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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.
- The results are being filtered by the character: B
Biography
Marilyn Biderman is an literary agent for adult authors with the Transatlantic Agency. Her areas of Interest: Literary fiction; sweet-spot fiction, that is, accessible but literary in intent (often found at book clubs); literary crime fiction; and women’s commercial and historical fiction. I love memoir with an utterly unique story and brilliant writing; narrative non-fiction on compelling and newsworthy topics that anticipate trends; expert non-fiction of wide appeal from authors with established social media platforms; and biographies of fascinating lives. I don’t handle children’s books, except for young adult novels with cross-over appeal (very selectively, and only by referral); or poetry, screenplays, science fiction, paranormal, and fantasy for adult readers.
To serve her clients well, Marilyn can only accept new clients by referral. She frequently engages in community outreach to champion under-represented voices.
Biography
Before joining the Transatlantic Agency, Marilyn worked at her own literary agency and consultancy practice for seven years, where she helped launch the careers of début and prize-winning authors. She had previously worked at McClelland & Stewart for twelve years, most recently as Vice President, Director, Rights and Contracts. At M&S, she handled the international rights for many renowned authors, including Leonard Cohen, Alistair MacLeod, and Madeleine Thien.
Marilyn is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School, and also holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto in English Literature. She has guest-lectured at the publishing programs at Humber College, Ryerson University, Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia, and taught a course in the publishing program at Centennial College. She has also mentored many publishers under the auspices of the Association of Canadian Publishers and the Canada Council, and has acted as a juror in literary competitions. She has authored several papers on copyright law; served on the inaugural executive of the Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents; and was a member for many years of the organizing committee for the International Visitors Program of the Toronto International Festival of Authors. She also, for many years, served as a member of the Professional Advisory Council for Sheridan College’s Creative Writing & Publishing Program, and as a board member, most recently as chair, of Canada’s dance magazine, The Dance Current. Marilyn is especially proud of her work with the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog program.
Notes
Accepting Submissions | Referral Only | New Literary Agents |Young Adult Fiction | Commercial Fiction | Crime Fiction | Historical Fiction | Literary Fiction | Upmarket Fiction | Women’s Fiction |Biography |
Biography
Lauren Bieker is a literary agent with FinePrint Literary Management. After a brief career in the fashion industry, Lauren made her move to publishing as an intern for agent Paige Wheeler. She moved to FinePrint to assist with day-to-day administrative tasks, but is now developing her client list and is open to queries.
Lauren is looking for commercial and upmarket women’s fiction and some well-crafted and differentiated YA novels. She is also open to select dystopian science fiction, as well as high concept and literary fiction works. She appreciates great storytelling and is a “sucker” for outstanding writing and convincing characters. While primarily interested in fiction, she will consider non-fiction proposals related to the world of fashion.
Lauren writes during her free time and has been published on various online platforms. She has attended many writing workshops and intensives, including the National Academy of Writing’s intensive at Cambridge University in the UK.
Notes
CLOSED to Submissions | Member of the AALA |Middle Grade Fiction | Young Adult Fiction | BIPOC Fiction | Commercial Fiction | Humor Fiction | LGBTQ Fiction | Literary Fiction | Multicultural Fiction | Paranormal Fiction | Science Fiction | Upmarket Fiction | Women’s Fiction |General Nonfiction | LGBTQ Nonfiction | Women’s Issues |
Biography
Vicky Bijur is a literary agent with the Vicky Bijur Literary Agency. She represents fiction and non-fiction, including memoir, biography, cookbooks, food writing, journalism, health/wellness, and graphic non-fiction. She has served as president of the AAR (Association of Authors’ Representatives, now known as the Association of American Literary Agents) and as chair of its Ethics Committee. Many of the books she represents have been on the NY Times bestseller list and have been NY Times Notable Books of the Year, and several have been turned into feature films. Her clients have been the recipients of the Knight Fellowship in Science Journalism, Edgar Awards, the Hammett Prize, James Beard Awards, the Sidney Hillman Award for Book Journalism, the Mary Higgins Clark Award, and the Inkpot Award for Excellence in Cartooning.
Books that have been filmed include Still Alice with Julianne Moore; Drive with Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan; The Man Who Knew Infinity with Dev Patel and Jeremy Irons; Every Secret Thing with Dakota Fanning, Elizabeth Banks, Diane Lane; the forthcoming Lady in the Lake with Natalie Portman and Moses Ingraham.
Vicky has been profiled in Poets & Writers and has been quoted on the subject of agenting in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and Entertainment Weekly. She can be heard on Writers on Writing.
Notes
Accepting Submissions | Member of the AALA |Commercial Fiction | Crime Fiction | General Fiction | Graphic Novel | LGBTQ Fiction | Literary Fiction | Mystery | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Women’s Fiction |General Nonfiction | Art | Biography | Cookbook Cooking | Food Drink | Health Wellness | History | Journalism | Lifestyle | Memoir | Mind Body Spirit | Narrative Nonfiction | Photography | Reference | Science |
Biography
Joshua Bilmes is a literary agent with Jabberwocky Literary Agency. Joshua is also the President of Jabberwocky Literary Agency, which he founded in 1994. He has been an agent for almost 30 years, having made his professional debut at the Scott Meredith Literary Agency in 1986.
His path to owning his own literary agency started in high school, when he sent monthly letters to the editor of Analog, the leading science fiction magazine, critiquing each issue. These letters so impressed Betsy Mitchell, the magazine’s associate editor, that she offered Bilmes the chance to do freelance readers reports and other work for her when she joined Baen Books shortly after its inception (Betsy eventually left Baen for high-level positions at Warner, Ballantine/Del Rey and other major sf/f imprints and now guides the sf/f program for Open Road Media and freelances at Betsy Mitchell Editorial Services). Joshua Bilmes and the publishing industry took an immediate liking to one another, and he started at Scott Meredith soon after graduating from the University of Michigan with a BA in History.
While his path to becoming an agent went through the science fiction genre, his interests were and are far broader. In the mystery genre, the Hardy Boys led to the Three Investigators, and from there to Agatha Christie, Perry Mason, the 87th Precinct and John LeCarre. He became a Variety junkie during high school and read it every week for as long as there was a weekly Variety. His college degree in history introduced him to The New Republic, and he now also reads The New Yorker. He keeps up on pop culture with Rolling Stone and spends fifteen hours a week reading newspapers. There’s always time for a good movie, and tennis and Australian Rules Football are often his background music.
A debut mystery novel, MARY’S GRAVE by Malcolm McClintick, which became Bilmes’ first sale in the summer of 1986. By the end of the 1980s he had commenced work with Charlaine Harris, Elizabeth Moon, Simon Green, Tanya Huff and other current mainstays of the JABberwocky list. While at Scott Meredith, Bilmes also helped out with the accounts of major agency clients like Carl Sagan and P.G. Wodehouse. After Scott Meredith passed away in 1993, Bilmes was promoted to Vice President, gaining important managerial experience.
In 1994, Bilmes struck out on his own to establish JABberwocky Literary Agency, which in recent years has become the world’s leading literary agency for science fiction and fantasy.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Commercial Fiction | Crime Fiction | Espionage Military Fiction | Fantasy | Graphic Novel | Horror | LGBTQ Fiction | Mystery | Science Fiction | Suspense Fiction | Thriller |Business Book | Film Entertainment | History | LGBTQ Nonfiction | Military War Nonfiction | Pop Culture | Sports |
Biography
Katie Bircher is a literary agent with and the founder of Sara Crowe Literary. She spent nine years as an editor and staff reviewer for The Horn Book’s publications and served as chair for the 2018 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award committee. She also has more than seven years of experience as an indie bookseller specializing in children’s and YA literature.
She can most often be found lost in a good book with a fluffy cat in her lap.
Notes
CLOSED to Submissions | New Literary Agents |Young Adult Fiction |
Biography
Agnes Birnbaum is the president of Bleecker Street Associates.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Juvenile Nonfiction | Young Adult Nonfiction | BIPOC Fiction | Commercial Fiction | Crime Fiction | Erotic Fiction | Family Saga | Historical Fiction | Horror | Humor Fiction | LGBTQ Fiction | Literary Fiction | Mainstream Fiction | Multicultural Fiction | Mystery | Romance | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Women’s Fiction |General Nonfiction | Animals | Autobiography | Biography | BIPOC Nonfiction | Business Book | Celebrity | Cookbook Cooking | Cultural Social Issues | Current Events Affairs | Dating Relationships Sex | Design | Diet Nutrition | Environment | Family | Film Entertainment | Fitness | Food Drink | Government | Health Wellness | History | How-To | Inspirational Nonfiction | Journalism | Medical Medicine | Memoir | Military War Nonfiction | Mind Body Spirit | Money Finance | Multicultural Nonfiction | Music | Narrative Nonfiction | Nature | New Age | Parenting | Politics | Pop Culture | Psychology | Reference | Religion | Science | Self-Help | Spirituality | Sports | Technology | True Adventure | True Crime | Women’s Issues |
Biography
Amy Bishop-Wycisk is a literary agent with Trellis Literary Management. She joined Trellis Literary Management in 2023 after eight years with Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. She represents a wide-ranging list in fiction, nonfiction, and YA. Across the board, she has a special interest in underrepresented voices, especially from the AAPI community. In fiction, she’s seeking upmarket and book club fiction (to her, this means a high concept, commercial hook with more upmarket or literary writing), stories with an element of mystery or suspense, and is always looking for a propulsive plot married with beautiful writing. She’s eagerly looking for historical fiction, literary horror, and SFF written by women of color, coming-of-age-stories, and retellings from around the world. In nonfiction, her tastes trend toward expert-driven narrative nonfiction, cultural criticism, history, and pop culture; regardless of genre, books that are engaging with a contemporary conversation are always of interest. In YA, she’d love books with murder and intrigue, featuring unexpected places and unexpected heroines; more immigrant stories; queer stories; girls quietly (or loudly) working for justice, and of course, a light-hearted contemporary romp to balance out all the murder. Her incredible clients have been NYT, USA Today, and Indie Bestsellers, a Reese’s Book Club pick, and winners of the James Beard Award and Edgar Awards.
Before diving into the world of publishing, she graduated from SUNY Geneseo with degrees in Creative Writing and German. Though she grew up upstate, she currently resides in Woodside, Queens with her sweet husband and very demanding cat.
Amy’s favorite non-client authors (if your work is similar, please reach out!): Parini Shroff, Grace D. Li, R.F. Kuang, Sarah Gailey, Jia Tolentino, Patrick Radden Keefe, Erika Krause, Amanda Montell, Chloe Gong, Stacey Lee.
Notes
Accepting Submissions | Member of the AALA |Young Adult Fiction | BIPOC Fiction | Contemporary Fiction | Family Saga | Fantasy | General Fiction | Historical Fiction | Horror | LGBTQ Fiction | Literary Fiction | Magical Realism | Multicultural Fiction | Mystery | Science Fiction | Suspense Fiction | Upmarket Fiction | Women’s Fiction |General Nonfiction | Biography | BIPOC Nonfiction | Celebrity | Cultural Social Issues | Current Events Affairs | Food Drink | History | Journalism | LGBTQ Nonfiction | Multicultural Nonfiction | Narrative Nonfiction | Politics | Pop Culture | Psychology | Religion | Science | Sports | Technology | True Crime | Women’s Issues |
Biography
David Black is a literary agent with the David Black Agency. David is also the president of the David Black Agency, specializing in representing a wide array of narrative non-fiction in subjects ranging from sports, business, history, politics, fitness, and memoir to any subject area that might spark a personal passion. David represents a number of New York Times bestselling authors, including journalists, politicians, athletes, chefs, and cookbook writers. Before forming his own agency in 1990, David was an agent at Sanford Greenburger for 5 ½ years. He currently lives in Brooklyn with his wife, son, and dog.
Notes
CLOSED to Submissions |General Fiction | Thriller |General Nonfiction | Art | Biography | Business Book | Cookbook Cooking | Current Events Affairs | Dating Relationships Sex | Economics | Fitness | Food Drink | Health Wellness | History | How-To | Journalism | Medical Medicine | Memoir | Money Finance | Narrative Nonfiction | Photography | Politics | Religion | Self-Help | Spirituality | Sports | True Crime |
Biography
Frances Black is the founder of and literary agent with Literary Counsel. She loves to read, whether reading at the beach, under an umbrella, or curled up on a couch with green tea; she loves romance-based books, the quirkier the better. One of her all-time favorite books is Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa. Romantic: check! Quirky: double check!
Mr. Llosa gives his readers a tale and keeps them enthralled from beginning to end.
Somerset Maugham is also a favorite author. She says that, “You can smell and feel his words. Maugham’s innuendos about society, his plots and subplots and his portrayal of people can easily be observed today. One can glimpse his influences in current fiction and in original screenplays and, of course, in soap operas. His characters often take two steps forward only to fall three steps back. There’s intrigue, deceit, travel and adventure and of course there is mad love, just what books should offer.”
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Picture Book | Middle Grade Fiction | Young Adult Fiction | Commercial Fiction | Contemporary Fiction | Crime Fiction | General Fiction | Horror | Literary Fiction | Mystery | New Adult Fiction | Romance | Suspense Fiction | Thriller |General Nonfiction | Art | Cultural Social Issues | Dating Relationships Sex | How-To | Lifestyle | Memoir | Photography | Pop Culture | Self-Help |
Biography
Katie Blagden is a literary agent with The Bright Agency. Katie works across the Literary list, representing authors across all areas of Fiction, Non-Fiction, Children’s, YA, and Graphic Novels. Before joining the Literary team, she worked for Bright in marketing, with previous experience as a bookseller and as a video producer. She loves working with authors to find their books an audience, and particularly enjoys building lasting relationships with editors and authors alike. Katie is an advocate for centring traditionally underrepresented voices, and actively works to discover and develop authors and author-illustrators from diverse backgrounds. She is also dedicated to working with authors to realise their writing ambitions, including evolving them into new genres and age-ranges. When she’s not reading, Katie is a contributor on the Graham Norton Book Club on Audible and she also runs the Bright Dungeons & Dragons club!
Notes
Accepting Submissions | New Literary Agents |Picture Book | Chapter Book | Juvenile Nonfiction | Middle Grade Fiction | Middle Grade Nonfiction | Young Adult Fiction | Young Adult Nonfiction | General Fiction | Graphic Novel |General Nonfiction |
Biography
Laura Blake Peterson is a literary agent with the Curis Brown Literary Agency. Laura began her career in publishing at Curtis Brown as a summer intern. She is a graduate of Vassar College and has been with Curtis Brown since 1987, representing a wide range of fiction, non-fiction and books for children. Her client list reflects a wide range of interests—including memoir and biography, natural history, literary fiction, mystery, suspense, women’s fiction, health and fitness, children’s and young adult, faith issues and popular culture. She lives in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
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 | Literary Fiction | Mystery | Romance | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Women’s Fiction |General Nonfiction | Biography | Business Book | Cookbook Cooking | Current Events Affairs | Economics | Fitness | Food Drink | Health Wellness | History | Memoir | Money Finance | Narrative Nonfiction | Nature | Politics | Religion | Science | Spirituality | Technology | True Crime |
Biography
Carey Blankenship-Kramer is a literary agent with the Belcastro Agency. After growing up surrounded by books and people who loved to read them, Carey dreamed of bringing more books to the hands of avid readers like herself. She graduated from Berry College with a dual degree in English and Creative Writing. She later received her master’s in Writing and Digital Communications from Agnes Scott College. She has experience working with both publishing houses and literary agencies and loves her role as Junior Agent at Belcastro Agency. As an editorial agent, she loves working closely with her authors to ensure their stories come to life on the page.
While her sweet spot is horror and middle grade, Carey’s tastes are wide and varied. From mystery to fantasy to science fiction, she loves anything that can draw her in and have her rooting for the main characters. Some of her most recent favorites include Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega, The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune, Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren, The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill, How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu, When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb, The Broken Girls by Simone St. James, and Just South of Home by Karen Strong.
Outside of work and writing, you can usually find Carey spending time with her small zoo and husband, getting way too competitive on the tennis court, gardening, playing video games, or eating candy.
Notes
Accepting Submissions | New Literary Agents |Picture Book | Middle Grade Fiction | Young Adult Fiction | Action Adventure | BIPOC Fiction | Commercial Fiction | Contemporary Fiction | Fantasy | Graphic Novel | Horror | LGBTQ Fiction | Literary Fiction | Mystery | New Adult Fiction | Romance | Science Fiction | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Upmarket Fiction | Women’s Fiction |
Biography
Caitlin Blasdell is a literary agent with Liza Dawson Associates. Caitlin Blasdell has been a literary agent with Liza Dawson Associates since 2002 with a focus on commercial fiction. Before becoming an agent, she was a senior editor at HarperCollins Publishers. A graduate of Williams College, she lives in Westchester with her husband and four sons.
Notes
Accepting Submissions | Member of the AALA |Middle Grade Fiction | Young Adult Fiction | Commercial Fiction | Crime Fiction | Fantasy | General Fiction | Historical Fiction | Horror | Mystery | New Adult Fiction | Paranormal Fiction | Romance | Science Fiction | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Women’s Fiction |
Biography
John Blasé is a literary agent with The Bindery. He spent over a decade as an editor and ghostwriter in traditional publishing working with such names as Eugene Peterson, Ann Voskamp, and Brian Zahnd. During that time, he penned two books with his name on the spine—one of them a self-published poetry endeavor titled The Jubilee. At the end of the day, he tries to live by writer George Saunders’ advice: “Stop trying to teach the world something and instead refuse to be boring.”
John and his wife, Meredith, lived in Colorado for almost twenty years but recently moved back to Arkansas. They have three children, all grown now and out living their one wild and precious lives.
John’s long been a culture junkie hooked on everything from the drama of “Hill Street Blues” (which dates him) to the wonder of Game of Thrones to the thoughts of Ta-Nehisi Coates to the poetry of Taylor Swift. And he still mourns the loss of Anthony Bourdain. While loving all genres of literature, he admits a weakness for fiction, short stories, and memoir. A good story, well-told, he simply finds hard to resist.
Notes
Accepting Submissions | New Literary Agents |General Fiction | Short Story Collection |General Nonfiction | Cultural Social Issues | Dating Relationships Sex | Memoir | Multicultural Nonfiction | Pop Culture | Religion | Self-Help | Spirituality |
Biography
Iris Blasi is a literary agent with Arc Literary Management. She has close to two decades of experience in publishing, working in multiple facets of the industry. She joined Arc Literary Management in 2021 after four years at the Carol Mann Agency. Prior to becoming a literary agent, she was Marketing Director and Senior Editor at Pegasus Books. She has held editorial, marketing, publicity, and consulting roles at Random House, Pegasus Books, Union Square Press, Open Road Media, literary PR firm Hilsinger-Mendelson, and consulting firm Idea Logical, Inc. She has worked on best-selling and award-winning books by authors including Lawrence Block, Rachel Carson, Michael Dirda, Erica Jong, Ira Levin, Alexandra Silber, Jerry Stahl, Gloria Steinem, Charles Strouse, and Fay Weldon.
Iris graduated from Princeton University with a B.A. in English and dual minor in American Studies and Gender Studies, and she holds a master’s degree from New York University in Humanities and Social Thought, with a thesis on the life and legacy of the American writer Dawn Powell. Her writing on books, arts, and culture has appeared in outlets including The Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, Dow Jones Newswires, Publishers Weekly, BUST Magazine, The Jewish Daily Forward, Bitch Magazine, and BookPage. She has spoken in the US and Canada on the topics of publishing, marketing, media theory, and digital and social media at NYU, SXSW, Sarah Lawrence, the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen, the Women’s National Book Association, Digital Book World, Publishers Launch, MagNet: Canada’s Magazine Conference, and Humber College’s Book Summit. She is a volunteer for the award-wining nonprofit organization The Telling Room, currently mentoring in the Young Emerging Authors Fellowship.
She is seeking nonfiction in the categories of biography, memoir, history, science/nature, pop culture, cultural criticism, current events, politics, and narrative nonfiction. She has a strong interest in feminism (especially intersectional feminism), in nature, climate change, and conservation, and in social and racial justice. She has a particular penchant for books stemming from a quirky journalistic, academic, or personal obsession.
On the fiction side, she is presently seeking literary and commercial fiction with a strong voice. She is also seeking upmarket mysteries and thrillers. She has a special weakness for books about a major event (a wedding, a reunion, a funeral) that reunites a group of people, books that take place in compressed time periods or places (i.e. The Dinner), books set in boarding schools or on college campuses (Prep; The Secret Place), and books with a gently comic touch. She is a big fan of Jami Attenberg, Megan Abbott, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Emily Henry, Linda Holmes, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Curtis Sittenfeld, Emma Straub, J. Courtney Sullivan, Jonathan Tropper, and Kevin Wilson, and would love to see submissions along any of those lines.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Commercial Fiction | Family Saga | Humor Fiction | Literary Fiction | Mystery | New Adult Fiction | Thriller | Upmarket Fiction |Biography | BIPOC Nonfiction | Cultural Social Issues | Current Events Affairs | Dating Relationships Sex | Education | Environment | Health Wellness | History | Journalism | Medical Medicine | Memoir | Multicultural Nonfiction | Narrative Nonfiction | Nature | Politics | Pop Culture | Science | Sports | Women’s Issues |
Biography
Andrea Blatt is a literary agent with WME Books. Andrea has been at WME since 2016. She represents a wide variety of adult fiction and nonfiction, including book club fiction, upmarket thrillers, romantic comedies, journalism, narrative history, news-you-can-use in health and science, and humor. Lately she’s been loving books in two lanes: ones that tackle the issues at the heart of being human, that make the political personal, that make the reader complicit, that traffic in complicated relationships, or that reframe our way of thinking about the past and present; and also stories that are uplifting and inspiring, with a warm and empathetic eye, with main characters you really root for and wit at the fore. And of course, she always enjoys a fantastic debut novel of any kind.
Andrea’s clients include adventurer and writer Blair Braverman, feminist historian April White, former National Park Service ranger and New York Times bestselling author Andrea Lankford, award-winning journalist Caleb Gayle, New York Times bestselling author and co-host of the podcast Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend Sona Movsesian, Last Week Tonight writer Taylor Kay Phillips, and debut novelists Cecilia Rabess, İnci Atrek, Sash Bischoff, and Evan Porter.
Notes
Accepting Submissions | New Literary Agents |Inspirational Fiction | Romance | Thriller | Upmarket Fiction |Dating Relationships Sex | Health Wellness | History | Humor Nonfiction | Inspirational Nonfiction | Journalism | Politics | Science |
Andrew Blauner
Blauner Books Literary AgencyCLOSED to SubmissionsQuery Method(s): Email > Postal Mail >Biography
Andrew Blauner is a literary agent with and the founder of the Blauner Books Literary Agency. He was born and bred in Manhattan, attended Collegiate School, has a B.A. from Brown University, and an M.B.A. from Columbia University School of Business. He founded Blauner Books in 1995.
As an anthologist, he has edited the collections: Coach: 25 Writers Reflect on People Who Made a Difference (Hachette); Brothers: 26 Stories of Love and Rivalry (Wiley); Central Park: An Anthology (Bloomsbury); Our Boston: Writers Celebrate the City They Love (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt); The Good Book: Writers Reflect on Favorite Bible Passages (Simon & Schuster); and In Their Lives: Great Writers on Great Beatles Songs (Blue Rider Press / Penguin Random House, Spring 2017). He is also the co-editor of For the Love of Baseball: A Celebration of the Game that Connects Us All. His work has been published in the New York Times, and he has appeared on a wide array of media outlets, including: NPR’s “On Point,” with Tom Ashbrook, The Brian Lehrer Show, and The Leonard Lopate Show, as well as Ben Cheever’s “About Writing.” He is member of PEN American Center, National Book Critics Circle, The Authors Guild, Association of Authors’ Representatives, and SABR (Society of American Baseball Research). Blauner Books Literary Agency has also been named one of “The 15 Most Influential Sports Education ‘Teams’ in America” for representing and publishing high standard books which significantly contribute to sports education.
Notes
CLOSED to Submissions | Member of the AALA |General Fiction | Graphic Novel | Humor Fiction | Thriller |General Nonfiction | Autobiography | Biography | Business Book | Celebrity | Current Events Affairs | Dating Relationships Sex | Film Entertainment | Health Wellness | History | Memoir | Money Finance | Multicultural Nonfiction | Music | Narrative Nonfiction | Politics | Pop Culture | Reference | Science | Sports | Travel | True Crime |
Biography
Isabelle Bleecker is a literary agent and a partner with the Nordlyset Literary Agency. An industry veteran with almost 30 years in book publishing, Isabelle Bleecker has devoted her career to words, ideas, and authors. She has held positions across editorial, production, and subsidiary rights in several houses including Rizzoli International, Tuttle Publishing, and the Perseus Books imprints, giving her a thorough insider’s understanding of every aspect of the trade book business. Her agenting focus is on idea-driven, upmarket nonfiction that expands our understanding of the world in science, investigative journalism, smart self-help, and narrative history, especially history focused on the lost or untold stories of our past, and commentaries on the world in which we live. She handles literary fiction and YA fiction with an international flair and from voices with fresh new stories and perspectives.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Juvenile Nonfiction | Young Adult Fiction | General Fiction | Literary Fiction | Multicultural Fiction | Mystery |General Nonfiction | Biography | Business Book | Current Events Affairs | Health Wellness | History | Investigative | Journalism | Lifestyle | Money Finance | Narrative Nonfiction | Politics | Science | Self-Help | Travel | Upmarket Nonfiction |
Biography
Eloy Bleifuss is a literary agent with Neon Literary. He represents both fiction and nonfiction.
On the fiction side, Eloy is especially interested in literary fiction along with character-driven, elevated genre fiction. His favorite novels are ones that bridge the high and the low, the real and the imaginary, the trashy and the serious.
In nonfiction, Eloy is always eager to be introduced to an under-explored subject, no matter the exact field of study—so long as the writer can make their passion infectious. He’s looking for obsessives who can take a single topic and explode it into a vast, multidisciplinary inquiry—whether they’re writing about science, the arts, pop culture, history, or current events. He is especially drawn to the works of experts writing authoritatively and legibly about complex systems like capitalism, identity, and the climate crisis in a way that renders them down to the human scale.
Most of all, Eloy is looking for writers, whether of fiction or nonfiction, who are clear-eyed about the realities of the world but still hold onto a certain amount of hard-earned hope. He also has a special affinity for writers who look beyond borders and write stories about crossing or existing between countries and cultures.
Prior to joining Neon, Eloy worked at Janklow & Nesbit Associates for five years and at Simon & Schuster for another two before then. Born and raised in Chicago, he is a graduate of Vassar College, and he has spent periods teaching English in Madrid and studying in Montevideo. Eloy now lives in (well, surprise) Brooklyn.
Notes
Accepting Submissions | New Literary Agents | Member of the AALA |Contemporary Fiction | Family Saga | General Fiction | Horror | Humor Fiction | LGBTQ Fiction | Literary Fiction | Mystery | Speculative Fiction | Thriller | Upmarket Fiction | Western Fiction |General Nonfiction | Art | Biography | Business Book | Cultural Social Issues | Current Events Affairs | Health Wellness | History | Humor Nonfiction | Journalism | LGBTQ Nonfiction | Pop Culture | Psychology | Science | Self-Help | Sports |
Biography
Brettne Bloom is a literary agent and partner with The Book Group. Brettne has been a literary agent since 2002. She works with a wide range of writers, from New York Times bestselling novelists to award-winning historians, journalists, scientists, memoirists, biographers. Her clients have been finalists for the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the PEN New England Award, the First Novel Prize, and the Impac Dublin Literary Award, among others.
Brettne’s areas of interest include literary and commercial fiction for adults, and works of narrative history, biography, memoir, spiritual exploration, and psychology. She also represents food, health, and lifestyle experts. She was born in Houston, Texas and divides her time between New York and Atlanta, where she lives with her husband and two daughters. A voracious reader all of her life, Brettne is especially drawn to distinct voices, untold stories, and unique perspectives on historical events. She also loves literary and art history, tales of love and friendship, so-called “millennial fiction,” and anything involving the science of the human body and brain.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Commercial Fiction | General Fiction | Historical Fiction | Literary Fiction | Romance |General Nonfiction | Art | Biography | Cookbook Cooking | Food Drink | Health Wellness | History | Investigative | Journalism | Lifestyle | Memoir | Narrative Nonfiction | Parenting | Politics | Psychology | Science | Spirituality | Upmarket Nonfiction |
Biography
Keely Boeving is a literary agent with the WordServe Literary Group. She is a Senior Agent with WordServe Literary. After receiving her B.A. in English from the University of Virginia, she began her career in New York working at Oxford University Press, where she acquired books for the trade history list. She moved back to Colorado in 2014 and began her own freelance editorial company before joining WordServe. She lives in Denver with her husband and their three children. You can find out more about her editorial work at http://www.keelyboeving.com.
Keely is looking for well-researched nonfiction books in the areas of health and wellness (physical, mental, and emotional), business, parenting and family life, literature and the arts, and the intersection of faith and culture; as well as projects from diverse and under-represented voices. For the Christian market, she is seeking books in the areas of Christian living, spiritual formation, theology, and women’s topics including motherhood, relationships and marriage, work-life balance, and calling. She represents a small stable of children’s book authors as well, but is not currently accepting new children’s projects.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Picture Book | Juvenile Nonfiction | Middle Grade Fiction | Middle Grade Nonfiction | Young Adult Fiction | Young Adult Nonfiction |Christian Nonfiction |Graphic Novel | Literary Fiction | Religious Fiction |General Nonfiction | Art | BIPOC Nonfiction | Business Book | Cultural Social Issues | Current Events Affairs | Dating Relationships Sex | Family | Health Wellness | History | Journalism | Lifestyle | Memoir | Narrative Nonfiction | Parenting | Pop Culture | Psychology | Religion | Science | Spirituality | Women’s Issues |
Biography
Anne Bohner is a literary agent with Pen and Ink Literary, and the founder. Prior to founding Pen & Ink Literary, Anne Bohner was a Senior Editor with New American Library and also worked at Bantam Dell for several years. While at NAL Anne spearheaded the YA line NAL Jam where she worked on many promising books including a current New York Times bestselling series. Anne has also worked with bestselling and award winning authors of both adult fiction and nonfiction and has an extensive background in the romance genre.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Young Adult Fiction | Commercial Fiction | General Fiction | Romance | Women’s Fiction |General Nonfiction |
Biography
Sidney Boker is a literary agent with InkWell Management. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 2021 with a BA in English and minors in psychology and anthropology. Before joining InkWell in 2022, Sidney completed the Columbia Publishing Course and an internship with Dystel, Goderich & Bourret, as well as an internship and freelance work with Pegasus Books. She loves to read young adult, fantasy, sci-fi, historical, and graphic novels, and almost anything with a strong female lead.
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Accepting Submissions | New Literary Agents |Young Adult Fiction | Fantasy | Graphic Novel | Historical Fiction | Science Fiction |
Biography
Jevon Bolden is a literary agent with Embolden Literary. Book editor, writer, and literary agent, Jevon Bolden is the author of seven books, including her most popular title, Pray Hear Write: 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting for Breakthrough in Your Writing, published by her team at Embolden Media Group. Jevon is passionate about supporting efforts to increase diversity in Christian publishing. Putting that passion to action, Jevon recently founded a group called Christian Publishing Professionals of Color that seeks to provide support, career opportunities, and community for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) in Christian publishing. She also serves as a consultant to the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) and serves on their committee for increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in Christian publishing.
Throughout her time as an in-house editor and now as an editorial consultant and collaborative writer, Jevon has seen the books she’s written and edited for others go on to appear on national best-sellers’ lists and sell millions of copies around the world impacting lives for the better. Starting her seventeen-year career in traditional book publishing as a copyeditor, she moved quickly into senior acquisitions and senior editor roles with publishers for both adult and children’s titles.
Conference speaker, workshop facilitator, writing coach, and mentor, Jevon shares the best of what she knows with passionate, creative, and influential people who desire to publish great books that make a difference. After attending two years at Oakwood University, a Christian HBCU (historically black college and university), Jevon went on to obtain her bachelor’s degree in English, with a minor in sociology, from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. She now lives in sunny Central Florida with her family and Cocker Spaniel, Langston Hughes.
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CLOSED to Submissions | New Literary Agents |Picture Book | Juvenile Nonfiction | Middle Grade Fiction | Young Adult Fiction |Christian Fiction | Christian Nonfiction | Christian Books ONLY |BIPOC Fiction | Commercial Fiction | Contemporary Fiction | Crime Fiction | General Fiction | Historical Fiction | Inspirational Fiction | Literary Fiction | Multicultural Fiction | Mystery | Religious Fiction | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Upmarket Fiction |BIPOC Nonfiction | Cultural Social Issues | Dating Relationships Sex | Health Wellness | Inspirational Nonfiction | Lifestyle | Memoir | Mind Body Spirit | Multicultural Nonfiction | Nature | Psychology | Religion | Science | Self-Help | Spirituality | Women’s Issues |
Biography
Annie Bomke is a literary agent with the Annie Bomke Literary Agency. She is a literary agent with over a decade of experience helping authors succeed. Her books include Dodging and Burning by John Copenhaver, winner of the Macavity Award for Best First Novel, and nominated for a Lammy Award, Strand Critics Award, Barry Award and Anthony Award, and the Barnes & Noble bestselling Poppy McAllister cozy mystery series by Libby Klein. She has edited a wide range of projects—from hard-nosed business books to otherworldly historical novels. Authors have called her the pH test for good writing, and a bedrock for literary quality control.
Annie has loved the publishing industry since her position as an Editorial Assistant at Zoetrope: All-Story, a literary magazine founded by Francis Ford Coppola. She explored her love of books managing Alcala Gallery, an art gallery and rare bookstore, and even had a brief stint as a technical writer for a Department of Defense contractor.
She represents a wide variety of adult and YA fiction and nonfiction, including commercial and literary fiction, upmarket fiction, mysteries (from hilarious cozies to gritty police procedurals and everything in between), historical fiction, women’s fiction, psychological thrillers, literary/psychological horror, self-help, business, health/diet, cookbooks, memoir, relationships, current events, psychology, and narrative nonfiction.
Annie spends her free time reading, going for walks in the park, and dancing. Her favorite authors include Haruki Murakami, Margaret Atwood, Ray Bradbury, Tana French, and Paul Auster.
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Accepting Submissions |Juvenile Nonfiction | Young Adult Fiction | Young Adult Nonfiction | BIPOC Fiction | Commercial Fiction | Crime Fiction | Family Saga | General Fiction | Historical Fiction | Horror | Humor Fiction | LGBTQ Fiction | Literary Fiction | Magical Realism | Multicultural Fiction | Mystery | New Adult Fiction | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Upmarket Fiction | Women’s Fiction |Biography | BIPOC Nonfiction | Cookbook Cooking | Crafts | Current Events Affairs | Dating Relationships Sex | Diet Nutrition | Health Wellness | How-To | Humor Nonfiction | Journalism | LGBTQ Nonfiction | Memoir | Multicultural Nonfiction | Narrative Nonfiction | Pop Culture | Psychology | Science | Self-Help | True Crime |
Biography
Ian Bonaparte is a literary agent with Janklow & Nesbit Associates. He is actively acquiring in the areas of popular history, science, outward-looking memoir, and narrative-driven nonfiction. He is looking for books that will shift paradigms, our understanding of the world, and/or ourselves. Within nonfiction, he is also interested in deeply reported or embedded stories, unruly obsessions, big idea, social justice, and projects that will move the Overton window of discourse.
In fiction he is seeking a select list of literary (and literary-crossover) novels, particularly elevated horror or genre-inflected narratives. But he is interested in seeing any novel that is both moving and plot-driven. (“If you cry, you must buy!”)
Ian began his career in publishing at Farrar, Straus & Giroux, where he worked at the nexus of sales, publicity, and marketing. Having booked tours, pitched and edited essays from authors across Macmillan, and rescued numerous readings from disaster and near-miss, he departed for the agency world, joining Janklow & Nesbit in 2016. A graduate of the Columbia Publishing Course at the Columbia Journalism School, Ian holds a B.A. in English with a focus in Creative Writing from Vanderbilt University.
With his combined experience in the literary agency and publisher trenches, Ian brings a holistic understanding to the total endeavor of publishing, from proposal to indie bookshelf. He is fiercely committed to his authors and deeply grateful to assist in bringing new ideas, outlooks and worlds into existence. He hails from Portland, Oregon.
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Accepting Submissions |BIPOC Fiction | General Fiction | Horror | Literary Fiction | Multicultural Fiction | Mystery | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Upmarket Fiction |General Nonfiction | Biography | BIPOC Nonfiction | Cultural Social Issues | Health Wellness | History | Investigative | Journalism | Lifestyle | Memoir | Mind Body Spirit | Multicultural Nonfiction | Narrative Nonfiction | Science | Self-Help | Sports | Upmarket Nonfiction |
Biography
Sandra Bond is a literary agent with the Bond Literary Agency. She was the program administrator at the University of Denver’s Publishing Institute, where she now guest lectures each summer.
She represents adult commercial and literary fiction, mystery/thriller/crime fiction, and YA fiction in all categories. She does not represent romance, adult science fiction, adult fantasy, poetry, children’s picture books, or screenplays. In nonfiction, she represents narrative, science for a general audience, business and history, and the authors she takes on must have great credentials, real expertise in their subject area, and some kind of platform from which they can actively promote their books.
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CLOSED to Submissions |Juvenile Nonfiction | Young Adult Fiction | Young Adult Nonfiction | Commercial Fiction | Crime Fiction | General Fiction | Literary Fiction | Mystery | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Upmarket Fiction | Women’s Fiction |Biography | Business Book | Cookbook Cooking | History | Lifestyle | Mind Body Spirit | Money Finance | Narrative Nonfiction | Science |
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About Mark Malatesta
MARK MALATESTA is a former literary agent turned author coach. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company Literary Agent Undercover and The Bestselling Author. Mark’s authors have gotten six-figure book deals, been on the NYT bestseller list, and published with houses such as Random House, Scholastic, and Thomas Nelson. Click here to learn more about Mark Malatesta and click here for Reviews of Mark Malatesta.
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Author Coaching Testimonials
“Mark, finding you has been both a treat and a treasure—I just signed a contract with my new literary agent!
My career has spanned publishing, TV, and feature film. I’ve served as Creative Dir. for the Magazine Group, TIME Inc.; Dir. of Time World News Service, a Founding Dir. of TIME-Life Films; Exec. Prod. for both the CBS and NBC TV Networks; Prod./Dir.: Movies of the Week: CBS Cinema Center Films and Universal MCA.
In today’s publishing marketplace, agents come and go. They also very often seem to just want an easy pathway to make a buck. Many authors are let go by their agents because their last book didn’t do well enough and the agent doesn’t want to devote the time to help the author. That’s not what you’re about Mark. Even established authors need this type of support in today’s marketplace.”
Author of ten fiction and nonfiction books
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“I’m psyched to have this be official. After getting five different offers for representation from top literary agents, I signed with Stephanie Tade who got me a 6-figure book deal with Penguin!
Getting multiple agents interested in my work was really important to me. I’ve dealt with agents before and gotten screwed on things contractually so I wanted to do it differently this time. I wanted choices.
Having you help me create that, and navigate my options, was really helpful. I heard other authors talk about their great relationships with their agents and it made me want the same thing. Now I have that.”
Author of Woman on Fire
(Penguin Books)
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“After sending out the query Mark revised for me, I had the opportunity to speak with literary agents from top agencies such as Janklow & Nesbit, Trident Media, Anderson Lit, and Folio. I signed with Don Fehr at Trident and, a short time later I had a publishing contract with Berkley Books, which recently published my book in hardcover.
Before that, I sent my query letter out on my own to 30 or 40 agents and got a lot of rejections. I then found Mark online while I was researching agents. I was surprised that he offered so much during his initial consultation—for a very modest amount of money.
I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t worked with Mark. I can’t even imagine that now though, because of the grief and detours I experienced before we worked together. It was a time-consuming pain in the neck. If you want to get the attention of top literary agents and publishers, there is no substitute for working with an insider. You can’t beat experience. And having Mark on your side is incredibly valuable.”
Author of Single Handed
(Berkley Books, a Division of Penguin Random House)
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“AHHH! OMG, it happened! I got three offers of representation for my children’s picture book in the United States, even though I live abroad! When I woke up and found the first offer for representation in my email in box, I wanted to scream. But my family was still asleep so I couldn’t. 🙂
Just 8 minutes after I sent a query letter to one of my favorite agents, she replied and asked to see my manuscript. A short time later we had a lovely conversation. She was interested in representing me and sounded very positive and enthusiastic about my book. Since I also got offers from two other agents, I had to turn two of them down. One of them was upset and it felt like I was breaking her heart, but you just have to do it. I kept reminding myself that this is a good problem to have!”
Author/Illustrator of Lon-Lon’s Big Night
and many other children’s books
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“Mark, after you helped me land a top literary agent, I got publishing offers from THREE well-known publishers: Amacom, Palgrave Macmillan, and McGraw-Hill (they’re publishing my book in hardcover)!
I was at Disneyworld with my family, in the Haunted Mansion, when I got the call. I went outside and listened to the voicemail message from my agent. A huge smile came over my face. It was a fantastic feeling. For a moment I felt like life was perfect and the angels were singing.
You’re filling an important need so I’ll say this to every other author reading this testimonial. Mark showed me that getting a top literary agent is a science. If you’ve written a book, or you’re in the process, you’ve already invested a lot—a lot more than money. Don’t stop yourself from getting out there to fulfill your purpose and dreams. Thank you so, so much, Mark!!!”
Author of Customer Focused Process Innovation (McGraw Hill)
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“I got a book deal! After I started sending out my new query letter I had 6 literary agents request my manuscript in a short amount of time, which is awesome. Then, within 2 weeks of my agent starting to pitch my story to publishers, we had an offer. I signed a book contract yesterday. A little while later my agent told me that a TV co-producer asked for more info about my book.
By the way, the acquiring editor that fell in love with the manuscript jumped in with both feet and we just worked out our timeline for publication. She’s as passionate about getting my book out as I am, and that means everything. She read the manuscript in two days and said she couldn’t put it down. And the book is going to be published as a hardcover!”
Author of A Chick in the Cockpit
(Behler Publications)
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“Thank you Mark! After you helped me get a well-known agent with Hartline Literary Agency (for my previously self-published murder mystery), he got me a deal with an American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) approved publisher. I’m hard-pressed to find anything that I had an expectation for that you didn’t deliver on.
Before I worked with you I sent out queries, but no one ever requested my complete manuscript. Comparing your new version of my query to the one I wrote before, I can see a vast difference.
I’ve been in business for 35 years so I’m not just saying this… what you’re doing is phenomenal. There are other people offering similar services, but the difference is your success. Others might say they do similar things but, if you research them, they don’t have your background or track record.”
Author of The Rector
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“Mark, you’re a miracle worker. Thanks to your help with my book, query letter, and synopsis… I now have a legitimate publisher who described my book as ‘Powerful Magic’ and it’s now available in bookstores and online!
I’m a lifelong academic writer who one day found myself writing inspired short stories that came to me in dreams and I began thinking of them as novels. That’s when I had a momentous conversation, an introductory coaching call with Mark Malatesta, the American creative writing coach, or rather, to be precise, a how-to-sell-yourself-and-your-work adviser. It was the best-spent money of my life apart (possibly) for my wedding ring.”
Author of The Black Inked Pearl
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“Within 4 minutes of sending out my query letter, a top literary called me on the phone (the #1 agent on my wish list). Less than 30 days later I had three major publishers making offers. A few days after that, I signed a deal with Random House. Mark, your query letter did that.
My agent talked about the query letter you helped me create for a long, long time. When he first called me on the phone, he hadn’t seen any of my sample chapters. It was just the query letter that did it. Communicating the right thing is so important. You are a wonderful medium helping authors find their voice and elevate their writing from just a hobby to a real business… a source from which they can both learn and earn.”
Author of Lights Out
(Random House)
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“MARK, MARK, MARK!!!!!!! Holy smokes… I just signed my book deal. First, two well-known literary agents asked to represent me. One of them responded to my query letter in less than 4 minutes!!
Then THREE different publishers wanted my book and started talking about making offers. The publisher I chose is perfect for me because they produce titles for the trade, educational, and scientific markets. And they agreed to publish my book as a hardcover!!!
When I met you, Mark, it was a pivotal time. I was under the belief that I could self-publish my book with a vanity press and then seek a publisher. I didn’t know what a literary agent was, why I needed one, or how to get one. I was wandering in the dark. You guided me in the right direction and gave me a solid plan.”
Author of Intestinal Health
(Rowman & Littlefield)
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“Boom!!! I just signed a contract with Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins for (what I’ve been told by several people) is a very large advance for a first-time author.
Before working with Mark I submitted my book to agents but didn’t get any interest. This time around I got a top NY literary agency (Fine Print Lit). What cloud is higher than 9?
I had several agencies interested before deciding to go with Fine Print. And, to be honest, all of the attention didn’t surprise me. The query letter and proposal that Mark helped me develop were incredible. Agents actually said things to me like: ‘Scott, I read your proposal and I’m just blown away by it!’ Mark is extremely talented at what he does. If you have the opportunity to work with him, take advantage of it.”
Author of The Unbreakable Boy
(Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson)