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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.
- You are searching within category(ies): Science Fiction
Biography
Marisa Corvisiero is a literary agent with and the founder and CEO of the Corvisiero Literary Agency. She is an attorney, and our Senior Literary Agent. During the few years prior to starting her own agency, Marisa worked with another well known New York City Literary Agency, where she learned invaluable lessons and made a name for herself in the industry. She is also a Literary Consultant, Speaker, Author and continues to practice law in New York City with specialties in Publishing, Corporate, and Trust & Estates. As an attorney she has published several articles in her practice areas, is a member of the New York Bar Association, and has experience in Top Global Firms and Fortune 500 companies where she practiced Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate Finance, Banking and Compliance before starting her own Practice and Literary Agency. She has attended over 100 conferences and workshops, and continues to present on webinars, tutorials, and bootcamps for Writer’s Digest among other reputable sources, as well as hosting her own Author Preneur Workshops, where she teaches and coaches authors on writing, mindset, and publishing as a business. Ms. Corvisiero received her Bachelors in Business Administration in International Business and Marketing from Hofstra University in 1995, where she was the President of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity Chapter, and the President of the Pre Law Society during her last year. Ms. Corvisiero received her Juris Doctorate from Pace University School of Law in 2000, and earned Pace University School of Law’s prestigious International Law Certificate for her studies in International Law. During her legal studies, she held several Board positions on the Student Bar Association, the Environmental Law Society, the Chair of special committees, and the Co-Editor of the Pace University School of Law Year Book in 1999 and 2000.
Notes
FICTION: Action Adventure, BIPOC Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary Fiction, Crime Fiction, Family Saga, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror, Humor Fiction, Inspirational Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Literary Fiction, Magical Realism, Multicultural Fiction, Mystery, New Adult Fiction, Paranormal Fiction, Religious Fiction, Romance, Satire, Science Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Thriller, Upmarket Fiction, Western Fiction, Women’s FictionNONFICTION: Animals, Art, Biography, BIPOC Nonfiction, Business Book, Celebrity, Cookbook Cooking, Cultural Social Issues, Current Events Affairs, Dating Relationships Sex, Design, Environment, Film Entertainment, Fitness, Food Drink, Gardening, General Nonfiction, Gift Novelty, Health Wellness, History, How-To, Humor Nonfiction, Law Legal, LGBTQ Nonfiction, Lifestyle, Medical Medicine, Memoir, Military War Nonfiction, Money Finance, Multicultural Nonfiction, Music, Nature, Nonfiction, Parenting, Photography, Pop Culture, Psychology, Science, Self-Help, Spirituality, Technology, Travel, True Adventure, True Crime, Women’s IssuesCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Board Book, Chapter Book Fiction, Chapter Book Nonfiction, Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Middle Grade Nonfiction, Picture Book, Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult NonfictionNONFICTION: Christian Books, Christian Fiction
Biography
Rachel Crawford is a literary agent with Wolf Literary Services. She joined Wolf Literary Services as an agent in 2015. She represents authors in both the U.S. and Australia, and represents U.S. rights on behalf of select Australian publishers and agents. Previously, she was MacKenzie WolfÕs foreign rights manager. Before moving to Wolf, Rach worked in rights at Fletcher and Company, at Sterling Lord Literistic, and as a publicist for a small press. RachÕs clients have won Walkley Awards, are Fulbright Scholars, have been shortlisted for the Stella Prize, the Commonwealth Writers Prize, a Lambda Literary Award, nominated for Pushcart Prizes, and appeared in Best American Short Stories.Rach represents literary fiction and narrative nonfiction, with a particular interest in LGBTQ+ perspectives across topics. In nonfiction she is drawn above all else to lyrical writing and rigorous thinking, and is interested in climate change, nature, geopolitics, migration, pop culture, tech, and in works that might be defined as cultural anthropologyÑbooks that help us understand the world we live in now. In fiction, as well as work that engages with the above topics, she has a particular soft spot for social horror, literary fiction that flirts with genre, working class characters, and intimate novels that burrow deep into the brain of one captivating weirdo.
Notes
FICTION: BIPOC Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Family Saga, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction, Horror, Humor Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Literary Fiction, Magical Realism, Multicultural Fiction, Mystery, Religious Fiction, Satire, Science Fiction, Short Story Collection, Speculative Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Thriller, Upmarket Fiction, Western Fiction, Women’s FictionNONFICTION: Art, Biography, Business Book, Celebrity, Cultural Social Issues, Current Events Affairs, Dating Relationships Sex, Environment, Film Entertainment, Food Drink, Gardening, Gift Novelty, History, Journalism, LGBTQ Nonfiction, Lifestyle, Medical Medicine, Memoir, Money Finance, Multicultural Nonfiction, Music, Narrative Nonfiction, Nature, Nonfiction, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychology, Religion, Science, Self-Help, Technology, True Crime, Women’s Issues
Biography
Laura Crockett is a literary agent at the Triada U.S. Literary Agency. Some of her favorite adult books include Babel, The City of Brass, A River Enchanted, The Year of the Witching, The Book of Gothel, Hamnet, The Square of Sevens, The House at Riverton, The Thirteenth Tale, The Only One Left, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Maame, and Yours Truly. In YA, her favorite books include Happily Ever Afters, House of Hollow, Divine Rivals, Curious Tides, Six Crimson Cranes, and What the River Knows. For a more detailed manuscript wishlist, please visit scribblesandwanderlust.com.Laura received her M.A. in Publishing from Rosemont College. Laura joined Triada in 2014, and has previously held positions as a bookseller and a readers advisory librarian. When she is not managing her client list or the agency’s foreign rights, she can be found participating in two book clubs (one for millennials and one where she’s the youngest member by 30 years), singing in choir, playing handbells, and traveling abroad with her husband.
Notes
FICTION: Action Adventure, BIPOC Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror, Humor Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Literary Fiction, Magical Realism, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Upmarket Fiction, Women’s FictionCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Young Adult Fiction
Biography
Michael Curry is a literary agent with the Donald Maass Literary Agency. He joined the Donald Maass Literary Agency in 2012, where he works as the assistant to Jennifer Jackson and is now developing his own select list of clients, focusing on literary SF/F and thrillers with speculative elements. He is also a slush reader for the award-winning Lightspeed Magazine (and has been since 2009, when it was still Fantasy Magazine).
Notes
FICTION: BIPOC Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, ThrillerCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Young Adult Fiction
Biography
John Cusick is a literary agent with Folio Literary Management. He began his career in publishing as an agentÕs assistant with Scott Treimel NY, where, along with dog-walking and coffee-fetching, he was fortunate enough to learn the ins-and-outs of publishing. He soon began representing a small list of clients, including Sharon Biggs Waller (A MAD, WICKED FOLLY, Viking Books for Young Readers), Ryan Gebhart (THERE WILL BE BEARS, Candlewick Press), and Hannah Moskowitz (A HISTORY OF GLITTER AND BLOOD, Chronicle Books).In 2013 he joined Greenhouse Literary and grew his list to include many more critically acclaimed and bestselling authors, including New York Times bestseller Tommy Wallach (WE ALL LOOKED UP, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers), Courtney Alameda (SHUTTER, Feiwel and Friends), and Gina Ciocca (LAST YEARÕS MISTAKE, Simon Pulse). He also began representing picture book authors and illustrators, including Chana Stiefel (DADDY DEPOT, Feiwel & Friends), Julie Bayless (ROAR! Running Press Kids), and Eric Chase Anderson (CHUCK DUGAN IS AWOL, Chronicle Books).At Folio Jr., heÕll continue to represent a diverse list of iconoclastic voices in picture books, middle-grade, young adult, and everything in between.
Notes
FICTION: BIPOC Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction, Horror, LGBTQ Fiction, New Adult Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense Fiction, ThrillerCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Picture Book, Young Adult Fiction
Biography
Laura Dail is a literary agent with the Laura Dail Literary Agency. After studying at Duke University and earning a Masters in Spanish at Middlebury College, Laura’s publishing career began in subsidiary rights at St. Martin’s Press. She translated several novels and books of nonfiction from Spanish to English and founded the agency in 1996. She has served on the board of the AALA and as the chair of the AALA’s Royalties Committee. Laura is now focused on representing works of serious nonfiction by journalists, historians, and business leaders; upmarket fiction; and select childrenÕs books. She is always seeking fresh, diverse voices, and innovative partners. She will even engage with Hollywood. Just kidding, Hollywood. What she loves most is to nurture creative forces, maximize exposure and impact, and build long, satisfying, remunerative careers.
Notes
FICTION: BIPOC Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction, Graphic Novel, Horror, Multicultural Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Thriller, Upmarket FictionNONFICTION: Biography, BIPOC Nonfiction, Business Book, Cookbook Cooking, Current Events Affairs, Health Wellness, History, Humor Nonfiction, Journalism, Lifestyle, Mind Body Spirit, Money Finance, Multicultural Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Politics, Science, True CrimeCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Middle Grade Nonfiction, Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult Nonfiction
Biography
Liz Darhansoff is a literary agent with Darhansoff & Verrill Literary Agents. She founded her eponymous agency in 1975 after spells at Atheneum, Random House, and ICM. She has been partners with Chuck Verrill since 1989, and together they have solidified a reputation among publishers for representing quality writers and lasting work. Currently, she takes on select projects with an emphasis on fiction and narrative nonfiction.
Notes
FICTION: BIPOC Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mainstream Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Science Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Thriller, Women’s FictionNONFICTION: Art, Autobiography, Biography, BIPOC Nonfiction, Business Book, Current Events Affairs, Economics, General Nonfiction, History, Humor Nonfiction, LGBTQ Nonfiction, Memoir, Money Finance, Multicultural Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Photography, Politics, SportsCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Picture Book, Young Adult Fiction
Biography
Kate Davids is a literary agent with Arc Literary Management. Kate joined Arc Literary in 2022 after 3 years working at Simon & Schuster as part of their Organic Growth Initiative. She uses her background in market research and digital marketing strategy to help her clients find new audiences and better appeal to the audiences they may already have. Prior to working in publishing, Kate worked in marketing strategy and research in a variety of industries for brands like Weight Watchers and Unilever. She loves exploring different cultures, including subcultures. For her, books enable readers to explore new and different perspectives, with authors as the all-important guides and gateways. Born in Arizona, Kate moved to New York City after first studying and living in Toulouse, France, and then London. She has always loved international cultures and travel, visiting her family based in Rome as often as possible. She has become an expert on traveling on a budget. She currently speaks French and Italian, and has also studied Japanese and Spanish. When she is home, she can be found reading comic books, watching anime, or trying out new recipes in the kitchen. Kate is looking for nonfiction projects, particularly practical nonfiction, in cooking, personal finance, business, pets/animals, gardening, mental health, and new age. She also enjoys history books that delve into interesting subcultures, like anime or tabletop RPGs. In fiction, Kate has a soft spot for science fiction and fantasy that has great action and world building that leverages real world cultures or histories. She loves fiction that represents diverse cultural backgrounds in their settings and characters. For childrenÕs books, Kate is looking for titles that can help both parents and their children explore the world together. This includes bi-lingual books and books about travel and multi-culturalism. She also likes a good laugh and an ÒawwÓ moment or two.
Notes
FICTION: BIPOC Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novel, Science FictionNONFICTION: Animals, Biography, Business Book, Celebrity, Cookbook Cooking, Cultural Social Issues, Current Events Affairs, Dating Relationships Sex, Design, Environment, Film Entertainment, Fitness, Food Drink, Gardening, Gift Novelty, Health Wellness, History, How-To, Humor Nonfiction, Journalism, LGBTQ Nonfiction, Lifestyle, Medical Medicine, Memoir, Money Finance, Multicultural Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nature, New Age, Nonfiction, Parenting, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychology, Science, Self-Help, Spirituality, Technology, Travel, Women’s IssuesCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Board Book, Chapter Book Fiction, Children’s Books, Picture Book
Biography
Kaylee Davis is a literary agent with Dee Mura Literary. Growing up in The Middle of Nowhere, Ohio, KayleeÕs lifeline to sanity was the local library where she nurtured her love of all things literary. Kaylee received a B.A. in English Literature and a B.A. in Sociology from Miami University, and she is certified in Copyediting from Emerson College. Recognized for her obsessive-compulsive attention to detail and crazy-fast reading ability, Kaylee joined the team as a professional copyeditor, proofreader, and administrative assistant. She has recently been promoted to Associate Literary Agent.
Notes
FICTION: Contemporary Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, ThrillerNONFICTION: General Nonfiction, LGBTQ Nonfiction, NonfictionCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Middle Grade Nonfiction, Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult Nonfiction
Biography
Naomi Davis is a literary agent with the BookEnds Literary Agency. Authors have always been Naomi Davis’s superheroes. Growing up in Minnesota, they spent their elementary years pretending they were every character in every book they read. A life-long writer and author-fanatic, they have a mild to moderate obsession with slippers, and sing in two philharmonic choirs.Working with authors and incredible colleagues at BookEnds Literary Agency has been a dream come true for Naomi.Naomi has a passion for helping authors develop stakes, voice immersion, and tension to a story’s highest possible potential, and often tweets about strategies for accomplishing those goals on their Twitter.They seek dynamic, character-driven adult and young adult titles in fantasy, sci-fi, and romance, and represent select middle grade and picture book authors. Naomi also has an interest in stories that blend the fantastic with the realistic, and is eager for books that cross between women’s fiction and fantasy, or contemporary fiction and sci fi or fantasy.Naomi is particularly passionate about finding new fantasy and sci-fi settings with unique magical structures that surprise the reader and change the rules readers associate with those worlds. They write powerful, intricate characters in explosive SFF settings.
Notes
FICTION: Contemporary Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, New Adult Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Women’s FictionCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Picture Book, Young Adult Fiction
Biography
Kelsey Day is a literary agent with the Aragi Agency. They are an agent assistant and an Appalachian writer specializing in necropastoral poetics and subversive childrenÕs literature. My work has been published in literary journals through Yale University, the University of Iowa, Voyage, and Wilde Press.
Notes
FICTION: BIPOC Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fiction, General Fiction, Graphic Novel, Horror, LGBTQ Fiction, Literary Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense Fiction, ThrillerNONFICTION: General Nonfiction, Nonfiction, ScienceCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Young Adult Fiction
Stacia Decker
Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary AgencyCLOSED to SubmissionsQuery Method(s): Email or Postal MailBiography
Stacia Decker is a literary agent with Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. Stacia Decker has been agenting since 2009. Previously, she worked at the Donald Maass Literary Agency and, as an editor, at Harcourt and Otto Penzler Books. She began her career as an intern and then editorial assistant at Farrar, Straus & Giroux after earning an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University and an AB in Government and English from Georgetown University. She represents high-concept literary and speculative fiction, commercial thrillers, crime/mystery fiction, and sci-fi fantasy. She is partial to strong voices, fast-paced plotting, and near-future or cross-genre elements.
Notes
FICTION: Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Thriller, Upmarket Fiction
Biography
Joelle Delbourgo is a literary agent with Joelle Delbourgo Associates. Jo‘lle Delbourgo is President and Founder of Jo‘lle Delbourgo Associates. She represents a broad range of adult nonfiction and fiction, as well as a select and growing list of young adult and middle grade fiction and nonfiction.JoelleÕs authors include New York Times bestselling fiction writer Ben H. Winters, author of the acclaimed novel, Underground Airlines and winner of both the Edgar Award and the Philip K. Dick Award (The Last Policeman, Countdown City, World of Trouble) and New York Times bestselling author, Dale Russakoff (The Prize: WhoÕs in Charge of AmericaÕs Schools), Jim Obergefell, named plaintiff in the Supreme Court marriage equality case (Obergefell v. Hodges), Dr. Michele Borba, award-winning educator and parenting contributor to The Today Show (author of UNSELFIE), New York Times bestselling authors Dr. Susan Forward, Ashley Rhodes-Courter (Three Little Words) Missy Chase Lapine (The Sneaky Chef), Congresswoman and DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz (For the Next Generation), Israel Meir Lau (former Chief Rabbi of Israel), breast cancer awareness crusader Geralyn Lucas (Why I Wore Lipstick, Then Came Life), Pulitzer Prize-winning Wall Street Journal writers Ellen E. Schultz and Geeta Anand, classicist Philip Freeman (Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great), American Public Media host of Marketplace and Sound Money, Chris Farrell (Un-Retirement), Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Debbie Cenziper (Washington Post), religious scholar and award-winning documentarian, Simcha Jacobovici (co-author of The Lost Gospel), among many others.Prior to founding Jo‘lle Delbourgo Associates, Delbourgo was a senior editorial executive at HarperCollins and Random House for more than two decades. The authors she published included Ken Davis, Abraham Verghese, Lee Smith, Barbara Tuchman, Carl Sagan, Robert Massie, James P. McPherson, Jim Davis, Sophy Burnham, Delia Ephron and Margaret George. She began her career at Bantam Books, where she discovered and launched the Choose Your Own Adventure series for kids, which sold millions of copies worldwide.Jo‘lle is a member of AAR (Association of AuthorsÕ Representatives).She holds a Master of the Arts in English and Comparative Literature with Honors from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of the Arts from Williams College, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa with a double concentration in History and English Literature. She also attended Vassar College. Jo‘lle is as sought-after speaker, panelist, workshop leader and instructor at writing conferences, such as the Madison Writers Institute, the Pacific Northwest Writers Conference, Jackson Hole Writers Conference, and also teaches each year at Rancho La Puerta (ÒRancho Reads and WritesÓ). Born in Alexandria, Egypt, she has lived on three continents, is fluent in French, and considers herself to be a citizen of the world. The mother of two gainfully employed millennials, she is an ardent student of Latin and ballroom dance and makes a mean chocolate mousse.
Notes
FICTION: BIPOC Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Family Saga, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction, Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mainstream Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Mystery, New Adult Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Thriller, Upmarket Fiction, Women’s FictionNONFICTION: Biography, BIPOC Nonfiction, Business Book, Computers, Cookbook Cooking, Crafts, Cultural Social Issues, Current Events Affairs, Dating Relationships Sex, Diet Nutrition, Economics, Environment, Family, Fitness, Food Drink, Gardening, General Nonfiction, Health Wellness, History, How-To, Journalism, LGBTQ Nonfiction, Lifestyle, Memoir, Mind Body Spirit, Money Finance, Multicultural Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Parenting, Philosophy, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychology, Reference, Religion, Science, Self-Help, Spirituality, Sports, Technology, True Crime, Upmarket Nonfiction
Biography
Katelyn Detweiler is an associate agent with Jill Grinberg Literary Management. She attended Pennsylvania State University as a Schreyer Honors College scholar, receiving a B.A. in English, emphasis in Creative Writing, and a minor in WomenÕs Studies, interning at the Penn State Press during her time there. Post college she moved to New York City for the Columbia Publishing Course, and from there worked in the marketing department of Macmillan ChildrenÕs Publishing Group. She joined Jill Grinberg Literary Management in 2010, and after a few years assisting Jill with the general agency roster, Katelyn began actively building her own client list. Katelyn is also a published YA author. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and son, and when sheÕs not writing, reading, and revising books, she enjoys practicing yoga and embarking on road trips.
Notes
FICTION: Contemporary Fiction, Family Saga, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror, Humor Fiction, Magical Realism, Mystery, New Adult Fiction, Paranormal Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Thriller, Women’s FictionNONFICTION: Art, Business Book, Cultural Social Issues, General Nonfiction, Health Wellness, History, Humor Nonfiction, Lifestyle, Memoir, Mind Body Spirit, Music, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Photography, ScienceCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Chapter Book Fiction, Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Picture Book, Young Adult Fiction
Biography
Cori Deyoe is a literary agent with 3 Seas Literary Agency. Cori Deyoe joined 3 Seas as a literary agent in 2006 with over 25 years of experience in the writing industry. She was previously a published author at Silhouette/Harlequin (national and international) and was also published in various non-fiction periodicals. Cori no longer pens her own stories, focusing solely on her fantastic clientsÕ projects. She has a special talent for the editing process and enjoys working closely with her authors to achieve perfect presentations.Cori is actively looking to expand her list of clients. She represents all sub-genres of romance, womenÕs fiction, young adult, middle grade, picture books, thrillers, mysteries and select non-fiction.On a personal note, Cori loves reading (of course!), traveling, photography, dogs, cats, horses and anything chocolate.
Notes
FICTION: Action Adventure, Chick Lit, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Erotic Fiction, Espionage Military Fiction, Family Saga, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor Fiction, Inspirational Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Literary Fiction, Magical Realism, Multicultural Fiction, Mystery, New Adult Fiction, Religious Fiction, Romance, Satire, Science Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Thriller, Upmarket Fiction, Western Fiction, Women’s FictionNONFICTION: Animals, Biography, Celebrity, Cultural Social Issues, Current Events Affairs, Dating Relationships Sex, Design, Environment, Film Entertainment, Fitness, Food Drink, Gardening, Gift Novelty, Health Wellness, History, How-To, Humor Nonfiction, Journalism, LGBTQ Nonfiction, Lifestyle, Medical Medicine, Memoir, Military War Nonfiction, Multicultural Nonfiction, Music, Narrative Nonfiction, Nature, Nonfiction, Parenting, Photography, Pop Culture, Psychology, Religion, Science, Self-Help, Spirituality, Sports, Technology, Travel, True Adventure, True Crime, Women’s IssuesCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Picture Book, Young Adult Fiction
Biography
Bob Diforio is a literary agent with the D4EO Literary Agency. Bob spent 17 years at New American Library [Dutton/Penguin USA] in positions ranging from VP Sales to President and Publisher, Chairman and CEO. There he helped launch the paperback careers of Erica Jong, Robin Cook, Stephen King, Ken Follett and Robert K. Tanenbaum. With Odyssey Partners, he led the management in a leverage buy out of the company from Times Mirror in 1982, purchased E. P. Dutton, and they sold the combined company to Pearson PLC in 1986, which merged the company with Viking Penguin to create Penguin USA. He opened D4EO Literary Agency in late 1989.
Notes
FICTION: BIPOC Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, ThrillerNONFICTION: Biography, BIPOC Nonfiction, Business Book, Cookbook Cooking, Cultural Social Issues, Dating Relationships Sex, Food Drink, General Nonfiction, Health Wellness, History, How-To, Humor Nonfiction, Lifestyle, Medical Medicine, Memoir, Mind Body Spirit, Money Finance, Multicultural Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Parenting, Pop Culture, Reference, Religion, Science, Self-Help, Spirituality, Sports, Technology, Travel, True CrimeCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Young Adult Fiction
Biography
Sandra Dijkstra is the founder, owner, and president of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. Agent to authors in the arenas of nonfiction (including history, politics, current affairs, business, and science) and fiction (literary and commercial), SandraÕs mission is to find and champion authors whose books make a difference.Bicoastal, Sandra was born in the Bronx, schooled in the East, and then came West to attend grad school at UC Berkeley, bringing to her agenting a literary taste honed by a Ph.D. in French literature, a keen editorial eye trained during a decade of university teaching, and, on the business front, her homegrown New York selling smarts. Within her first decade of agenting, Newsweek dubbed her “the best agent in the West,” Esquire chose her as one of the nation’s “top five literary agents,” and the Los Angeles Times proclaimed her an “Ÿber-agent” and “the most powerful literary agent on the West Coast.”Sandra looks for writers with something significant to say, who know how to say it in a distinctive way, and whose books help to make this a better world. She is agent to major American historians, including Pulitzer Prize-winners Eric Foner, Steven Hahn, and Leon Litwack, and National Book Award finalist Adrienne Mayor. She is also proud to represent renowned historian of ideas, Michael Kazin; scholars of the slave trade, the late Ira Berlin and Marcus Rediker; Immigration Studies historian Erika Lee; Jewish Studies historian Steve Ross, Religious Studies historians Steven Prothero, Paula Fredriksen, and Matt Sutton; and feminist historians Elaine May and Marilyn Yalom, as well as LGBTQ historian Lillian Faderman, and more.The advocate for a leading group of investigative journalists, Sandra has championed the work of the Washington PostÕs Tom Hamburger, the Los Angeles Times’ Michael Hiltzik, the Wall Street Journal’s Jess Bravin, and ProPublica’s T. Christian Miller, among others. On the science front, her list features such gurus as Don Norman, Dr. Irvin Yalom, Dr. Gary Small, Bernd Heinrich, and Jordan Fisher Smith. On the business side, she is proud to represent bestseller Joel Greenblatt, and David Einhorn, and to have agented Max DePreeÕs classic Leadership Is an Art.Sandra is, perhaps, best-known for her eye for quality fiction that sells well, representing authors such as Maxine Hong Kingston, Amy Tan, Lisa See, Nobel Prize-winner Mo Yan, Chitra Divakaruni, and Shobha Rao, among others. On the mystery/thriller side, she champions bestsellers Diane Mott Davidson (the Queen of the Culinary Mystery), and former Cosmopolitan editor Kate White. And, on the children’s front, she is Stellaluna author/illustrator Janell Cannon’s proud agent.Her goal is to help authors realize their dreams, supporting their work through each phase of the publishing process, so that their books reach the widest readership, here and abroad, and in as many formats as possible. To that end, she has assembled a powerful team of colleagues, each of whom has her own list, representing a wide range of genres, and each determined to make it happen for the authors they represent.
Notes
FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Family Saga, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story Collection, Suspense Fiction, Thriller, Upmarket FictionNONFICTION: Animals, Art, Biography, Business Book, Celebrity, Cultural Social Issues, Current Events Affairs, Environment, Film Entertainment, Food Drink, History, Journalism, LGBTQ Nonfiction, Lifestyle, Memoir, Money Finance, Multicultural Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nature, Nonfiction, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychology, Religion, Science, Self-Help, Technology, Women’s IssuesCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Picture Book, Young Adult Fiction
Biography
Lucienne Diver is a literary agent with The Knight Agency. Lucienne joined The Knight Agency in 2008, after spending fifteen years at New York CityÕs prestigious Spectrum Literary Agency. With her sharp eye and gift for spotting original new voices, Lucienne is one of the most well-respected agents in the industry. A lifelong book addict, she graduated summa cum laude from the State University of New York at Potsdam with dual majors in English/writing and anthropology. She thus came well-equipped for her work as an agent.Over the course of her dynamic career she has sold well over seven hundred titles to every major publisher, and has built a client list of more than forty authors spanning the commercial fiction genres, primarily in the areas of fantasy, science fiction, horror, womenÕs fiction, romance, mystery/suspense and young adult. Her authors have been honored with the Hugo, Nebula, Colorado Book and National ReadersÕ Choice Awards, and have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. A publishing veteran, Lucienne has superb industry knowledge, and a keen understanding of the foreign rights market.
Notes
FICTION: Contemporary Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror, LGBTQ Fiction, Magical Realism, Multicultural Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Thriller, Women’s FictionCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Young Adult Fiction
Biography
GiannaMarie Dobson is a literary agent at Neighborhood Literary. She is a neurodivergent and disabled associate agent excited to build a list prioritizing disabled voices. She has interned and freelanced in publishing since 2021 and has sensitivity read manuscripts for publishers such as Ballantine Books at PRH, PRH UK, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Andrews McMeel, Faber Children’s, and Image Comics.
Notes
FICTION: Fantasy, Fiction, Science FictionCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Young Adult Fiction
Biography
Katelyn Dougherty is a literary agent with the Paradigm Literary and Talent Agency.
Notes
FICTION: Action Adventure, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Family Saga, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction, Graphic Novel, Horror, Humor Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, New Adult Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Thriller, Women’s FictionNONFICTION: Art, Celebrity, Film Entertainment, Food Drink, General Nonfiction, Humor Nonfiction, Illustrated, Journalism, LGBTQ Nonfiction, Lifestyle, Memoir, Nonfiction, Photography, Poetry, Pop Culture, Women’s IssuesCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Chapter Book Fiction, Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Middle Grade Nonfiction, Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult Nonfiction
Biography
Claire Draper is a literary agent with the Jennifer Azantian Literary Agency. Claire started wanting to work in and around books in high school, when they fell hardcore in love with reading and writing after a friend took them to see Twilight. They spent all their time (and savings) at Borders and the local library and on fanfic.net after that.While studying Queer Diversity in Children’s Literature at New York University’s Gallatin, they interned at Rare Bird Lit, InkWell Management, and the Children’s Book Council. After graduating, Claire spent a fantastic (if albeit short-lived) two weeks working as a bookseller for The Strand, before ending up at InkWell Management as a receptionist and agent assistant in 2016. And then early 2019, they moved to the Bent Agency to start expanding their list with a collection of very queer books for kids of all ages, including graphic novels, picture books, middle grade, and young adult. And then later extended their list to cover all their interests with books for adults by returning to their favorites with romance novels, memoir, and specialty nonfiction. They joined the Azantian Literary Agency in 2023, and are thrilled to always see beautiful manuscripts make their way to a bookshelf.They live in New York City with their partner, two sneaky cats who teach each other bad habits, and too many plants to count. They are often found with either gardening gloves, sewing shears, or some other house craft.
Notes
FICTION: Action Adventure, BIPOC Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Erotic Fiction, Family Saga, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novel, Horror, LGBTQ Fiction, Literary Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, New Adult Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Women’s FictionNONFICTION: Animals, Art, BIPOC Nonfiction, Celebrity, Cookbook Cooking, Crafts, Cultural Social Issues, Dating Relationships Sex, Design, Environment, Film Entertainment, Food Drink, Gardening, Gift Novelty, How-To, Humor Nonfiction, Journalism, LGBTQ Nonfiction, Lifestyle, Memoir, Multicultural Nonfiction, Nature, Nonfiction, Parenting, Pop Culture, Psychology, Self-Help, Women’s IssuesCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Picture Book, Young Adult Fiction
Biography
Kendyll Drilling is a literary agent with the Corvisiero Literary Agency. She has been reading since the age of three, and she has never lost her appetite for reading. She never planned on pursuing literature as a career, but after an accident left her paralyzed, she decided it was in her best interest to focus on something that has always made her happy. This path led her to freelance editing manuscripts and going to college for a dual degree in English Literature and European History. Knowing her options would be limited due to her condition, she is excited and thankful for the opportunity to work with the team at Covrisiero Literary Agency.KendyllÕs favorite type of books are intricate fantasy novels and historical novels set before the 20th century, but she enjoys novels of all genres, as long as there compelling characters and a plot that transports her to another world. Apart from reading, Kendyll also enjoys copious amounts of tea, music, and funny tee-shirts.
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FICTION: Action Adventure, BIPOC Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Inspirational Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Literary Fiction, Magical Realism, Multicultural Fiction, New Adult Fiction, Religious Fiction, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Upmarket Fiction, Western Fiction, Women’s FictionNONFICTION: Art, Biography, Celebrity, Cultural Social Issues, Current Events Affairs, Film Entertainment, Fitness, Food Drink, Health Wellness, History, LGBTQ Nonfiction, Medical Medicine, Memoir, Multicultural Nonfiction, Music, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Pop Culture, Psychology, Religion, Self-Help, Spirituality, True Adventure, Women’s IssuesCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Young Adult Fiction
Biography
Jane Dystel is a literary agent with Dystel, Goderich & Bourret, LLC. Jane Dystel, President, has been an agent since 1986. Her publishing career began at Bantam Books. She then moved to Grosset & Dunlap, where she was a managing editor and later an acquisitions editor. From there, she went on to become Publisher of World Almanac Publications, where she created her own imprint. When she joined the agency that would soon become Acton and Dystel Inc., she quickly developed a reputation for honesty, forthrightness, hard work, and real commitment to her authors and their writing careers. In 1994, with a growing roster of clients, she founded Jane Dystel Literary Management, which became Dystel & Goderich Literary Management in 2003, and Dystel, Goderich & Bourret in 2016. Born in Chicago, Jane grew up in Rye, New York. She is the daughter of publishing legend Oscar Dystel, who headed Bantam Books for more than a quarter of a century. In her teens, she was an accomplished figure skater. Jane received her BA from New York University and attended Georgetown Law School for one year before leaving for her first job in publishing. She has an abiding interest in legal subjects. She is married to Steven Schwinder and has a daughter, Jessica, and a son, Zachary. She lives in New York City with her husband and two dachshunds, and is a tenacious golfer.
Notes
FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction, Horror, Literary Fiction, Mystery, New Adult Fiction, Paranormal Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Women’s FictionNONFICTION: Art, Biography, Business Book, Cookbook Cooking, Cultural Social Issues, Current Events Affairs, Dating Relationships Sex, Diet Nutrition, Economics, Food Drink, General Nonfiction, Health Wellness, History, How-To, Humor Nonfiction, Law Legal, Lifestyle, Medical Medicine, Memoir, Mind Body Spirit, Money Finance, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Pop Culture, Reference, Religion, Science, Self-Help, Spirituality, Sports, Technology, True Crime, Upmarket NonfictionCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Young Adult Fiction
Biography
Sian-Ashleigh Edwards is a literary agent with WME Books. Sian-Ashleigh has been at WME since 2018. She hails from the suburbs of New York and goes by her full first name. Representing Nonfiction and Fiction across the YA and adult spaces, her authors are tastemakers, experts, world-builders, and everyday people with something to say. In Nonfiction sheÕs looking for books that provide new perspectives for the people and places around us, help us master a new skill, or bring us one step closer to a better version of ourselves. In Fiction, sheÕs looking for anything in the upmarket, commercial, and sci-fi/fantasy spaces that makes her laugh, cry, and/or marvel at the capacity of the written word to move you.
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FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction, Science Fiction, Upmarket FictionNONFICTION: BIPOC Nonfiction, How-To, Nonfiction, Self-HelpCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult Nonfiction
Biography
Hana El Niwairi is the Rights Manager at CookeMcDermid. She leads the rights team in representing the works of agency authors outside of North America: in Asia, Europe, the UK, and more. Since 2017, Hana and her team have placed agency books into over 50 territories around the globe. These include: #1 New York Times bestselling poet Rupi Kaur’s the sun and her flowers and home body; internationally bestselling author Thomas Olde Heuvelt’s HEX and Echo; Karen LordÕs 2024 WomenÕs Prize longlisted The Blue, Beautiful World; 2021 Canada Reads contender Natalie Zena Walschot’s Hench; Dr. Britt Wray’s Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis; and Alicia Elliott’s And Then She Fell, among others. Prior to joining the publishing industry, she worked in the non-profit, arts, and culture sectors with organizations such as the Book and Periodical Council, Culture Days, and Paprika Festival. She is a graduate of Humber College’s Arts Administration and Cultural Management program and holds an Honours BA (Specialization in Creative Writing and English Literature with a Major in Psychology) from Western University. Outside of her role at the agency, Hana is also one of the co-founders of BIPOC of Publishing in Canada.
Hana’s tastes are eclectic and she reads widely across genres. She has a soft spot for science fiction and fantasy and in recent years has been particularly enjoying romance and thrillers. Across genres, sheÕs drawn to character-driven stories, featuring morally grey protagonists, ÔdifficultÕ women, and commercial fiction written by and about marginalized communities. Additionally, in her (somewhat futile) pursuit to learn everything, ever, Hana is an avid reader of non-fiction, particularly politics, social science, media criticism, science, and history. She is keenly interested in non-fiction exploring systemic issues and how they play out in the day-to-day lives of the average person.
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Accepting Submissions | New Literary Agents |BIPOC Fiction | Commercial Fiction | Fantasy | Gothic Fiction | Horror | LGBTQ Fiction | Romance | Science Fiction | Speculative Fiction | Thriller | Upmarket Fiction | Women’s Fiction |Cultural Social Issues | History | LGBTQ Nonfiction | Politics | Pop Culture | Psychology | Science |
Biography
Ethan Ellenberg is a literary agent with the Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency. Ethan opened his literary agency in late, 1984 after holding jobs at both Bantam and Berkley/Jove. At Berkley/Jove he was manager of the Contracts Department. At Bantam he was Associate Contracts Manager. He says: ÒI remain excited and committed to assisting Authors at different stages of their careers. I work with a number of talented people writing and illustrating many different kinds of books and thatÕs what I like. If you have something special in any of the commercial fiction genres I would be interested in hearing about it. For childrenÕs books works of the imagination and beauty will always interest me. If I canÕt help you, I will share your work with a colleague.The business of book publishing has changed almost beyond recognition since I joined the industry. ItÕs as complex as any business I know and that makes it daunting for everyone involved. Our goal is to assist Authors where they need it most, passionate dedication to help them earn a living, and honest feedback about their work.Ó
Notes
FICTION: Action Adventure, BIPOC Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction, Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction, Horror, Literary Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Mystery, New Adult Fiction, Paranormal Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Thriller, Women’s FictionNONFICTION: Biography, BIPOC Nonfiction, Business Book, Cookbook Cooking, Current Events Affairs, General Nonfiction, Health Wellness, History, Humor Nonfiction, Lifestyle, Memoir, Military War Nonfiction, Mind Body Spirit, Money Finance, Multicultural Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, New Age, Nonfiction, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychology, Reference, Science, Spirituality, Sports, Technology, True Adventure, True CrimeCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Chapter Book Fiction, Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Middle Grade Nonfiction, Picture Book, Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult Nonfiction
Biography
ZabŽ Ellor is a literary agent with the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency. He joined The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency in August 2018, after previously interning at the agency and at Inklings Literary, and serving as a publications assistant at IOP Publishing. He graduated from Cornell University in 2016 with a dual degree in biology and English. An avid reader and writer, his non-literary interests include running, travel, and finding the perfect dim sum in his home city of Washington D. C.
Notes
FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, New Adult Fiction, Science Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Thriller, Upmarket Fiction, Women’s FictionNONFICTION: History, Humor Nonfiction, Journalism, LGBTQ Nonfiction, Nature, Nonfiction, Politics, ScienceCHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Board Book, Chapter Book Nonfiction, Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Picture Book, Young Adult Fiction