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The Directory of Literary Agents
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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: S
Amy Stapp
Wolfson Literary AgencyDO NOT QUERY – THIS AGENT IS NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING UNSOLICITED SUBMISSIONSQuery method(s): Email *Biography
Amy Stapp is a literary agent with the Wolfson Literary Agency. Amy Stapp received her BA from Samford University and MA from Georgia State University before beginning her publishing career at Macmillan, where she was an editor for seven years and had the privilege of working with bestselling authors such as Katie McGarry, Shelley Noble, and Amber Lynn Natusch, among others. Amy joined Wolfson Literary in 2018 and is actively building her list, with interest in women’s fiction, mystery, suspense, historical fiction, young adult, and select nonfiction. She is particularly drawn to well-paced prose and smart, multidimensional characters.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Historical * Mystery * Suspense * Upmarket Fiction * Women’s Fiction * Young Adult Fiction *
NONFICTION: General Nonfiction *
Biography
Alexa Stark is a literary agent with Writers House. Alexa joined Writers House in 2022, after ten years at Trident Media Group. She represents a range of literary and upmarket fiction and select nonfiction. On the fiction side, she is particularly drawn to literary debuts with a unique voice and perspective, stories about dysfunctional friendships and families, novels that engage with social issues, underrepresented voices, and fiction that delves into the surreal or plays with genre in fresh or subversive ways. She also enjoys edgy coming-of-age tales and character-driven suspense and thrillers. She gravitates towards the humorous, the bold, the psychologically probing and the tender. On the nonfiction side, she is seeking narrative nonfiction, cultural criticism, voice-driven essay collections, popular science, psychology, and women’s issues.
Alexa also has experience helping authors place stories, essays and book excerpts in a range of publications including the New Yorker, Harper’s, Paris Review, the Atlantic, Tin House, N+1, Playboy, McSweeney’s, and the New York Times, among others. Her authors have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller list and have won or been listed for the PEN/Faulkner Award, the National Book Foundation’s 5 under 35, the Rona Jaffe Award, the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence, The Young Lions Fiction Award, the Scotiabank Giller Prize, Lambda Literary Award, and the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize.
Raised in New York City, Alexa earned her BA in comparative literature and society at Columbia University. Prior to joining Writers House, she worked at Curtis Brown and Trident Media Group, spending the first few years working with Ellen Levine before building her own list. She lives in Brooklyn.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Commercial * Family Saga * General Fiction * Humor Fiction * Literary * Suspense * Thriller * Upmarket Fiction *
NONFICTION: Cultural/Social Issues * General Nonfiction * Humor * Memoir * Narrative * Psychology * Science * Women’s Issues *
120 Broadway 22nd floor New York NY 10271 USA
HB Steadham
The Tobias Literary AgencyDO NOT QUERY – THIS AGENT IS NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING UNSOLICITED SUBMISSIONSQuery method(s): Online Form *Biography
HB Steadham is a literary agent with The Tobias Literary Agency. She is a world-traveling, lifetime-learning lover of shenanigans. She graduated with her MFA in Creative Writing from the Arkansas Writers Workshop, where she served as Editorial Intern for the Oxford American, a National Magazine Award-winning literary quarterly. She joined The Tobias Literary Agency in April of 2022 and is proud to now be cultivating a list of her own.
HB is open to queries for adult literary fiction. Craft is always paramount; exceptional voice, beautiful and unique style, and sentences imbued with complex meaning are the ideal. Also, fully developed characters with rich inner worlds, whose thoughts and actions are what drives the plot, are a necessity.
What catches her attention:
Setting in the American South
Narratives by and about queer folks
Neurodivergence in all its manifestations
Stories informed or inspired by folklore, mythology, fairy tales, superstitions
Light elements of speculative fiction (no high fantasy)
Her favorite books include Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri, I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson, A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon, When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, and so, so many more.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Gay/Lesbian Fiction * General Fiction * Literary * Science Fiction *
NONFICTION: Gay/Lesbian * General Nonfiction * Narrative *
Michael Stearns
Upstart Crow LiteraryDO NOT QUERY – THIS AGENT IS NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING UNSOLICITED SUBMISSIONSQuery method(s): Email *Biography
Michael Stearns is a literary agent with Upstart Crow Literary Agency. Michael is the founder of Upstart Crow Literary. Formerly editorial director and foreign acquisitions manager for HarperCollins Children’s Books, before that he was Senior Editor, Director of Paperback Publishing for Harcourt Children’s Books. He has worked on hundreds of books for children and adults over the course of twenty years in the industry.
Among the many bestselling and award-winning books he’s edited and published are A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly; Gone and Hunger by Michael Grant; Tangerine by Edward Bloor, East by Edith Pattou,The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls by Elise Primavera, Whales on Stilts by M.T. Anderson, Fly By Night by Frances Hardinge, the Young Wizards series by Diane Duane, and the Chet Gecko Mysteries by Bruce Hale, as well as a whole slew of books by Bruce Coville, Jane Yolen, Vivian Vande Velde, Andrew Auseon, and Ursula K. Le Guin, among others.
He has taught a dozen classes on writing, published three anthologies of original stories, and is an award-winning writer of fiction for both children and adults—most recently The Blood Guard series under the pen name Carter Roy.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Children’s Fiction * Crime/Detective/Police * Fantasy * General Fiction * Juvenile Fiction * Middle Grade Fiction * Mystery * Picture Book * Romance * Science Fiction * Young Adult Fiction *
NONFICTION: General Nonfiction *
Lori Steel
Red Fox LiteraryDO NOT QUERY – THIS AGENT IS NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING UNSOLICITED SUBMISSIONSQuery method(s): Online Form *Biography
Lori Steel is a literary agent with Red Fox Literary. She began her career in young people’s literature first as an educator and school librarian, and later as a freelance editor and writing instructor. She is also a writer and earned an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. As a Red Fox Literary Agent, Lori approaches her work from these diverse industry experiences and perspectives. She’s a long-time member of SCBWI and ALA, and passionately believes all readers deserve equal access to stories, no matter their age.
Lori’s clients include both debut and award-winning authors, and she continues to seek diverse perspectives, literary approaches, and unique story experiences to add to her list. Lyrical language, compelling settings, and stories told with heart are areas of particular interest in any genre/audience.
Originally from the Washington DC area, Lori has also called Appalachia and England home. When not at her desk, you can often find her plotting her next travel adventure, testing out a new recipe, or pottering in her Washington DC garden with her English husband and their secret-agent pup sidekick, Juice.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Chapter Book * Children’s Fiction * Juvenile Fiction * Middle Grade Fiction * Picture Book * Young Adult Fiction *
NONFICTION: Juvenile * Middle Grade * Young Adult *
Pattie Steele-Perkins
Steele-Perkins Literary AgencyAAR/AALA MemberQuery method(s): Email * Postal Mail *Biography
Pattie Steele-Perkins is a literary agent with the Steele-Perkins Literary Agency. Pattie has been an agent for romance writers for ten years. She considers s career planning as well as marketing her clients books an essential part of her job as an agent.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Christian Fiction * Ethnic Fiction * Literary * Multicultural Fiction * Mystery * Romance * Thriller * Women’s Fiction * Young Adult Fiction *
NONFICTION:
26 Island Lane Canandaigua NY 14424 USA
Biography
Stephanie Steiker is a literary agent with Regal Hoffmann & Associates. She joined Regal Hoffmann in 2015. From 2008 to 2015 she was Associate Director of the New York Institute for the Humanities at NYU, working with prominent figures in literature, academia, and the arts. Previously she has worked for the online magazine Words Without Borders; the journal East European Politics and Societies; and the New School’s Transregional Center for Democratic Studies. A native New Yorker with a degree in comparative literature from Brown University, she lived in Poland from 1999 to 2001, has a background in documentary film, and for several years wrote about the downtown NY music scene for The New Yorker. Stephanie is open to submissions in serious and narrative non-fiction, as well as literary fiction (including graphic novels). In non-fiction, her interests are history, philosophy, current affairs, literary and cultural studies; biography and memoir; music, photography, and issues of racial and economic justice. She’s enthusiastic about international writing (reads in French, Spanish, and Polish), and has a thing for prose written by poets.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: General Fiction * Graphic Novel * Literary * Multicultural Fiction *
NONFICTION: Biography * Cultural/Social Issues * Current Events/Affairs * Economics * General Nonfiction * History * Memoir * Multicultural * Music * Narrative * Philosophy * Photography * Upmarket *
143 West 29th Street Suite 901 New York NY 10001 USA
Biography
Anna Stein is a literary agent with CAA/ICM. Before ICM she worked with Aitken Alexander Associates—from June of 2009 until December of 2015. Before Aitken Alexander Associates, she was an agent and foreign rights manager at the Irene Skolnick Literary Agency.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Crime/Detective/Police * Cultural/Social Issues * General Fiction * Horror * Literary * Mystery *
NONFICTION: Biography * Memoir * Narrative * Current Events/Affairs * General Nonfiction * Health/Wellness * History * Parenting/Child Guidance * Politics * Pop Culture * Religion * Science * Spirituality *
65 East 55th Street 14th Floor New York NY 10022 USA
Biography
Peter Steinberg is a literary agent with Fletcher & Company/UTA. He is now at United Talent Agency (UTA) after he joined Fletcher & Company in 2021 from Foundry Literary + Media. He’s represented numerous New York Times bestsellers (including three #1 New York Times bestsellers) and clients have been nominated for or awarded Edgars, The Pulitzer Prize, The Story Prize, The Paris Review Discovery Prize, PEN/Faulkner and National Book Awards. Most recently, The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont was selected for Reese’s Book Club, and The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award. His list includes narrative non-fiction, commercial and literary fiction, memoir, self-help, history, pop culture, humor, and sports. Several of his authors have had their books made into major motion pictures, including Towelhead and I Love You Phillip Morris. Steinberg is a graduate of NYU film school and worked briefly in the film business prior to becoming a literary agent.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Commercial * General Fiction * Literary * Suspense * Thriller *
NONFICTION: Biography * Film/Entertainment * History * Memoir * Narrative * Pop Culture * Self-Help/Personal Development * Science * Sports *
3137 Laguna Street New York NY 10106 USA
Biography
Dr. Uwe Stender is a literary agent with Triada U.S. Literary Agency. Uwe is a Full Member of the AAR (Association of Authors’ Representatives). He is interested in all kinds of non-fiction and fiction. In non-fiction, he is completely open to any project, from Memoir, Pop Culture, and Health to How-to, Gardening, History and everything in between, including non-fiction for children. In Children’s fiction, he is looking for YA, and MG. In adult fiction, his tastes trend towards Women’s Fiction, Psychological Suspense, and Mysteries. As an immigrant to the USA himself, he is always eager to bring projects from underrepresented voices into the world. So surprise him, his tastes are eclectic, and he may just love what you wrote!
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Children’s Fiction * Contemporary * Crime/Detective/Police * General Fiction * Graphic Novel * Humor Fiction * Juvenile Fiction * Literary * Middle Grade Fiction * Multicultural Fiction * Mystery * NoPB * Romance * Suspense * Thriller * Women’s Fiction * Young Adult Fiction *
NONFICTION: Biography * Cooking/Cookbook * Crafts * Cultural/Social Issues * Current Events/Affairs * Dating/Relationship/Sex * Diet/Nutrition * Family * Film/Entertainment * Food/Drinks * Gardening * General Nonfiction * Health/Wellness * History * How-To * Humor * Juvenile * Lifestyle * Memoir * Middle Grade * Mind/Body/Spirit * Multicultural * Narrative * Parenting/Child Guidance * Politics * Pop Culture * Reference * Science * Self-Help/Personal Development * Sports * Technology * Travel * True Crime * Young Adult *
P.O. Box 561 681 Camp Meeting Road Sewickley PA 15143 USA
Biography
Myrsini Stephanides is a literary agent with and the founder of Arc Literary Management. She founded Arc Literary in Fall 2021. A publishing professional with over 20 years of experience in the industry, she spent the first 10 years of her career as an editor at book packagers, Indie, and Big 5 publishers specializing in illustrated non-fiction. From 2009 to 2021 Myrsini was a literary agent at the Carol Mann Agency, where she built an eclectic roster of clients while managing day-to-day operations. She brings her clients and her passion for fostering a supportive community around colleagues, affiliates, and budding creatives to her next chapter at Arc Literary.
Myrsini’s personal reading habits and professional interests are broad, ranging from popular science, business, and investigative journalism to self-care, illustrated humor, and photography. She gravitates toward authors and creators with strong voices, unique perspectives, and unbridled passion for their work, and will consider adult and children’s projects across categories (except genre fiction).
Myrsini is currently looking for projects in the following adult categories: voice-driven business/tech books with clear perspectives from experts in their fields; scientist-storytellers writing accessible narratives for a general, non-academic audience; women’s health, self-care, and progressive parenting books geared toward a millennial audience; narrative humorists and/or illustrators with unique voices and a strong platform/community of supporters (on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc).
In the children’s world, she is looking for early readers, middle grade and young adult fiction; graphic novels for all reading levels; narrative or illustrated non-fiction for all reading levels; picture books by writer-illustrators (no scripts without illustrators already attached).
Myrsini welcomes submissions (adult and children’s) from authors and creators with diverse backgrounds who have been misrepresented or marginalized and want to share their work with the world.
Partial client list: John Doerr, Matthew Inman (creator of The Oatmeal), Claire Belton (creator of Pusheen), Hannah Shaw (aka Kitten Lady), Jarrett Lerner, Emily McDowell and Kelsey Crowe, Jen Waite, Mary Gauthier, Cyndy Etler, and Elizabeth Schneider.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Children’s Fiction * Commercial * Contemporary * Gay/Lesbian Fiction * Graphic Novel * Humor Fiction * Middle Grade Fiction * Multicultural Fiction * Picture Book * Satire * Upmarket Fiction * Young Adult Fiction *
NONFICTION: Animals/Pets * Art * Business * Cooking/Cookbook * Cultural/Social Issues * Dating/Relationship/Sex * Film/Entertainment * Fitness * Food/Drinks * Gay/Lesbian * Gift/Novelty * Health/Wellness * Humor * Journalism * Juvenile * Lifestyle * Medical/Medicine * Memoir * Military/War * Multicultural * Music * Narrative * Parenting/Child Guidance * Photography * Pop Culture * Psychology * Science * Self-Help/Personal Development * Spirituality * Technology * Women’s Issues *
2838 29th Street Long Island City NY 11102 USA
Biography
Jenny Stephens is a literary agent with Sterling Lord Literistic.Jenny represents nonfiction in a variety of categories including cookbooks, practical lifestyle projects, history, memoir, food, sports, cultural criticism and environmental/nature writing. In both literary fiction and nonfiction, she is particularly drawn to smart yet accessible writing that is deeply rooted in place and disrupts cultural assumptions or social norms. In addition to her own client list, she works closely with Nadyne Pike on agency management. Jenny grew up on an island in Maine and is a graduate of Colby College. She completed internships with Islandport Press and Markson Thoma Literary Agency prior to joining Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc. in 2012.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION:
NONFICTION: Cooking/Cookbook * Cultural/Social Issues * Current Events/Affairs * Economics * Environment * Food/Drinks * General Nonfiction * History * Lifestyle * Memoir * Nature * Narrative * Politics * Practical * Science *
115 Broadway Suite 1602 New York NY 10006 USA
Sarah Stephens
Red Fox LiteraryDO NOT QUERY – THIS AGENT IS NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING UNSOLICITED SUBMISSIONSQuery method(s): Email * Postal Mail *Biography
Sarah Stephens is a literary agent with Red Fox Literary. She is a children’s book enthusiast in every sense. She has worked as an editor, author, and indie bookseller, and before that she was a book-loving child. After graduating from UC Santa Cruz, Sarah moved to Rhode Island and got her first editorial job at Houghton Mifflin in Boston. When East Coast winters grew too long for the California native, Sarah returned to the San Francisco Bay Area where she continued her editorial career at Chronicle Books and then Lucasfilm Licensing. Though she eventually left the office for the flexibility of freelance Sarah never left children’s books. She has continued her work as a freelance editor and authored numerous original (Maiden Voyage, Bug Girl, Rescue Dogs) and licensed (Curious George, Star Wars, DC) titles.
As an agent, Sarah is looking to champion books that make her laugh out loud, delight her with new wonders or quirky surprises, or speak deep truths—books that make her want to say “yes.” She is interested in elevating the voices of marginalized individuals, amplifying stories that need to be heard, and connecting children to nature. She likes authors and illustrators who know their craft and tell their own unique tales with humor, heart, and integrity. Though she enjoys everything from board books to YA, if forced to pick favorites, picture books, early chapter books, and middle-grade fiction would be top of the heap.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Chapter Book * Children’s Fiction * Juvenile Fiction * Middle Grade Fiction * Picture Book * Young Adult Fiction *
NONFICTION: Juvenile * Middle Grade * Young Adult *
Biography
JL Stermer is a literary agent with and the founder of Next Level Lit. A native New Yorker, JL has worked in theater, fashion, network TV and hospitality before finding her way to publishing. After attending Temple University in Philadelphia and The Fashion Institute of Technology, JL earned her BA in English from Columbia University.
With over a decade of agenting experience prior to starting NEXT LEVEL LIT she and her team are uniformly dedicated to getting authors book deals that build and grow careers.
When she’s not at her desk, JL can be found roaming the city streets feeling energized by the creativity bubbling up through the heaviness of the pandemic. She loves park benches, preferably with coffee and a donut.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Commercial * Contemporary * Ethnic Fiction * Family Saga * Gay/Lesbian Fiction * General Fiction * Humor Fiction * Juvenile Fiction * Multicultural Fiction * Romance * Upmarket Fiction * Young Adult Fiction *
NONFICTION: Art * Beauty/Fashion/Style * Business * Cultural/Social Issues * Current Events/Affairs * Ethnic * Gay/Lesbian * General Nonfiction * Health/Wellness * Humor * Law * Lifestyle * Memoir * Mind/Body/Spirit * Money/Finance * Multicultural * Narrative * Photography * Pop Culture * Prescriptive * Psychology * Science * Self-Help/Personal Development * Spirituality * Sports * Technology * Women’s Issues *
New York NY USA
Biography
Amy Stern is a literary agent with the Sheldon Fogelman Agency. Amy Stern started at the Sheldon Fogelman Agency in 2010 and works with clients who write and illustrate all kinds of children’s literature, from picturebook through young adult, in poetry, prose, and graphic formats. She joined the Sheldon Fogelman Agency in 2010 as an agent assistant after receiving masters degrees in children’s literature and library and information science from Simmons College and completing an agency internship. Since then she has worked her way up to managing clients on her own, while also handling all agency permissions. Before she began her journey to agenting, Amy double majored in English and Creative Writing at Bryn Mawr College and worked at libraries and bookstores. She has served as a mentor for the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children’s Literature’s MFA program, and regularly participates in conferences and conventions.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Chapter Book * Children’s Fiction * Graphic Novel * Juvenile Fiction * Middle Grade Fiction * Picture Book * Young Adult Fiction *
NONFICTION: Juvenile * Middle Grade * Young Adult *
420 E 72nd Street New York NY 10021 USA
Erika Stevens
Salky Literary ManagementDO NOT QUERY – THIS AGENT IS NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING UNSOLICITED SUBMISSIONSQuery method(s): Online Form *Biography
Erika Stevens is a literary agent with Salky Literary Management. She has acquired, edited, and developed the work of a wide range of authors over the course of two decades in publishing. She recently wrapped up twelve years with indie Coffee House Press, finishing her time there as editorial director. She began her career at academic presses, including Duke, UNC, and UGA Presses. Authors whose work she has shepherded include Eloisa Amezcua, Allison Adelle Hedge Coke, Kyle Dargan, Latasha N. Nevada Diggs, Saeed Jones, Eugene Lim, Dawn Lundy Martin, Bao Phi, Justin Phillip Reed, Natasha Trethewey, Anne Waldman, Karen Tei Yamashita, and many others. Her authors have been awarded or named finalists for the National Book Award, the Hurston Wright Award, the Kingsley and Kate Tufts Award, the PEN/Osterweil Award, the Whiting Award, the Pulitzer Prize, the Kate Tufts Award, the NBCC Award, the Lambda Awards, and others.
As an agent and editor she specializes in helping authors develop their work, whether in their home genres or stretching into others. She has an affinity for work that argues, experiments with language, and/or pushes genre boundaries, and she is looking for projects that excite, invigorate, and surprise in the genres of poetry, literary nonfiction/essay, literary and experimental fiction, hybrid work, translation, criticism, music writing (à la Ellen Willis), and food writing/cookbooks (à la Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor and MFK Fisher). In the realm of children’s literature, she’s looking for picture books and books for early readers that speak to children with gender-expansive identities and families.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Children’s Fiction * General Fiction * Literary * Picture Book * Upmarket Fiction *
NONFICTION: Cooking/Cookbook * Food/Drinks * Juvenile * Music * Upmarket *
Paul Stevens
Donald Maass Literary AgencyDO NOT QUERY – THIS AGENT IS NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING UNSOLICITED SUBMISSIONSQuery method(s): Online Form *Biography
Paul Stevens joined the Donald Maass Literary Agency in 2016. Before that he worked as an editor for 15 years, primarily at Tor Books, where he edited science fiction, fantasy, and mystery.
Paul represents Jeremy Finley, Agnes Gomillion, Sean Grigsby, Alyc Helms, Fraser Hannah, Leanna Renee Hieber, Kel Kade, Dan Koboldt, Michael Livingston, Matt Maley, Elle Andrews Patt, and Stephen S. Power.
Paul is an Ohio native and a graduate of the Ohio State University. He grows carnivorous plants. You can often find him hanging about on the walls at nearby climbing gyms.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Fantasy * Gay/Lesbian Fiction * Horror * Mystery * Science Fiction * Suspense * Thriller *
NONFICTION: Humor *
Biography
Stephanie Stevens is a literary agent with the 3 Seas Literary Agency. Starting with her first word being “book”, Stephanie has been an avid reader her whole life. She loves connecting friends and family to fun new books and is excited to use her skills to represent authors. Stephanie loves working with mystery, thriller, women’s fiction, and romance authors especially when the story involves an unexpected twist.
Stephanie lives at home with her husband and their cuddly cat, Smoke (the perfect companion for reading manuscripts).
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Chick Lit * Crime/Detective/Police * Inspirational Fiction * Mystery * Romance * Suspense * Thriller * Women’s Fiction * Young Adult Fiction *
NONFICTION: True Crime *
Biography
Julie Stevenson is a literary agent with Massie & McQuilkin. She was an agent at Sobel Weber Associates and Waxman Leavell Literary before joining Massie & McQuilkin. She received her bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Washington University in St. Louis and an M.F.A in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College in New York. She also worked in the editorial departments of Tin House and Publishers Weekly. She is drawn to fiction with unforgettable characters, an authorial command of voice, and a strong sense of narrative tension. She loves outsiders, weirdos, and innovators. She looks for work that explores the depths of human experience and the many facets of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, social class, and regional backgrounds. Julie loves editing and contemplating craft and storytelling with clients. She takes pride in connecting writers with editors and ultimately with readers. She’s agented books that have won the Pulitzer Prize, the MWA Edgar Award, the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, the Carnegie Medal for Excellence, and the Tim McGinnis Award for Humor. She represents literary and upmarket fiction, suspense and thrillers, memoir, narrative nonfiction, and YA.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Children’s Fiction * Ethnic Fiction * General Fiction * Graphic Novel * Juvenile Fiction * Literary * Multicultural Fiction * Picture Book * Suspense * Thriller * Young Adult Fiction * Upmarket Fiction *
NONFICTION: Biography * Business * Cultural/Social Issues * Dating/Relationship/Sex * Ethnic * General Nonfiction * Health/Wellness * History * Juvenile * Lifestyle * Memoir * Money/Finance * Multicultural * Narrative * Science * Young Adult *
27 West 20th Street Suite 305 New York NY 10011 USA
Biography
Douglas Stewart is a literary agent with Sterling Lord Literistic.Doug has been an agent at Sterling Lord Literistic since 2003. His list is made up primarily of fiction for all ages, from the innovatively literary to the unabashedly commercial. Recent bestselling and award-winning books from Doug’s list include The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin, Slade House by David Mitchell, The Middlesteins by Jami Attenberg, Harmony by Carolyn Parkhurst, Delicious Foods by James Hannaham, Bobcat by Rebecca Lee, and The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida. On the children’s side, Doug is proud to represent Jane O’Connor of Fancy Nancy fame, the author of the Stick Dog and Stick Cat series Tom Watson, as well as the team behind the bestselling Ladybug Girl series, Jacky Davis and David Soman.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Chapter Book * Children’s Fiction * Commercial * Crime/Detective/Police * General Fiction * Juvenile Fiction * Literary * Middle Grade Fiction * Mystery * Picture Book * Suspense * Thriller * Young Adult Fiction *
NONFICTION: Current Events/Affairs * Dating/Relationship/Sex * General Nonfiction * History * Memoir * Narrative * Politics *
115 Broadway Suite 1602 New York NY 10006 USA
Biography
Emilie Stewart is a literary agent and the president of Emilie Stewart Literary Agency. She started her publishing career at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates, after leaving the field of neuroscience research. She joined the Anne Edelstein Literary Agency as an agent and rights director in 2003.In January 2008, she formed an exciting new venture- the Emilie Stewart Literary Agency, where she continues to represent an eclectic mix of writers; novelists, short story writers and non-fiction writers of all stripes. She lives in New York City with her husband and son.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Commercial * General Fiction * Literary *
NONFICTION: Autobiography * Biography * Business * Dating/Relationship/Sex * History * Memoir * Military/War * Money/Finance * Narrative *
241 East Broadway Suite B New York NY 10002 USA
Biography
Adriana Stimola is a literary agent with Stimola Literary Studio. She grew up in a bookstore, was a teen witch, and spent her tweens in the family restaurant. Good stories, connection to the numinous, and good food are the basis of her creative constitution.
Adriana is passionate about ushering stories into being, building creative relationships, and helping to put forth words and images that make lasting impressions and grow our cultural, social and emotional intelligence.
I’m currently representing adult non-fiction in the realms of food, wellness, spirituality and lifestyle. I am interested in: cookbooks & stories that celebrate food, food culture & food history ; books that highlight mindful & modern approaches to life; oracle decks & interactive spiritual practice tools; non-fiction projects that bring forth previously untold stories; art & design; books that help us become better human beings. In addition, I represent select illustrators looking for work in adult non-fiction.
Before agenting, Adriana was the Content Manager at Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture where she produced written & visual material to connect audiences with farm-driven eating, and worked in partnership with Dan Barber’s Blue Hill Restaurant on farmer-chef story collaborations. Before that she was an editorial assistant at Little, Brown. She earned a BA from Emerson College where she double-majored in Media Production & Performance with a minor in Poetry (which she still writes).
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION:
NONFICTION: Art * Biography * Cooking/Cookbook * Cultural/Social Issues * Dating/Relationship/Sex * Design * Ethnic * Food/Drinks * Gay/Lesbian * General Nonfiction * Gift/Novelty * Health/Wellness * History * Humor * Lifestyle * Memoir * Mind/Body/Spirit * Multicultural * Photography * Self-Help/Personal Development * Spirituality *
11 Briarwood Lane PO Box 1066 West Tisbury MA 02575 USA
Rosemary Stimola
Stimola Literary StudioDO NOT QUERY – THIS AGENT IS NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING UNSOLICITED SUBMISSIONSQuery method(s): Online Form *Biography
Rosemary Stimola is a literary agent with Stimola Literary Studio. In more than thirty years of professional life, Rosemary Stimola has worn many hats, all of them centered on books for children and young adults. Her first work life as a PH.D linguist, teaching language and literature at the City University of New York, with a specialization in children’s literature, steeped her in the aesthetics of narrative, the power of the written word, and the nuanced partnership of word and art in the telling of story. Her second work life, as owner of A Child’s Story, an independent bookstore of national reputation in Teaneck, NJ, educated her in the business of children’s publishing, and brought her the Lucile Micheels Pannell Award, given by the National Women’s Book Association, for bringing children and books together. Given her experience and reputation as an educator, bookseller and literary agent bookseller, Rosemary has become one of the most sought after speakers at writer and illustrator conferences throughout the United States and abroad.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Chapter Book * Children’s Fiction * General Fiction * Graphic Novel * Juvenile Fiction * Middle Grade Fiction * New Adult * Picture Book * Young Adult Fiction *
NONFICTION: Cooking/Cookbook * Food/Drinks * General Nonfiction * Health/Wellness * Juvenile * Middle Grade * Mind/Body/Spirit * Young Adult *
Mel Stinnett
Starlight Literary AgencyDO NOT QUERY – THIS AGENT IS NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING UNSOLICITED SUBMISSIONSQuery method(s): Email *Biography
Mel Stinnett is a literary agent with the Starlight Literary Agency. Coming from a TV/film background, Mel loves books that are well written and exciting and those that are candidates to be adapted to film. She prefers strong characters and those that are leaders, not followers. Her preference is fiction, though she also works with other types of books also. Her favorite book is one that will keep her up all night because she simply cannot put it down. She likes new material and is not interested in books that are gimmicky or predictable.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Action/Adventure * Chick Lit * Commercial * Crime/Detective/Police * Espionage/Military * Family Saga * Fantasy * General Fiction * Historical * Horror * Inspirational Fiction * Middle Grade Fiction * Mystery * New Adult * Paranormal * Religious * Romance * Science Fiction * Suspense * Thriller * Western * Women’s Fiction * Young Adult Fiction *
NONFICTION: Animals/Pets * Autobiography * Biography * Celebrity * Cooking/Cookbook * Current Events/Affairs * Dating/Relationship/Sex * Gardening * General Nonfiction * History * Investigative * Medical/Medicine * Memoir * Military/War * Nature * Religion * Science * Spirituality * True Adventure * True Crime *
Sam Stoloff
Frances Goldin Literary AgencyDO NOT QUERY – THIS AGENT IS NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING UNSOLICITED SUBMISSIONSQuery method(s): Email *Biography
Sam Stoloff is a literary agent with the Frances Goldin Literary Agency. Sam is also the Principal and President of the agency. He joined the Agency in 1997, after completing an MFA in poetry and a doctoral dissertation in American cultural history, both at Cornell University. He is interested in books that advance the public conversation on crucial issues and groundbreaking work of all kinds, including literary fiction, memoir, history, accessible sociology and philosophy, cultural studies, serious journalism on contemporary and international affairs, and narrative and topical nonfiction with a progressive orientation. Among his particular interests are literary graphic fiction and nonfiction, works on environmental sustainability, books on legal affairs and the justice system, works that dissect the right wing and American imperialism, the history of race in America, the history of science and technology, and books on food culture and history. His taste in fiction ranges from the psychologically realistic, to first-rate speculative literature. His clients include Susan Bordo, Monica Byrne, Mandy Catron, Pratap Chatterjee, David Cole, Cliff Conner, Dessa Darling, Ray Douglas, Mark Edmundson, Shelley Fisher Fishkin, Bruce Grierson, Deborah Harkness, Kristin Henderson, Michael Hudson, Lynn Hunt, Margaret Jacob, Steven Jaffe, Barbara Kingsolver, Michelle Kuo, Anna Lappé, Eleanor Lerman, Evan Mandery, Stephanie Mencimer, Rutu Modan, Carla Peterson, Sam Polk, Janisse Ray, Gretchen Reynolds, Clancy Sigal, Siva Vaidhyanathan, Mike Wallace, and Helene Wecker.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Fantasy * General Fiction * Graphic Novel * Humor Fiction * Literary * Satire * Science Fiction * Suspense * Thriller *
NONFICTION: Autobiography * Biography * Cooking/Cookbook * Cultural/Social Issues * Current Events/Affairs * Environment * Food/Drinks * General Nonfiction * Government * History * Humor * Journalism * Law * Memoir * Narrative * Nature * Philosophy * Politics * Pop Culture * Psychology * Science * Sports * Technology *
Biography
Erika Storella is a literary agent with The Gernert Company. Erika is the Director of Operations and a literary agent at The Gernert Company. She joined in 2005 after completing a MA in social science at the University of Chicago. Her graduate work sparked an interest in how new ideas are brought to the public and led her to pursue a career in publishing. Originally from Boston, she now resides in Brooklyn with her husband and son and is looking for nonfiction projects that make an argument, narrate a history, and/or provide a new perspective.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION:
NONFICTION: General Nonfiction * History * Narrative *
136 East 57th Street New York NY 10022 USA
Biography
Mariah Stovall is a literary agent with Trellis Literary Management. She joined Trellis Literary Management after agenting at Howland Literary and Writers House. Prior to that, she worked on the other side of things, at Farrar, Straus and Giroux and at Gallery Books. She is actively seeking writers with strong voices and intersectional and interdisciplinary perspectives. She works on adult literary and upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, essay collections and memoir. She’s most passionate about music, mental health/illness, Black America, linguistics, histories of objects and ideas, pop science, and deep dives into subcultures and social movements, but great writing can get her interested in any topic.
Mariah hopes to learn something from everything she reads, whether that’s a new possibility for how to structure a novel or a piece of history she wasn’t taught in school. She gravitates toward weird, dark, challenging stories that are obsessive in content and craft, and unlikable characters who are vulnerable in their own ways. She has a hands-on, collaborative approach to editing, and loves helping writers shape their projects for publication. She is especially passionate about advocating for authors from underrepresented and marginalized and minoritized groups (including writers without MFAs).
Mariah is a graduate of Pitzer College, of the Claremont Colleges, where she studied English and World Literature with a minor in Linguistics. She volunteers for VIDA: Women in the Literary Arts. She has written fiction and nonfiction for Ninth Letter, Hobart, Joyland, The Paris Review, Poets & Writers, Literary Hub and more.
Mariah’s favorite non-client authors: Hanif Abdurraqib, Percival Everett, Leslie Jamison, Han Kang, Angie Kim, Raven Leilani, Valeria Luiselli, Ottessa Moshfegh, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Helen Oyeyemi, Mary Roach and Sanjena Sathian.
Notes
This literary agent represents:
FICTION: Contemporary * Family Saga * Gay/Lesbian Fiction * Historical * Horror * Literary * Multicultural Fiction * Short Story Collection * Upmarket Fiction *
NONFICTION: Biography * Cultural/Social Issues * Current Events/Affairs * Environment * Gay/Lesbian * History * Journalism * Multicultural * Music * Narrative * Nature * Politics * Pop Culture * Psychology * Science * Sports * Technology * Women’s Issues *
USA
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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)