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7 Insider Secrets to Get a Top Agent, Publisher, and Book Deal
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Literary Agent Directory
Important: Visit each agent’s website (links in their listings below) to see if they’re open to submissions before querying.
Biography
Jenni Ferrari-Adler is a literary agent with Verve Talent & Literary Agency. She says “I have twenty years of experience in book publishing and have been an agent since 2006.
After graduating from Oberlin with a major in creative writing I worked as a bookseller for Housing Works Bookstore and a reader at The Paris Review before taking a job as an assistant to Nat Sobel at Sobel Weber Associates. After four years there I moved to Ann Arbor Michigan to pursue an MFA in Fiction. I spent two years writing millions of pages of a novel that are in the proverbial drawer. I won the Chamberlin Award for Creative Writing. As a direct result of getting obsessed with cooking for only myself I created and edited the anthology ALONE IN THE KITCHEN WITH AN EGGPLANT: Confessions of Cooking for One and Dining Alone which was published by Riverhead. I have published my own short stories and essays in places including Glimmer Train, Bellevue Literary Review, New York Magazine, and Tin House. I taught Fiction at the University of Michigan and at The Gotham WritersÕ Workshop.
I worked for many years at Union Literary building the agencyÕs cookbook list from scratch and selling a lot of inventive fabulous fiction including the story ÒCat PersonÓ to the New Yorker.
I live in Brooklyn where I volunteer for Casa and enjoy doing many of these things simultaneously: cooking, walking the dog, wrangling the children, reading books, and watching television.”
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Juvenile Nonfiction | Middle Grade Fiction | Young Adult Fiction | Young Adult Nonfiction | Commercial Fiction | General Fiction | Graphic Novel | Literary Fiction | Mystery | Short Story Collection | Thriller | Women’s Fiction |General Nonfiction | Cookbook Cooking | Food Drink | Memoir | Narrative Nonfiction |
Biography
Dave Fessenden is a literary agent with WordWise Media Services. He says: “After 30 years of experience in writing and editing, I took the plunge into independent consulting. I have degrees in journalism and theology, served in editorial management positions for Christian book publishers, and was regional editor for the largest Protestant weekly newspaper in the country. I am the author of seven books; IÕve written hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles, and edited numerous books for others. I am a frequent speaker at writersÕ conferences. In 2011 I compiled my experience in publishing to produce Writing the Christian Nonfiction Book: Concept to Contract, published by SonFire Media.
My first novel, The Case of the Exploding Speakeasy, came out in 2013 through Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. It reflects my love for history and for the Sherlock Holmes stories of Arthur Conan-Doyle. My wife, Jacque, and I live in south-central Pennsylvania and have two adult sons.”
Notes
Accepting Submissions | Christian Fiction | Christian Nonfiction |Fantasy | Historical Fiction | Religious Fiction | Science Fiction |Business Book | Cultural Social Issues | Reference | Religion |
Biography
Alexander Field is a literary agent with and the founder of The Bindery. Alex launched The Bindery after 20 years of work in book publishing and journalism as an editor and publisher, including a short stretch at the Los Angeles Times right out of college. Prior to launching The Bindery, he served as vice president and publisher for several imprints of Penguin Random House.
As a reader, he falls for books that rarely sit on the same shelf, including anything by Wendell Berry, James Baldwin, or Mary Oliver; the latest novel by N.K. Jemisin, Michael Chabon, Naomi Novik, or Dave Eggers; an obscure title about Radiohead and philosophy, a memoir about a pilgrimage, or the biography of a writer/director, entrepreneur, or bookseller. As a result, he represents authors writing in categories such as, religion & spirituality, memoir & biography, self-help, pop culture, parenting, advice and relationships, and very select fiction projects, including science fiction & fantasy.
Field grew up on the beaches of Southern California. Today, he and his family live along the front range of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.
Notes
Accepting Submissions | Member of the AALA |Picture Book | Juvenile Nonfiction | Middle Grade Fiction |Christian Fiction | Christian Nonfiction |Fantasy | General Fiction | Inspirational Fiction | Religious Fiction | Science Fiction |General Nonfiction | Biography | Business Book | Current Events Affairs | Dating Relationships Sex | Diet Nutrition | Health Wellness | How-To | Inspirational Nonfiction | Lifestyle | Medical Medicine | Memoir | Mind Body Spirit | Money Finance | Narrative Nonfiction | Parenting | Politics | Pop Culture | Religion | Self-Help | Spirituality | Sports | Technology |
Biography
Melanie Figueroa is a literary agent with Root Literary. She says: “I want to work with the kind of stories that both create and sustain life-long readersÑbooks that make me sigh with contentment, learn something new, or take delight in the unexpected. Those stories stay with you, and they’re a gift I want to help give readers by lifting up the voices of talented and hard-working creatives.
I’m actively looking for fiction and narrative nonfiction. I’m especially excited to find high-concept commercial and literary leaning general fiction, young adult novels with a strong voice and propulsive pacing, and heartfelt and humorous middle grade novels across genres. I was born and raised in Southern California in a multi-cultural, blended family, so I have a soft spot for books that shine a spotlight on the nuances of family relationships and identity.
In all casesÑno matter what genre youÕre writing inÑI want to read books that are inclusive and that accurately reflect our world. I like characters who arenÕt your typical lead and to be surprised by the unexpected.”
Notes
Accepting Submissions | Member of the AALA |Middle Grade Fiction | Young Adult Fiction | Action Adventure | Commercial Fiction | Contemporary Fiction | Crime Fiction | Family Saga | Fantasy | General Fiction | Gothic Fiction | Graphic Novel | Historical Fiction | Horror | Humor Fiction | LGBTQ Fiction | Literary Fiction | Magical Realism | Mystery | New Adult Fiction | Science Fiction | Speculative Fiction | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Upmarket Fiction | Women’s Fiction |Business Book | Dating Relationships Sex | Narrative Nonfiction |
Biography
Diana Finch is a literary agent with Diana Finch Literary Agency. Diana says: “While I love to represent a wide variety of books, I do have a particular enthusiasm for narrative nonfiction, memoir and journalists who are writing about current events. I opened my own agency in 2003 after nearly 18 years with the Ellen Levine Literary Agency.”
Notes
Accepting Submissions | Member of the AALA |Picture Book | Juvenile Nonfiction | Middle Grade Fiction | Middle Grade Nonfiction | Young Adult Fiction | Young Adult Nonfiction | BIPOC Fiction | Crime Fiction | Fantasy | General Fiction | Literary Fiction | Multicultural Fiction | Religious Fiction | Science Fiction | Sports Fiction |General Nonfiction | Biography | BIPOC Nonfiction | Business Book | Computers | Current Events Affairs | Environment | Health Wellness | History | How-To | Journalism | Lifestyle | Memoir | Mind Body Spirit | Money Finance | Multicultural Nonfiction | Narrative Nonfiction | Nature | Politics | Reference | Religion | Science | Sports | Technology | Travel | True Adventure |
Biography
Celeste Fine is a literary agent and founding partner with Park & Fine Literary and Media. Celeste advises dozens of New York Times bestselling authors, who sell millions of copies of their books in every language around the world. Clients include Janet Evanovich, Deb Harkness, Helen Hoang, Debbie Macomber, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Nicholas Sparks, Jennifer Weiner, and Hal Elrod, David Goggins, Sara Szal Gottfried, Andrew Huberman, William Li, Uma Naidoo, and JJ Virgin.
In addition to working closely with clients to develop their proposals and edit their manuscripts, Celeste is known for negotiating 7- and 8-figure deals. She and her team thoughtfully counsel on marketing and publicity campaigns, television, film, and theatrical adaptations, international rights deals, audio rights, speaking representation, endorsements, social media, book tours and events, and book clubs. Her goal is to keep people paying attention to her authors and their books, year after year, while helping her clients enjoy ambitious and sustainable careers.
Celeste has a special interest in authors who have been writing books with some success and are ready to break out in exciting new directions; bestselling authors who are looking for more robust representation and/or want a fresh take on reaching readers; screenwriters who can write books; and scientists, researchers, and podcasters. In fiction, she is currently seeking upmarket commercial fiction, suspense, and thriller stories that can crossover to television and film. And in nonfiction, she is always looking for authors who want to change the world.
Originally from California, Celeste graduated magna cum laude in Government from Harvard University, received certifications in international conflict resolution and mediation in The Hague, and serves on the Board of Education in Redding, CT. She takes seriously her role as a member of her clientsÕ trusted inner circles.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Commercial Fiction | Contemporary Fiction | General Fiction | Literary Fiction | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Upmarket Fiction | Women’s Fiction |General Nonfiction | Business Book | Cookbook Cooking | Cultural Social Issues | Current Events Affairs | Dating Relationships Sex | Diet Nutrition | Health Wellness | History | How-To | Memoir | Money Finance | Narrative Nonfiction | Politics | Science | Technology |
Biography
Susan Finesman is a literary agent with and the founder of Fine Literary Management. Susan Finesman began scouting books, plays and narrative non-fiction for Tri-Star Pictures in 1986. Five years later, she moved on to SAVOY Pictures followed by a long and award winning stint at HOME BOX OFFICE where highlights included an Emmy for Ernest GainesÕ A LESSON BEFORE DYING.
Scouting books for film is like sitting in the most fabulous catbird seat, not prisoner to any genre and not prey to any shelf space at the bookstore. Learning how to find new stories and adapt them for the screen gave me a slightly different perspective on how to sell books to publishers.
She says: ÒIn 2010, I decided to build a seat of my own, introducing great writers first to publishers and then, not as an afterthought but as part of a coordinated plan, pursue film, television and internet opportunities.
I continue to be interested in all kinds of books but tend to be compelled by work that features characters that I cannot shake.
I challenge authors to make me laugh or cry and you will have certainly won me over by doing both. I love the twists and turns of a great page-turner, can be seduced by a truly honest memoir and am delighted when transported by historical fiction.
Regarding non-fiction: Cookbooks and lifestyle are a particular area of interest but I can be compelled to consider almost any subject that is honest and thoughtful.
We work with co-agents in every territory and join forces with Hollywood agencies to broker film and television rights. At this time, we are not representing childrenÕs picture books or work composed for the stage or screen.”
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Juvenile Nonfiction | Crime Fiction | General Fiction | Historical Fiction | Mystery | Romance | Sports Fiction | Women’s Fiction |General Nonfiction | Biography | Business Book | Cookbook Cooking | Food Drink | Health Wellness | History | Lifestyle | Memoir | Mind Body Spirit | Money Finance | Sports | Travel |
Biography
Karyn Fischer is a literary agent with the BookStop Literary Agency. She joined BookStop Literary Agency in 2014 and is currently looking to build her client list. She is particularly drawn to young adult and middle grade novels. Her favorite genres include gothic novels with twisty narratives and dark secrets, historical fiction, literary thrillers, well-drawn fantasy, and heart-tugging contemporary stories. SheÕs looking for anything with memorable characters, an engaging voice, and a tightrope- taut plot. Karyn holds an MFA in Creative Writing, has completed three publishing internships, and previously worked as a bookseller and buyer in a small independent bookstore. Her background has given her a unique perspective on the book industry, as well as the skills to find and promote books she loves.
Notes
CLOSED to Submissions |Middle Grade Fiction | Young Adult Fiction |
Biography
Ryan Fischer-Harbage is a literary agent with the Fischer-Harbage Agency. He founded The Fischer-Harbage Agency in January, 2007 and has placed books for nine #1 New York Times bestselling authors. RyanÕs most lauded clients include Philip Bump, Jen Doll, Miranda Esmonde-White, Gina Frangello, Thomas Healy, Sunny Hostin, Alicia Menendez, Janet Mock, Taylor Plimpton, Rob Roberge, J. Ryan Stradal, and Toure. He represented GŽrard de Villiers until the author passed awayÐhis S.A.S. series has sold more than 120 million copies worldwide; Ryan continues to work on behalf of the estate.
Previously, Ryan was an editor at Simon & Schuster where he helped create and launch a new imprint, Simon Spotlight Entertainment (now Gallery Books). He also worked as an editor for Little, Brown & Company as well as Penguin Random House (where he edited books for Plume, Dutton, and Viking). He acquired and edited the Pulitzer Prize winning Boston Globe Spotlight TeamÕs Betrayal: The Crisis in the Catholic Church, which informed the movie Spotlight, winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture as well as Peter SingerÕs New York Times bestseller The President of Good & Evil: Questioning the Ethics of George W. Bush. He has also worked with numerous other bestselling authors, including Michael Connelly, Matthew Diffee, John Feinstein, Malcolm Gladwell, Brad Listi, Alice Sebold and Danny Wallace.
For many years, Ryan taught courses on writing book proposals and fiction at The New School UniversityÕs MFA Program, Pratt, and Mediabistro. He addresses students and writers regularly at New York UniversityÕs MFA program, Sarah Lawrence CollegeÕs MFA program and conferences including The Colgate WritersÕ Conference, Miami Writers Institute, The New Orleans Writers Conference, and The WritersÕ League of Texas, among others. He has been quoted on writing and publishing in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Poets & Writers, Publishers Weekly and on ÒGood Morning America,Ó among other outlets. Ryan is a graduate of Kalamazoo College, The Radcliffe Publishing Course and the Master of Fine Arts program in writing and literature at Bennington College. He lives with his wife and children in Brooklyn.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |General Fiction |General Nonfiction | Current Events Affairs | Memoir | Narrative Nonfiction |
Biography
Cherise Fisher is a literary agent with Wendy Sherman Associates. She began her career in publishing as the assistant to the Editor-in-Chief of Dell Publishing a month after graduating from Yale University. Over the course of her twenty-five year career, she worked as an acquiring editor at Simon & Schuster and the Editor-in-Chief of Plume.
As an agent, she is interested in working with novelists who have several compulsively readable yarns in their head and are committed to perfecting their craft as storytellers. She will advocate for memoirs that uncover the diversity of human experience, and take on non-fiction writers who are experts on a variety of topics such as personal development, health and sexuality, racial identity, Christianity and spirituality, diet and fitness, African American history, and pop culture. Her intention is that all the books she helps bring into the world are relevant, enduring, and help readers maximize joy and productivity in their lives.
Notes
CLOSED to Submissions | Black Literary Agents | Member of the AALA | Christian Fiction | Christian Nonfiction |BIPOC Fiction | General Fiction | Multicultural Fiction | Romance | Women’s Fiction |General Nonfiction | BIPOC Nonfiction | Business Book | Cookbook Cooking | Dating Relationships Sex | Diet Nutrition | Fitness | Health Wellness | History | How-To | LGBTQ Nonfiction | Money Finance | Multicultural Nonfiction | Narrative Nonfiction | Pop Culture | Religion | Self-Help | Spirituality |
Biography
Steve Fisher is a literary agent with Independent Artist Group. He began his career in television journalism in New York, working for ABC News and CNN. At ABC he worked for World News Tonight as Head of the Research department and an Off Air Reporter and worked closely with then host Peter Jennings. At CNN he wrote anchor copy and field produced.
Turning to Hollywood, Steve trained at ICM, then began his agenting career at the venerable H.N. Swanson Agency, the oldest literary firm on the West Coast.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Young Adult Fiction | General Fiction |Biography | Humor Nonfiction | Memoir | Pop Culture |
Biography
Tracy Fisher is a literary agent with WME Books. She is a Massachusetts native, Partner and Head of the International Rights team. Tracy is the literary agent for Quentin Tarantino, Tom Clancy, Joy Fielding, Roxane van Iperen, Dr. Brian Weiss, the Betty Smith Estate, William Melvin Kelley Estate, and Ken Grimwood Estate.
She represents several WME authors in the international space including Curtis Sittenfeld, Mohsin Hamid, Yaa Gyasi, Julia Phillips, Chloe Benjamin, Jean Kwok, Jean Korelitz, and Jeannette Walls.
Tracy is actively looking to sign writers that originate outside of the English language as well as thrillers with a smart twist. For nonfiction, she is primarily focused on film history and pop culture.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |General Fiction | Mystery | Suspense Fiction | Thriller |Film Entertainment | History | Pop Culture |
Biography
Seth Fishman is a literary agent with The Gernert Company. Head of the Los Angeles office, Seth is a Vice President and agent at The Gernert Company, which he joined in 2010 after beginning his career as an agent at Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc. Born in Midland, Texas, he graduated from Princeton University and earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. His interests are wide-ranging, but in particular he’s looking for the new voice, the original idea, the entirely breathtaking creative angle in both fiction and nonfiction. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and children, and is the author of the award-winning picture book, A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars, along with Power Up and The Ocean In Your Bathtub, as well as two YA books.
Notes
CLOSED to Submissions |Picture Book | Chapter Book | Middle Grade Fiction | Young Adult Fiction | General Fiction | Graphic Novel |General Nonfiction |
Biography
Sarah N. Fisk is an associate literary agent with The Tobias Literary Agency. They are a former mechanical engineer who made the switch to publishing in 2011. They have worked in the publishing industry as an editorial assistant, author’s assistant, publicist, and art director. Sarah is a former Pitch Wars mentor, board member, and Agent Liaison. They host the podcast Queries, Qualms, & Quirks and have a passion for spreadsheets.
They love books that challenge societal norms, especially gender norms. They have a personal interest in stories featuring queer characters or characters with disability, neurodiversity, chronic illness, or mental health challenges. Great or complicated sibling relationships are their kryptonite. They also enjoy intriguing villains, mysteries woven into other genres, characters they can’t get out of their head, and smart heroines.
They are interested in Young Adult fiction of all genres as well as Adult Romance. They especially enjoy anything under the speculative fiction umbrella and high-concept contemporary or historical stories with a strong hook. Hardcore horror is probably not right for them.
Sarah is on the lookout for young adult and middle grade of all genres, adult romance, and adult science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction. No hardcore horror.
Particular areas of interest include atmospheric fantasies, speculative mysteries, books that challenge societal norms, especially gender norms. They also have a special interest in stories featuring queer characters and those with disability, neurodiversity, chronic illness, or mental health challenges. Other areas of interest are small or midwestern town settings, and complicated sibling relationships.
Sarah does not represent hardcore horror, stories that center around who gets to rule an empire, stories that center around sexual assault or have on-the-page rape scenes or any adult genres not listed above.
Notes
CLOSED to Submissions | New Literary Agents |Juvenile Nonfiction | Middle Grade Fiction | Middle Grade Nonfiction | Young Adult Fiction | Contemporary Fiction | Family Saga | Fantasy | Historical Fiction | LGBTQ Fiction | Magical Realism | Romance | Science Fiction |Business Book | Cookbook Cooking | Cultural Social Issues | Current Events Affairs | Dating Relationships Sex | Environment | Family | Film Entertainment | Fitness | Food Drink | Health Wellness | History | How-To | Journalism | LGBTQ Nonfiction | Memoir | Money Finance | Multicultural Nonfiction | Narrative Nonfiction | Nature | Politics | Pop Culture | Psychology | Science | Self-Help | Technology | True Crime | Women’s Issues |
Biography
Jennifer Flannery is a literary agent with Flanner Literary Agency. Jennifer founded Flannery Literary in 1992 in New York after working at a literary agency in her hometown of Minneapolis and then in the trade department at HarperCollins. Flannery moved her offices to the Chicago area in 1997. Flannery Literary is looking to find new talent and fresh voices, to help the as-yet-unpublished author find a publishing home. The publishing business is subjective and competitive, so finding a personal connection with a new client and his or her writing is essential and we are, therefore, highly selective about taking on new clients.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Juvenile Nonfiction | Middle Grade Fiction | Middle Grade Nonfiction | Young Adult Fiction | Young Adult Nonfiction |
Biography
Melissa Flashman is a literary agent with Trident Media Group. A native of Lexington, Kentucky, Melissa Flashman majored in English at Wesleyan University. After stints in the English Ph.D. program at Johns Hopkins, commercial and indie radio, the advertising world and something called cool-hunting (it was the late Ô90s), she got her first job in publishing working as an assistant in the literary department of ICM before moving to Trident Media Group where she was a literary agent for over ten years before joining Janklow & Nesbit Associates in 2017.
Melissa represents award-winning and best-selling fiction and nonfiction. In nonfiction, she is particularly interested in conversation-changing books including journalism, science, technology, business/finance/economics, memoir/narrative, essays and cultural criticism. She is drawn to a range of literary and commercial fiction and is particularly excited about stories that touch on the deeper meaning of life, family, identity and love. A good page-turner is always welcome.
MelissaÕs authors have won numerous awards including the National Book Critic Circle Award, the Rona Jaffe Award, the Hugo Award, n + 1 writerÕs fellowship, The NationÕs Ridenhour Prize and the American Book Award among others. A former first serial and magazine agent, she enjoys helping her writers place journalism, essays and fiction in a range of publications including The New Yorker, HarperÕs, the New York Times, Vogue, The Guardian, the Wall Street Journal, the Paris Review, n + 1, Tin House, the Baffler and Jacobin.
Some recent titles by her authors include Sweetbitter (Knopf) by Stephanie Danler; The Selfishness of Others (FSG) by Kristin Dombek; Winning Arguments (HarperCollins) by Stanley Fish; Trainwreck (Melville House) by Sady Doyle; The Utopia of Rules (Melville House) by David Graeber; The Future We Want: Radical Ideas for the New Century (Metropolitan) ed. by Sarah Leonard and Bhaskar Sunkara; The Road to Ruin (Portfolio) by James Rickards; and O Fallen Angel (Harper Perennial) and Book of Mutter (Semiotext(e)) by Kate Zambreno.
She lives in Brooklyn; find her on Twitter @melflashman.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Commercial Fiction | Family Saga | General Fiction | Literary Fiction |General Nonfiction | Art | Biography | Business Book | Cultural Social Issues | Current Events Affairs | Dating Relationships Sex | Diet Nutrition | Economics | Family | Food Drink | Health Wellness | History | How-To | Humor Nonfiction | Journalism | Medical Medicine | Memoir | Mind Body Spirit | Money Finance | Narrative Nonfiction | Parenting | Photography | Politics | Pop Culture | Reference | Science | Self-Help | Technology |
Biography
Liza Fleissig is a literary agent with the Liza Foyce Agency. A graduate of the University of PennsylvaniaÕs Wharton School of Business with a degree in Finance, and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law with a JD, Liza brought 20 years of litigation and negotiation experience to the publishing field when she and her partner, Ginger Harris-Dontzin, decided to open their own literary agency. With strong ties to this community, becoming an agent was inevitable, and as Liza says, she ÒcouldnÕt be happier.Ó A ÒTop 100 DealmakerÓ by PublisherÕs Marketplace, Liza represents established authors of fiction and nonfiction, along with writers in the earlier stages of their development.
Looking for: Liza loves a good thriller/suspense/mystery that keeps her guessing until the end. She also gravitates to commercial womenÕs fiction and loves a sarcastic comic voice. On the childrenÕs side, she handles all categories, though is looking mostly for young adult and middle grade. Most of all, she loves being surprised. Nothing is more exciting that being over the moon for a book sheÕd never expected to like. So at the end of the day, just grab her attention, and she wonÕt care what the book is about!
Not looking for: Just make sure the writing is strong, and please watch out for unnatural dialogue and word repetition. When every character Òcranes their neck,Ó Òwheels aroundÓ or Òsteels themselvesÓ she does tend to roll her eyes. Also, as much as she loves paranormal and dystopian, she is not taking any of those on at the moment.
Notes
Accepting Submissions | Member of the AALA |Picture Book | Chapter Book | Juvenile Nonfiction | Middle Grade Fiction | Middle Grade Nonfiction | Young Adult Fiction | Young Adult Nonfiction | Crime Fiction | General Fiction | Graphic Novel | Inspirational Fiction | Literary Fiction | Mystery | Romance | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Women’s Fiction |General Nonfiction | Cookbook Cooking | Dating Relationships Sex | Food Drink | Health Wellness | Humor Nonfiction | Inspirational Nonfiction | Medical Medicine | Memoir | Self-Help | True Crime |
Biography
Christy Fletcher is the Co-Head of UTA Publishing and a literary agent with UTA. Christy joined UTA as the Co-Head of Publishing at the beginning of 2023 after 20 years of running her own agency, Fletcher & Company.
Growing up in a house filled with books and obsessive readers, Christy developed a lifelong affinity for great storytelling and unique voices. Her clients include a wide array of influential, award-winning and bestselling writers including Kate Bowler, David Leonhardt, Yung Pueblo, Gretchen Rubin, Eric Ries, Dr. Fei-Fei Li, and Melissa Urban.
In fiction, she has represented bestselling novelists and authors who have won major literary prizes including Daniel Mason, Ken Kalfus, Alan Hollinghurst, Maggie OÕFarrell (in the U.S.), the late Rebecca Godfrey, among others. Her clientsÕ work has been adapted into stage plays, television series, feature films and an opera.
She has worked in collaboration with institutions like StanfordÕs D.School, design and strategy firm IDEO, and The International Spy Museum to help them develop strategies around intellectual property and media.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Young Adult Fiction | BIPOC Fiction | Crime Fiction | Fantasy | General Fiction | Multicultural Fiction | Mystery | Romance | Science Fiction | Suspense Fiction | Thriller |General Nonfiction | Art | Biography | BIPOC Nonfiction | Business Book | Cookbook Cooking | Cultural Social Issues | Current Events Affairs | Dating Relationships Sex | Economics | Food Drink | Health Wellness | History | How-To | Investigative | Journalism | Lifestyle | Medical Medicine | Memoir | Mind Body Spirit | Money Finance | Multicultural Nonfiction | Narrative Nonfiction | Parenting | Photography | Politics | Religion | Science | Self-Help | Spirituality | Sports | Technology |
Biography
Richard Florest is a literary agent with Creative Management. Richard Florest joined Rob Weisbach Creative Management in 2012. He develops and represents fiction, non-fiction, and childrenÕs fiction writers for the company. He previously held editorial positions at Putnam/Penguin Group, Miramax Books, and The Weinstein Company, where he published authors such as Man Asian Prize winner and Man Booker Prize nominee Tan Twan Eng. Richard was the Director of Acquisitions at Open Road Integrated Media before joining Rob Weisbach Creative Management in 2012. Born and raised in Massachusetts, Richard now lives in Manhattan with his wife and daughter. He is a graduate of Saint Anselm College.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Young Adult Fiction | General Fiction | Thriller |General Nonfiction | Memoir | Narrative Nonfiction |
Biography
Caitie Flum is a literary agent with Liza Dawson Associates. She joined Liza Dawson Associates in July 2014 as assistant and audio rights manager. She graduated from Hofstra University in 2009 with a B.A. in English with a concentration in publishing studies. She interned at Hachette Book Group and Writers House. She was an editorial assistant then coordinator for Bookspan, where she worked on several clubs including the Book-of-the-Month Club, The Good Cook, and the ChildrenÕs Book-of-the-Month Club.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Middle Grade Fiction | Young Adult Fiction | Action Adventure | Commercial Fiction | Contemporary Fiction | Crime Fiction | Erotic Fiction | Family Saga | Fantasy | Historical Fiction | Horror | Humor Fiction | LGBTQ Fiction | Literary Fiction | Multicultural Fiction | Mystery | Romance | Science Fiction | Thriller | Upmarket Fiction | Women’s Fiction |Crafts | Current Events Affairs | History | Humor Nonfiction | Investigative | Journalism | LGBTQ Nonfiction | Multicultural Nonfiction | Narrative Nonfiction | Pop Culture | Women’s Issues |
Biography
Amy Flynn is a literary agent with Aevitas Creative Management. She has 20 years of experience in childrenÕs book publishing. She started her career as an editor at the former Houghton Mifflin Books for Children in Boston, where she trained under industry legends Walter Lorraine and Anita Silvey. Among the dozens of talented creators she had the honor and pleasure of working with are Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop, whose The Snake Scientist launched the long-running acclaimed ÒScientists in the Field” series; award-winning nonfiction picture book author-illustrator Don Brown; artist James Rumford; storyteller Alice McGill; and Olivier Dunrea and his beloved ÒGossie & Friends” series. Amy also worked as an elementary school teacher before she joined Rubin Pfeffer Content in 2019.
As an agent, she represents writers and illustrators of fiction and nonfiction for children, from picture books to young adult novels. She is thrilled to work with a growing list of clients including Julien Chung, Ellen Surrey, Federico Gastaldi, Carter Higgins, Wendell Minor, Heather Montgomery, Rob Sanders, Lina Maslo, Dan Paley, Robyn McGrath, Mk Smith Despres, Jennifer Richter, Tommy Greenwald, Charlie Greenwald, Dana VanderLugt, and Nadine Pinede.
A cum laude graduate of Middlebury College with a major in American Literature and a minor in Spanish, Amy studied in Madrid and at Oxford. She holds an M.A. in English and an additional Master of Arts degree in ChildrenÕs Literature from Simmons University. She has a passion for the collaborative editorial process and is drawn to beautifully written and compelling stories and topics, with an underlying guiding belief in the power of books to connect, inspire, and affirm the lives of young people.
Notes
Accepting Submissions | New Literary Agents | Member of the AALA |Picture Book | Chapter Book | Juvenile Nonfiction | Middle Grade Fiction | Middle Grade Nonfiction | Young Adult Fiction | Young Adult Nonfiction | Graphic Novel |
Biography
Katherine Flynn is a literary agent with Calligraph. Katherine has been an agent since 2008. Her clients are award-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling writers. Recently, her authors have won or been finalists for the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the George Washington Prize, the Hillman Prize for the Common Good, and the Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism, alongside numerous best-of-the-year selections and many other accolades.
Katherine represents history, biography, politics, current affairs, investigative journalism, narrative nonfiction, cultural criticism, pop culture, adventure, true crime, science, nature, medicine, business, sociology, and psychology. She also represents select fiction, and is fond of urban or foreign locales, crime novels, insight into women’s lives, biting wit, and historical settings. That said, she is open to anything that is well-written and contains a good, fresh story or big idea. She prizes securing major deals for her authors with quality publishers and placing international and film/tv rights for their books.
Prior to establishing Calligraph, Katherine worked at the Kneerim & Williams Agency for fifteen years. She previously edited history textbooks, taught English literature and composition to high school students, and worked in a rare book shop. She serves as the publishing consultant to Harvard University’s Radcliffe Institute and is a Boston Book Festival board member. She graduated from Johns Hopkins University and then pursued her Ph.D. in History at Brown University, where she is now A.B.D.
Notes
Accepting Submissions | Member of the AALA |Picture Book | Juvenile Nonfiction | Middle Grade Nonfiction | Young Adult Fiction | Young Adult Nonfiction | Commercial Fiction | Contemporary Fiction | Crime Fiction | General Fiction | Historical Fiction | Literary Fiction | Mystery | New Adult Fiction | Romance | Thriller | Women’s Fiction |General Nonfiction | Biography | Business Book | Cookbook Cooking | Cultural Social Issues | Current Events Affairs | Dating Relationships Sex | Economics | Environment | Food Drink | Health Wellness | History | How-To | Investigative | Journalism | Lifestyle | Medical Medicine | Memoir | Money Finance | Narrative Nonfiction | Nature | Parenting | Politics | Pop Culture | Psychology | Science | Self-Help | Sports | Technology | True Adventure | True Crime |
Biography
Sheldon Fogelman is a literary agent with the Sheldon Fogelman Agency. Sheldon Fogelman has worked with many of the most distinguished authors and illustrators in children’s books throughout his career. As agent, his clients have included JosŽ Aruego, T.A. Barron, Denise Brunkus, Bryan Collier, Richard Egielski, Susan Jeffers, Steven Kellogg, Arnold Lobel, James Marshall, Jill McElmurry, Mary Pope Osborne, Richard Peck, Jerry Pinkney, Peggy Rathmann, Barney Saltzberg, John Steptoe, Rosemary Wells, and Mo Willems, among many others. He has worked on several literary estates including James Marshall’s, for which he currently acts as trustee. He was also Maurice Sendak’s attorney for over forty years. In addition, Sheldon was one of the earliest agents to attend Bologna Children’s Book Fair regularly, and he has represented various publishers including William Morrow Children’s Division and Albert Whitman & Co., with regard to dramatic/motion picture/television rights. He has also been a featured speaker at many conferences including the Annual SCBWI Conference in Los Angeles and New York.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Picture Book | Chapter Book | Juvenile Nonfiction | Middle Grade Fiction | Middle Grade Nonfiction | Young Adult Fiction | Young Adult Nonfiction |
Biography
Carolyn Forde is an literary agent for adult authors with the Transatlantic Agency. Previous to joining Transatlantic Agency in 2019, where she is now Senior Agent and Partner, Carolyn was a literary agent and International Rights Director at another agency for 14 years.
Carolyn attends the London Book Fair, the Frankfurt Book Fair and, more recently, the Bologna Book Fair. She also travels to New York and LA regularly, promoting her authors and their work.
She represents authors who have won or been nominated for many awards and distinctions including but not limited to the following: Governor GeneralÕs Award, Scotiabank Giller Prize, RBC Taylor Prize, Writers Trust Hilary Weston Award, Trillium Book Award, Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-fiction, BC National Book Award, Toronto Book Award, Jim Connors Dartmouth Book Award, Margaret and John Savage First Book Award, Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, Speakers Award, Toronto Heritage Book Award, Hugo Prix for Best Foreign Thriller (France), Kobo Emerging Writer Award, Arthur Ellis Awards, LAMDA Awards, Indigo author of the month, as well as many national and international bestsellers.
Carolyn is an active member of the literary community, having been a speaker or mentor at the Surrey International WritersÕ Conference, Muskoka Literary Festival, DarkLit Literary Festival, Word on the Street, Writers Group of Durham, Ontario WritersÕ Conference, Willamette Writers Conference, Pacific Northwest Writers Conference, Thrillerfest, Diaspora Dialogues and the Canadian Authors Association and is a founding member and current President of the Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents (PACLA), she is also Co-chair of the Toronto International Festival of AuthorsÕ International Visitor Committee.
Carolyn has lived and worked in Japan, Mexico and the Czech Republic and is a dual citizen of Canada and the UK.
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Accepting Submissions | New Literary Agents |Commercial Fiction | Crime Fiction | General Fiction | Literary Fiction |General Nonfiction | Narrative Nonfiction |
Biography
Emily Forland is a literary agent with Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc. She represents voice-driven literary fiction and non-fiction, among them bestsellers and prize winners, and has a special place in her heart for original writing that jumps off the page. Equally drawn to a traditional domestic novel as she is to more idiosyncratic work, she seeks out beautifully crafted writing, characters that come fully alive on the page, and stories rooted strongly in their setting. Humor is always welcome. In addition to literary fiction, she represents memoir, narrative nonfiction, history, biography, food writing, cultural criticism, graphic novels, and young adult fiction. Query by email preferred.
Notes
Accepting Submissions | Member of the AALA |Young Adult Fiction | General Fiction | Graphic Novel | Literary Fiction | Thriller |General Nonfiction | Art | Biography | Cultural Social Issues | Current Events Affairs | Food Drink | History | Humor Nonfiction | Memoir | Narrative Nonfiction | Photography | Politics | True Crime |
Biography
Emily Forney is a literary agent with the BookEnds Literary Agency. Emily is, as she likes to say, a professional fangirl. From the early days of crafting fiction prompts on Tumblr to writing miniseries on how to write a successful fantasy battle scene, she fell in love with the minor details of storytelling. After receiving her MFA in Creative Writing, emphasizing in YA fiction, she worked for a popular fiction press as an editor until she realized she wanted to stay with her favorite authors throughout their careers. She was a publishing and editorial fellow for the LA Review of Books,where she trained with her editorial background. Becoming an agent, especially at BookEnds, was fate.
Growing up, Emily would stay awake until sunrise to finish new YA releases, and honestly, she just desperately wants the vampire trend to return. She enjoys the whimsy, the complexities, and the warmth young adult and childrenÕs books offer, and she hopes to work with authors interested in turning their speculative worlds into series. With a BA in History and certificates in Classics and Latin studies, sheÕs also a big fan of historical fiction and mythological works.
She writes about identity and youth through her experiences as a young black woman, particularly focusing on genre fiction as a means to explore tropes otherwise dominated by white voices. Emily would particularly like to read #OwnVoices stories and is always on the lookout for new Black authors.
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Accepting Submissions | Black Literary Agents |Middle Grade Fiction | Young Adult Fiction | Contemporary Fiction | Fantasy | New Adult Fiction | Romance | Upmarket Fiction | Women’s Fiction |
Biography
David Forrer is a literary agent with InkWell Management. David began his career in publishing in 1997 after receiving a Masters in Creative Writing (fiction) from Boston University. He has been an agent with InkWell Management since it was created in 2004. His areas of interest and representation range from literary, commercial, historical and crime fiction to suspense/thriller, humorous non-fiction and popular history.
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Accepting Submissions |Middle Grade Fiction | Young Adult Fiction | BIPOC Fiction | Commercial Fiction | Crime Fiction | Fantasy | General Fiction | Historical Fiction | Literary Fiction | Mystery | Romance | Science Fiction | Suspense Fiction | Thriller |General Nonfiction | Biography | Current Events Affairs | Dating Relationships Sex | Diet Nutrition | History | Humor Nonfiction | Lifestyle | Memoir | Narrative Nonfiction | Politics | Religion | Science | Self-Help | Spirituality | Technology |