Cole Hildebrand is a literary agent with the Jean Naggar Literary Agency. He began his career as an assistant editor at YesYes Books, going on to become managing editor for the press, involved in manuscript acquisitions, event planning, website design and publicity for YesYes Books’ list, which includes works by authors such as Elizabeth Acevedo, Justin Phillip Reed, Danez Smith, and many others.

He joined JVNLA in 2021, where he is actively building his list while aiding with international rights, film rights, and contracts, as well as handling the Australia/New Zealand market. He is acquiring literary and upmarket fiction, narrative non-fiction, essays, and poetry, particularly works by LGBTQ+ authors. He is drawn to character and voice driven stories with unique perspectives on the contemporary moment, especially those engaging with radical ideas and issues of social justice. He loves fostering the careers of debut authors, working closely with them to help develop and edit their projects, and guiding them through the full process from submission to publication and beyond.

Cole earned his BA in English from Lewis & Clark College and his MA in English and American Literature from New York University.