to commuting on the subway or doing chores!
What’s a talent you wish you had?
I wish I could sing. I don’t want to put out an album or anything, I just want to not embarrass myself and my family at karaoke!
What shows or Movies do you watch on repeat?
I have to rewatch Pride and Prejudice at least once a year—the 1995 version of course! That’s a good one if I’m home sick so I can watch all six hours in one sitting. I also love Gilmore Girls, especially in the fall. I really am cliché, aren’t I?
What’s your favorite emoji?
Lately I’ve been favoring the melting happy face. It seems to fit the mood these days.
What is the next trip you are planning to take?
Next up is Bucaramanga, Columbia. Our youngest son just started teaching there and I want to take the whole family to visit.
Q & A with Ethan Long
If you could collaborate with any creator in history, who would it be and why?
I would like to collaborate with Tom Hanks. I saw in an interview long ago that he wanted to be a cartoonist in his early years. It would be fun to see what we could come up with together!
How do you decide which projects to represent?
We read something and it grabs us—it’s as simple as that. It has a hook that we bite down on like a trout would, and the story reels us in. Normally, we like funny stories…ones that make us react AKA laugh out loud, before we can realize what made us laugh. It’s a reaction. Many authors think it’s all about the technical writing or the story structure, which are both important, but without a gut reaction, the project or creator doesn’t get through the gate.
What’s one thing most people don’t know about your work behind the scenes?
It’s way of life for us. It’s not just our job. We are in charge of our artists livelihood, so we go to bed thinking about them and wake up thinking about them. Most of the back and forth with our creators is over email so it may seem to them that a few days go by and we are ignoring them. That’s not the case at all. It’s all a process and we are thinking about each and every one of them constantly. And all of them have different needs, so it’s like we have 24 children to be accountable for.
How do you help artists and authors grow their careers beyond just publishing?
We talk about what comes during and after your first book—school visits, follow up titles, interviews, promotion. It’s all comes with the territory. Be prepared!
If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring creators, what would it be?
Keep going! That’s all we can say. It’s like a marriage—the only way to have success is to keep choosing to stay together, even when it’s slow or rough. Keep going…keep going…we drill that into just about every email we can. We are in the morale business so that is the best phrase to use.
Coffee, tea, or chaos: what fuels your workdays?
None of the above. We are serving the art and our artists, so that is reason to get out of bed in the morning. Of course, we have a job to do and income to make, so we need to keep all of that moving, but serving our clients with optimism and joy for the craft is why we get up. We love the collaborative process and get energy from it and giving energy to it.
What’s one myth about the publishing or art world you want to bust?
No myths. Just reality. This is hard work and gets harder the more success you have. It’s fun, too, but there is the serious side to it all. The busier you are, the more of a grind it becomes and as a creator you need to be prepared for that.
What’s a weird or surprising talent you have?
I am an excellent three-ball juggler and can do 4 pretty smoothly. I have not practiced in a long time, but when I was young I wanted to join the circus. A can balance things on my nose, spin things on my fingers and could ride a unicycle in my early years. It’s never too late to sign up, right? Well, maybe it is too late. Nobody needs a 57 year old clown!
Favorite picture book of all time?
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson, hands down.
Guilty pleasure when not agenting or creating?
I like to go clothes shopping and watch Quentin Tarantino movies! I also eat too many sweets, but that's Heather’s fault.. ;)