Kerr MacRae launches literary and creative production agency

Former Simon & Schuster executive director Kerr MacRae has launched a literary agency and creative productions business, presenting himself as “London publishing’s first literary producer” with two major deals already secured.

MacRae LPA will bring 30 years of MacRae's experience in book publishing, brand development and author management experience to new projects linking authors, “high profile talent” and content providers with creative thinkers, editors, commissioners, brand developers, broadcasters, digital media platforms and publishers. MacRae, who was also Headline's deputy m.d., has spent the last three years building up the company whilst assisting Whitefox publishing services with sales, brand development consultancy and operations.

The company, which will be based remotely across London, will span all areas of trade publishing including adult fiction, non-fiction, biography, children's, lifestyle, cookery, popular culture, business and sports. MacRae told The Bookseller that he hopes to take employees on later down the line and will launch a website in the next few months. He already has around 10 clients, mostly consisting of fiction authors.

As well as finding and nurturing traditional author talent in all areas of the business, he said that MacRae LPA will “find the right talent for the right platform” across books, broadcast, social media and events. MacRae described the agency’s mission as helping “all parties find what they need and deliver best in class project planning and deals” including finding publishing partners, author development, sales growth, brand and copyright exploitation as well as offering deal negotiation and project acquisition.

The former S&S UK executive director, who has worked with authors such as Neil Gaiman, Stephen King and Hilary Clinton, revealed he had already secured two major deals to be announced early in 2018.

MacRae, who has spent 30 years in the publishing trade, hopes his agency will “add value and creative energy to enable the written word, alongside its author’s extraordinary creative potential, find the best partners, best consumer reach and best financial returns”.

He left his role as executive director at Simon & Schuster UK in 2013 shortly after Ian Chapman was promoted to c.e.o. He had joined in 2010 after 25 years at Hachette, where he had held various roles including deputy m.d. and chief operating officer of the Headline Publishing Group.

“I have been consulting and working over the past three years with many authors and publishers looking to maximise their potential in several key areas: list reinvention, author brand development, strategic positioning and the creation of bestsellers,” said Kerr. “Putting more focus onto author development, literary agency and brand creation will give me a real specialism and an increasingly unique senior publisher’s perspective on finding the perfect partners for my authors and helping create major commercial projects.”

He added: “Announcing Kerr MacRae LPA is a very exciting addition to my professional portfolio.”

For more information, email Kerrmacrae@gmail.com.