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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
Biography
Erica Spellman-Silverman is a literary agent at Trident Media Group. At 23 years old, Erica Spellman Silverman began her career at ICM. Coming from a family of writers and editors, she’s loved books all her life. She represented journalists Hunter S. Thompson, Tim O’Brien, Robert Scheer, Robert Greenfield, Tim White, and Cameron Crowe, among others. Many went on to become novelists, screenwriters, and directors. After transitioning to the film side of the business, Erica found that she missed working with novelists and moved to The William Morris Agency (now William Morris Endeavor), where she became Vice President. There, she could work with writers in all categories: books, film, and theater. Lionel Schriver, Scott Spencer, Eve Babitz, and Robin Cook are among the many writers she represented. She was also responsible for their movie and TV deals. Having worked at ICM and William Morris, she made a transition to running United Artists in New York so she could see the other side of the fence. “I couldn’t get back to being an agent fast enough!” Erica says. “I love finding my own writers and not being dependent on the committee mentality one needs as a buyer.”
Erica has been at Trident for ten years, where she has had the wonderful opportunity to work with fantastic writers, including Andrew Mayne, Barbara Lynch, Cherise Wolas, Esther the Wonder Pig, Eve Babitz, Jennifer L. Scott, Rachel Van Dyken, Robin Cook, and many others. She also uses her knowledge of the movie business to handle book-to-film and TV rights for many of Trident’s agents.
Her client list is fairly eclectic. Her interest lies less in genre than in great storytelling—Erica says, “anything that gets into your head and your heart, anything you can’t stop thinking about, whether it’s literary fiction, thrillers, young adult, or memoir. Books and stories that touch the soul, that make you laugh or cry or both. Stories that haven’t been told before or are told in a different way: that’s what I am looking for.”
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Picture Book | Young Adult Fiction | Commercial Fiction | Crime Fiction | General Fiction | Literary Fiction | Mystery | New Adult Fiction | Romance | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Women’s Fiction |General Nonfiction | Film Entertainment | Health Wellness | Journalism | Lifestyle | Memoir | Parenting |
Biography
Marya Spence is a literary agent with Janklow & Nesbit Associates. Raised in California’s Bay Area, Marya studied literature at Harvard, where she was Fiction Editor for the Advocate and specialized in creative writing. She went on to get her MFA at New York University and teach undergraduate creative writing there. She also spent these years in her 20’s working and interning at The New Yorker, PAPER Mag, Travel & Leisure, Vanity Fair, Publishers Weekly, METROPOLIS Magazine, and more—with a brief stint in equity research.
As someone who values craft from the writer’s perspective, Marya represents a diverse range in fiction and nonfiction, including, but not limited to, literary novels and collections, upmarket commercial fiction, cultural criticism and voice-driven essays, narrative journalism with a humorous or critical edge, and pop culture. She lives in Brooklyn.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Commercial Fiction | Fantasy | General Fiction | Literary Fiction | Science Fiction | Upmarket Fiction |General Nonfiction | Business Book | Cookbook Cooking | Cultural Social Issues | Current Events Affairs | Economics | Food Drink | History | Humor Nonfiction | Journalism | Memoir | Mind Body Spirit | Money Finance | Narrative Nonfiction | Poetry | Politics | Pop Culture |
Biography
Elaine Spencer is a literary agent with The Knight Agency. Elaine Spencer joined The Knight Agency in 2005, after graduating from the University of Georgia with a degree in economics and literature. Originally serving as the agency’s submissions coordinator, Elaine then moved on to head the foreign rights department, before beginning to actively build her own individual client list. Over the last decade Elaine has placed over 500 titles in a wide variety of sub-genres across the market.
Elaine continues to keep a focused author list as she believes it is important to work closely with her clients through each step of the publishing process. She relishes seeing her clients’ talents grow alongside their careers, and one of her favorite parts of the job continues to be educating authors about the market and business at large.
Elaine lives in Athens, Georgia with her husband, daughter, and four-legged sons. Elaine is a member of RWA and the WFWA and is also an AAR recognized agent. She is interested in a wide-variety of categories including but not limited to women’s fiction, historical fiction, romance, contemporary fiction, and a multitude of nonfiction topics which align with her personal interests.
Notes
CLOSED to Submissions | Member of the AALA |Juvenile Nonfiction | Middle Grade Fiction | Young Adult Fiction |Christian Fiction | Christian Nonfiction |Action Adventure | BIPOC Fiction | Chick Lit | Commercial Fiction | Contemporary Fiction | Crime Fiction | Erotic Fiction | Family Saga | Historical Fiction | Horror | Humor Fiction | LGBTQ Fiction | Literary Fiction | Magical Realism | Multicultural Fiction | Mystery | New Adult Fiction | Religious Fiction | Romance | Speculative Fiction | Sports Fiction | Thriller | Women’s Fiction |Animals | Art | Beauty Fashion Style | Biography | Business Book | Celebrity | Cookbook Cooking | Crafts | Cultural Social Issues | Current Events Affairs | Dating Relationships Sex | Design | Diet Nutrition | Family | 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 | Music | Narrative Nonfiction | Parenting | Photography | Politics | Pop Culture | Psychology | Religion | Science | Self-Help | Spirituality | Sports | Technology | Travel | True Crime | Women’s Issues |
Biography
Joe Spieler is a literary agent with The Spieler Agency. Joe has been a writer (The Village Voice, Penthouse, The SoHo Weekly News, Harper’s Monthly) and an editor (The New York Times, The SoHo Weekly News). He began the agency in 1982 and represents nonfiction and fiction and books for children and young adults.
Among the writers he represents are the cultural historian Thomas Frank (What’s the Matter with Kansas?, One Market Under God, The Wrecking Crew ), the historian Walter Laqueur (A History of Zionism, Weimar, The Holocaust Encyclopedia, After the Fall: The End of the European Dream and the Decline of a Continent), the late Akio Morita, the founder of Sony (Made in Japan), Paul Hawken (Growing a Business, Blessed Unrest, Natural Capitalism), the historians Richard Breitman and Allan Lichtman (FDR and the Jews), Peter Senge (The Fifth Discipline), Joe Kane (Running the Amazon), and Marc Reisner (Cadillac Desert).
His children’s list includes Amy Ehrlich (With a Mighty Hand), David Martin (the forthcoming Shhh! Bears Sleeping), and Rebecca Rupp (After Eli).
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Juvenile Nonfiction | Middle Grade Fiction | Middle Grade Nonfiction | Young Adult Fiction | Young Adult Nonfiction | BIPOC Fiction | Crime Fiction | General Fiction | Multicultural Fiction | Mystery | Religious Fiction | Suspense Fiction | Thriller |General Nonfiction | Biography | BIPOC Nonfiction | Business Book | Current Events Affairs | Environment | Health Wellness | History | Mind Body Spirit | Money Finance | Multicultural Nonfiction | Nature | Psychology | Reference | Religion | Science | Travel |
Biography
Lauren Spieller is a literary agent with Folio Literary Management. She says: “I represent an exciting and talented list of award winning and bestselling authors. Whatever the age category or genre, I’m passionate about representing diverse and underrepresented voices, and I’m always on the hunt for a new point of view.
I consider myself an editorial agent. I provide support and insight at all stages of a book’s creation, tailoring the way I work to the client’s needs. I am also a fierce advocate and negotiator. It’s important to me that my clients not just succeed in selling one book, but many, and that I do everything I can to help them have a long, creatively satisfying career. That means being strategic about which projects they write, the brand they are developing, and the way we pursue foreign, audio, and film/TV deals. (I also have lots of random advice ready to go. Like that time I taught a client who lives in CA how to remove ice from her windshield using a credit card. I’m full service!)
I have a BA and a MA in English because I just couldn’t get enough of books. I’m also the author of two Young Adult novels entitled YOUR DESTINATION IS ON THE LEFT and SHE’S THE WORST. Both are published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. When I’m not working, you can find me playing with my mini goldendoodle, Louise, or binge watching something funny or thrilling.
WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR
I love books that sit at the intersection of “commercial” and “timeless,” especially if they pair a big hook with voicey, upmarket writing. I like to read books that keep me at the edge of my seat, that make me laugh out loud, that make me swoon, or that are simply so unputdownable that I stay up way too late reading. I also love smart genre-bending tales, books that tackle a familiar topic or time period from a new or surprising perspective, and stories that take big risks, whatever that means to you.
But let’s get more specific. In MG, I’m looking for high concept contemporaries, magical fantasy and kid-friendly sci-fi, exciting historical, and spooky horror/mystery. I’d also love to see MG graphic novels, especially if it’s set in our world. In YA, I’m drawn to speculative stories (fantasy, sci-fi, and horror), contemporary novels with a big hook, romance and RomCom, suspense/thrillers, and graphic novels.
In Adult, I’m seeking female-driven suspense/thrillers, immersive and upmarket/literary SFF and horror, hilarious RomComs and swoony upmarket romance, as well as the occasional unique non-fiction with an existing platform.
For a list of (some of) my favorite recent books, check out manuscriptwishlist.com and my #mswl posts on Twitter.”
Notes
Accepting Submissions | Member of the AALA |Picture Book | Middle Grade Fiction | Young Adult Fiction | Action Adventure | Fantasy | Graphic Novel | Horror | Humor Fiction | LGBTQ Fiction | Literary Fiction | Romance | Science Fiction | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Upmarket Fiction | Women’s Fiction |Cookbook Cooking | Crafts | LGBTQ Nonfiction | Pop Culture |
Biography
Jessica Spitz is a literary agent with Janklow & Nesbit Associates. She represents fiction across the literary and commercial spectrum, journalistic nonfiction, and select pop culture and criticism. On the fiction side, she is drawn to intimate narratives that examine complicated relationships – whether romantic, familial, or platonic – and are imbued with empathy and humor. She is also looking for great love stories, immersive fantasy worlds, and propulsive plots grounded by unforgettable characters. In terms of nonfiction, she is looking for fresh, thoroughly-reported stories on racial history and justice, women’s health and reproductive rights, and mental health.
Jessica began her publishing career at William Morris Endeavor, where she spent four years before joining Janklow & Nesbit as a literary agent in 2023. She grew up in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, and has lived in New York City since moving there to attend Columbia University.
Notes
Accepting Submissions | New Literary Agents |Family Saga | Fantasy | Humor Fiction | Literary Fiction | Romance | Upmarket Fiction |Cultural Social Issues | Health Wellness | History | Humor Nonfiction | Journalism | Law Legal | Medical Medicine | Narrative Nonfiction | Pop Culture | Psychology | Women’s Issues |
Biography
Anne-Lise Spitzer is a literary agent with the Philip Spitzer Literary Agency. She is President of Spitzer Agency. Spitzer was previously Vice President and Director of Marketing at Knopf, Pantheon, and Schocken Books.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |BIPOC Fiction | Crime Fiction | General Fiction | Literary Fiction | Multicultural Fiction | Mystery | Short Story Collection | Suspense Fiction | Thriller |General Nonfiction | Biography | BIPOC Nonfiction | Current Events Affairs | History | Memoir | Multicultural Nonfiction | Politics | Sports | True Crime |
Biography
Anna Sproul-Latimer is a literary agent with Neon Literary. She is also a founding partner and president of Neon Literary. She has over the course of her many years in book publishing sold multiple New York Times bestsellers, major book-to-film deals, and foreign translations in more than 50 languages. She represents all types of adult nonfiction–from memoir and history to pop culture, science, and parenting–as well as select literary fiction. (For existing clients, Anna represents just about everything, but all of her clients’ careers start and primarily consist of work in one of her two focus areas.)
Anna is drawn to buzzing, bright, curious, and slightly demented authors driven by enthusiasm so infectious that (inter)national audiences are already paying attention. She seeks authors motivated by a true mission–a clear answer to the question, “What is the legacy I want to leave in the world?” Of particular interest are those who’ve made moral leadership lemonade from the lemons of trauma: authors who are whistleblowers, Cassandras, “unelectable” elected officials, and survivors.
A lifelong resident of the Washington, DC area, Anna has spent her whole life watching power, money, and media interact to shape the line of history. With Neon, she intends to take the full weight of her access, experience, and privilege and use it to lie down in traffic, forcing that line to turn somewhere brighter.
Prior to founding Neon, Anna spent nearly 15 years as a literary agent, foreign rights director, and developmental editor at DC’s Ross Yoon Agency. A graduate of Columbia University (BA magna cum laude, English) and the University of Oxford (MSt with distinction, also English), Anna lives in the DC suburbs with her family and travels to New York frequently.
Notes
Accepting Submissions | Member of the AALA |Commercial Fiction | Family Saga | General Fiction | Humor Fiction | Literary Fiction |General Nonfiction | Health Wellness | History | Humor Nonfiction | Medical Medicine | Memoir | Narrative Nonfiction | Parenting | Pop Culture | Science |
Biography
Cullen Stanley is a literary agent with and the founder and president of The Cullen Stanley International Agency. She began her career in international publishing working in the New York office of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore and later as a scout for Maria B. Campbell Associates where she advised major publishing houses across Europe and Asia as well as Hollywood film companies. In the 1990’s Cullen joined Janklow & Nesbit Associates where she managed the foreign rights business and represented and worked with many authors across all genres. Cullen’s interests are broad and eclectic, and her list is focused on narrative nonfiction, history, biography and memoir as well as commercial and book club fiction.
Notes
Accepting Submissions | Member of the AALA |Commercial Fiction | Crime Fiction | General Fiction | Inspirational Fiction | Literary Fiction | Mystery | Romance | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Upmarket Fiction | Women’s Fiction |General Nonfiction | Art | Biography | Cookbook Cooking | Current Events Affairs | Dating Relationships Sex | Design | Health Wellness | History | Lifestyle | Memoir | Mind Body Spirit | Narrative Nonfiction | Parenting | Photography | Politics | Religion | Science | Spirituality |
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 numerous New York Times bestselling authors. Amy joined Wolfson Literary in late 2018 and is actively building her list, with interest in women’s fiction, mystery, suspense, upmarket book club fiction, historical fiction, young adult, and select nonfiction. She is particularly drawn to a high concept hook, well-paced prose, immersive settings, and smart, multidimensional characters. As an editorial agent, she enjoys working hand-in-hand with authors to take their work to the next level.
Notes
CLOSED to Submissions |Middle Grade Fiction | Young Adult Fiction | Action Adventure | BIPOC Fiction | Commercial Fiction | Crime Fiction | Family Saga | General Fiction | Historical Fiction | Horror | Humor Fiction | LGBTQ Fiction | Literary Fiction | Mystery | New Adult Fiction | Romance | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Upmarket Fiction | Women’s Fiction |General Nonfiction | BIPOC Nonfiction | Cookbook Cooking | Crafts | Humor Nonfiction | LGBTQ Nonfiction | Pop Culture | Psychology | Travel | True Crime |
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 seeking bold voices, novels that engage with social issues, coming-of-age stories, historical fiction with a modern edge, smart book club reads, and fiction that delves into the surreal or plays with genre in fresh or subversive ways. She is particularly drawn to relationship-driven fiction: novels that center dysfunctional friendships or families, complicated love stories, or stories about obsession. She also enjoys elevated suspense and social thrillers. She gravitates towards the humorous, the psychologically probing and the tender. On the nonfiction side, she is seeking memoir, cultural criticism, popular science, psychology, parenting, and women’s issues.
Alexa also enjoys helping her authors place fiction and essays 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. Her authors have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list and have been recognized by the PEN/Faulkner Award, National Book Foundation’s 5 under 35, Rona Jaffe Award, NYPL Young Lions Fiction Award, Scotiabank Giller Prize, Lambda Literary Award, Ernest J. Gaines Award, Philip K. Dick Award, Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, and more.
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
Accepting Submissions |Chick Lit | Commercial Fiction | Family Saga | General Fiction | Historical Fiction | Humor Fiction | Literary Fiction | Romance | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Upmarket Fiction |General Nonfiction | Cultural Social Issues | Humor Nonfiction | Memoir | Narrative Nonfiction | Parenting | Psychology | Science | Women’s Issues |
Biography
Nancy Stauffer Cahoon is a literary agent with Nancy Stauffer Associates Literary Agency. Nancy began her career in book publishing in 1978, holding positions in the editorial, marketing, business, and subsidiary rights departments of The New York Times, McGraw-Hill, and Doubleday. Before founding Nancy Stauffer Associates in 1989, Mrs. Stauffer Cahoon held the position of Foreign and Performing Rights Director, Doubleday, and, later, Director, Subsidiary Rights, Doubleday, where she worked with a wide array of authors. She has lectured in book publishing at numerous writer’s conferences across the country and at UCLA and Radcliffe.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Juvenile Nonfiction | Young Adult Fiction | Young Adult Nonfiction | General Fiction | Literary Fiction |General Nonfiction | Narrative Nonfiction |
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 during his more than 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
CLOSED to Submissions |Picture Book | Middle Grade Fiction | Young Adult Fiction | Crime Fiction | Fantasy | General Fiction | Mystery | Romance | Science Fiction |General Nonfiction |
Biography
Lori Steel is the founder and a literary agent at Steelworks Literary. Lori began her career in young people’s literature first as an educator and school librarian, later as a freelance editor and writing instructor. She has degrees in history, education, and an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA), where she also received certification in the Picture Book, and was honored with the Alumni Gift Award. After graduating in 2012, Lori coordinated the VCFA Summer Residency Abroad (Bath, UK) for four years, initiated the kidlit writing class program at her local indie, Politics & Prose, and entered publishing as an Agency Assistant at Greenhouse Literary. She interned at two other kidlit-focused agencies before taking on her own clients first at Raven Quill Literary, then at Red Fox Literary. She founded SteelWorks Literary in 2024 with her talented list of authors, illustrators, and graphic novelists. Lori is a longtime member of ALA and SCBWI, and is a member of AALA where she serves on the Illustration Committee.
Her clients include both debut and award-winning authors, and she continues to seek diverse perspectives, literary approaches, and unique story experiences for her list. Lyrical language, compelling voices, evocative settings, and evergreen 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 Secret Agent pup sidekick, Juice (see bio below).
Notes
Accepting Submissions | New Literary Agents | Authors and Illustrators Only | Member of the AALA |Picture Book | Middle Grade Fiction | Young Adult Fiction |
Pattie Steele-Perkins
Steele-Perkins Literary AgencyAccepting SubmissionsQuery 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
Accepting Submissions |Young Adult Fiction |Christian Fiction |BIPOC Fiction | Literary Fiction | Multicultural Fiction | Mystery | Romance | Thriller | Women’s Fiction |
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
Accepting Submissions |Middle Grade Fiction | Young Adult Fiction | Fantasy | General Fiction | Graphic Novel | Literary Fiction | Multicultural Fiction | Science Fiction | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Upmarket Fiction |General Nonfiction | Art | Biography | BIPOC Nonfiction | Cultural Social Issues | Current Events Affairs | Economics | History | Memoir | Multicultural Nonfiction | Music | Narrative Nonfiction | Philosophy | Photography | Science | Upmarket Nonfiction |
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
Accepting Submissions |Young Adult Fiction | Crime Fiction | General Fiction | Horror | Literary Fiction | Mystery |General Nonfiction | Biography | Cultural Social Issues | Current Events Affairs | Health Wellness | History | Medical Medicine | Memoir | Narrative Nonfiction | Parenting | Politics | Pop Culture | Reference | Religion | Science | Spirituality | Technology |
Biography
Peter Steinberg is a literary agent with United Talent Agency (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 National Book Award. His list includes commercial and literary fiction, sci-fi and fantasy, narrative non-fiction, memoir, self-help, history, true crime, pop culture, humor, and sports.
Steinberg is a graduate of NYU film school and worked briefly in the film business prior to becoming a literary agent.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Commercial Fiction | Fantasy | General Fiction | Literary Fiction | Science Fiction | Suspense Fiction | Thriller |General Nonfiction | Biography | Film Entertainment | History | Humor Nonfiction | Memoir | Narrative Nonfiction | Pop Culture | Science | Self-Help | Sports | True Crime |
Biography
Dr. Uwe Stender is a literary agent with Triada U.S. Literary Agency. Uwe is a Full Member of the AALA (Association of American Literary Agents). He is interested in all kinds of non-fiction and fiction. In non-fiction, he is completely open to any project, from (ESPECIALLY) Popular Science, (but also) Pop Culture, and Health to How-to, Gardening, History and everything in between. In Children’s fiction, he is looking for YA, Graphic Novels, and MG. In adult fiction, his tastes trend towards Women’s Fiction/Romance, Psychological Suspense, Mysteries, and Romantasy. 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
Accepting Submissions | Member of the AALA |Juvenile Nonfiction | Middle Grade Fiction | Middle Grade Nonfiction | Young Adult Fiction | Young Adult Nonfiction | Contemporary Fiction | Crime Fiction | General Fiction | Graphic Novel | Humor Fiction | Literary Fiction | Multicultural Fiction | Mystery | Romance | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Women’s Fiction |General Nonfiction | Biography | Cookbook Cooking | Crafts | Cultural Social Issues | Current Events Affairs | Dating Relationships Sex | Diet Nutrition | Family | Film Entertainment | Food Drink | Gardening | Health Wellness | History | How-To | Humor Nonfiction | Lifestyle | Memoir | Mind Body Spirit | Multicultural Nonfiction | Narrative Nonfiction | Parenting | Politics | Pop Culture | Reference | Science | Self-Help | Sports | Technology | Travel | True Crime |
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
Accepting Submissions | Member of the AALA |Picture Book | Juvenile Nonfiction | Middle Grade Fiction | Young Adult Fiction | Commercial Fiction | Contemporary Fiction | Graphic Novel | Humor Fiction | LGBTQ Fiction | Multicultural Fiction | Satire | Upmarket Fiction |Animals | Art | Business Book | Cookbook Cooking | Cultural Social Issues | Current Events Affairs | Dating Relationships Sex | Film Entertainment | Fitness | Food Drink | Gift Novelty | Health Wellness | How-To | Humor Nonfiction | Journalism | LGBTQ Nonfiction | Lifestyle | Medical Medicine | Memoir | Money Finance | Multicultural Nonfiction | Music | Narrative Nonfiction | Parenting | Photography | Pop Culture | Psychology | Science | Self-Help | Spirituality | Technology | Women’s Issues |
Biography
Jenny Stephens is a literary agent with Sterling Lord Literistic. Jenny represents nonfiction in a variety of categories including cookbooks; practical lifestyle projects; prescriptive books particularly in the wellness and mindfulness spaces; and narrative writing on environmental, social, and economic justice; natural sciences; history; food; and cultural criticism. For both adults and kids, she is often drawn to visual books that inform and explore through both text and image. Her clients include Ariel Aberg-Riger, Andrea Bemis, Khiara Bridges, Paco de Leon, Mary L. Gray, Debbie Hines, John Holl, Alicia Kennedy, Gina Rae La Cerva, Chelsey Luger and Thosh Collins, Olivia McGiff and Sammi Katz, Desmond Patton, Nicole Stott, and Wei Tchou. In addition, Jenny is honored to represent select literary estates on behalf of the agency, including the estate of National Book Award winning author Gloria Naylor and the estate of novelist Ken Kesey. Jenny grew up in Maine and studied English and film at Colby College. She joined Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc. in 2012.
Notes
Accepting Submissions |Picture Book |General Nonfiction | Cookbook Cooking | Cultural Social Issues | Current Events Affairs | Economics | Environment | Food Drink | Health Wellness | History | Lifestyle | Memoir | Mind Body Spirit | Narrative Nonfiction | Nature | Politics | Science |
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
CLOSED to Submissions | New Literary Agents |Picture Book | Chapter Book | Juvenile Nonfiction | Middle Grade Fiction | Middle Grade Nonfiction | Young Adult Fiction | Young Adult Nonfiction |
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.
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Accepting Submissions |Young Adult Fiction | BIPOC Fiction | Commercial Fiction | Contemporary Fiction | Family Saga | General Fiction | Humor Fiction | LGBTQ Fiction | Multicultural Fiction | Romance | Upmarket Fiction |General Nonfiction | Art | Beauty Fashion Style | BIPOC Nonfiction | Business Book | Cultural Social Issues | Current Events Affairs | Health Wellness | Humor Nonfiction | Law Legal | LGBTQ Nonfiction | Lifestyle | Memoir | Mind Body Spirit | Money Finance | Multicultural Nonfiction | Narrative Nonfiction | Photography | Pop Culture | Psychology | Science | Self-Help | Spirituality | Sports | Technology | Women’s Issues |
Biography
Amy Stern is a literary agent with the Sheldon Fogelman Agency. Amy Stern 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.
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Accepting Submissions |Picture Book | Chapter Book | Juvenile Nonfiction | Middle Grade Fiction | Middle Grade Nonfiction | Young Adult Fiction | Young Adult Nonfiction | Graphic Novel |
Biography
Erika Stevens is a literary agent with Salky Literary Management. Erika (she/hers) 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.
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CLOSED to Submissions | New Literary Agents |Picture Book | Juvenile Nonfiction | General Fiction | Literary Fiction | Upmarket Fiction |Cookbook Cooking | Food Drink | Music | Upmarket Nonfiction |
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).
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CLOSED to Submissions | New Literary Agents |Young Adult Fiction | Chick Lit | Crime Fiction | Inspirational Fiction | Mystery | Romance | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Women’s Fiction |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
Accepting Submissions |Picture Book | Juvenile Nonfiction | Young Adult Fiction | Young Adult Nonfiction | BIPOC Fiction | General Fiction | Graphic Novel | Literary Fiction | Multicultural Fiction | Science Fiction | Suspense Fiction | Thriller | Upmarket Fiction |General Nonfiction | Biography | BIPOC Nonfiction | Business Book | Cultural Social Issues | Dating Relationships Sex | Health Wellness | History | Lifestyle | Memoir | Money Finance | Multicultural Nonfiction | Narrative Nonfiction | Science |
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About Mark Malatesta
MARK MALATESTA is a former literary agent turned author coach. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company Literary Agent Undercover and The Bestselling Author. Mark’s authors have gotten six-figure book deals, been on the NYT bestseller list, and published with houses such as Random House, Scholastic, and Thomas Nelson. Click here to learn more about Mark Malatesta and click here for Reviews of Mark Malatesta.
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Author Coaching Testimonials
“Mark, finding you has been both a treat and a treasure—I just signed a contract with my new literary agent!
My career has spanned publishing, TV, and feature film. I’ve served as Creative Dir. for the Magazine Group, TIME Inc.; Dir. of Time World News Service, a Founding Dir. of TIME-Life Films; Exec. Prod. for both the CBS and NBC TV Networks; Prod./Dir.: Movies of the Week: CBS Cinema Center Films and Universal MCA.
In today’s publishing marketplace, agents come and go. They also very often seem to just want an easy pathway to make a buck. Many authors are let go by their agents because their last book didn’t do well enough and the agent doesn’t want to devote the time to help the author. That’s not what you’re about Mark. Even established authors need this type of support in today’s marketplace.”
Author of ten fiction and nonfiction books
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“I’m psyched to have this be official. After getting five different offers for representation from top literary agents, I signed with Stephanie Tade who got me a 6-figure book deal with Penguin!
Getting multiple agents interested in my work was really important to me. I’ve dealt with agents before and gotten screwed on things contractually so I wanted to do it differently this time. I wanted choices.
Having you help me create that, and navigate my options, was really helpful. I heard other authors talk about their great relationships with their agents and it made me want the same thing. Now I have that.”
Author of Woman on Fire
(Penguin Books)
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“After sending out the query Mark revised for me, I had the opportunity to speak with literary agents from top agencies such as Janklow & Nesbit, Trident Media, Anderson Lit, and Folio. I signed with Don Fehr at Trident and, a short time later I had a publishing contract with Berkley Books, which recently published my book in hardcover.
Before that, I sent my query letter out on my own to 30 or 40 agents and got a lot of rejections. I then found Mark online while I was researching agents. I was surprised that he offered so much during his initial consultation—for a very modest amount of money.
I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t worked with Mark. I can’t even imagine that now though, because of the grief and detours I experienced before we worked together. It was a time-consuming pain in the neck. If you want to get the attention of top literary agents and publishers, there is no substitute for working with an insider. You can’t beat experience. And having Mark on your side is incredibly valuable.”
Author of Single Handed
(Berkley Books, a Division of Penguin Random House)
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“AHHH! OMG, it happened! I got three offers of representation for my children’s picture book in the United States, even though I live abroad! When I woke up and found the first offer for representation in my email in box, I wanted to scream. But my family was still asleep so I couldn’t. 🙂
Just 8 minutes after I sent a query letter to one of my favorite agents, she replied and asked to see my manuscript. A short time later we had a lovely conversation. She was interested in representing me and sounded very positive and enthusiastic about my book. Since I also got offers from two other agents, I had to turn two of them down. One of them was upset and it felt like I was breaking her heart, but you just have to do it. I kept reminding myself that this is a good problem to have!”
Author/Illustrator of Lon-Lon’s Big Night
and many other children’s books
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“Mark, after you helped me land a top literary agent, I got publishing offers from THREE well-known publishers: Amacom, Palgrave Macmillan, and McGraw-Hill (they’re publishing my book in hardcover)!
I was at Disneyworld with my family, in the Haunted Mansion, when I got the call. I went outside and listened to the voicemail message from my agent. A huge smile came over my face. It was a fantastic feeling. For a moment I felt like life was perfect and the angels were singing.
You’re filling an important need so I’ll say this to every other author reading this testimonial. Mark showed me that getting a top literary agent is a science. If you’ve written a book, or you’re in the process, you’ve already invested a lot—a lot more than money. Don’t stop yourself from getting out there to fulfill your purpose and dreams. Thank you so, so much, Mark!!!”
Author of Customer Focused Process Innovation (McGraw Hill)
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“I got a book deal! After I started sending out my new query letter I had 6 literary agents request my manuscript in a short amount of time, which is awesome. Then, within 2 weeks of my agent starting to pitch my story to publishers, we had an offer. I signed a book contract yesterday. A little while later my agent told me that a TV co-producer asked for more info about my book.
By the way, the acquiring editor that fell in love with the manuscript jumped in with both feet and we just worked out our timeline for publication. She’s as passionate about getting my book out as I am, and that means everything. She read the manuscript in two days and said she couldn’t put it down. And the book is going to be published as a hardcover!”
Author of A Chick in the Cockpit
(Behler Publications)
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“Thank you Mark! After you helped me get a well-known agent with Hartline Literary Agency (for my previously self-published murder mystery), he got me a deal with an American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) approved publisher. I’m hard-pressed to find anything that I had an expectation for that you didn’t deliver on.
Before I worked with you I sent out queries, but no one ever requested my complete manuscript. Comparing your new version of my query to the one I wrote before, I can see a vast difference.
I’ve been in business for 35 years so I’m not just saying this… what you’re doing is phenomenal. There are other people offering similar services, but the difference is your success. Others might say they do similar things but, if you research them, they don’t have your background or track record.”
Author of The Rector
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“Mark, you’re a miracle worker. Thanks to your help with my book, query letter, and synopsis… I now have a legitimate publisher who described my book as ‘Powerful Magic’ and it’s now available in bookstores and online!
I’m a lifelong academic writer who one day found myself writing inspired short stories that came to me in dreams and I began thinking of them as novels. That’s when I had a momentous conversation, an introductory coaching call with Mark Malatesta, the American creative writing coach, or rather, to be precise, a how-to-sell-yourself-and-your-work adviser. It was the best-spent money of my life apart (possibly) for my wedding ring.”
Author of The Black Inked Pearl
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“Within 4 minutes of sending out my query letter, a top literary called me on the phone (the #1 agent on my wish list). Less than 30 days later I had three major publishers making offers. A few days after that, I signed a deal with Random House. Mark, your query letter did that.
My agent talked about the query letter you helped me create for a long, long time. When he first called me on the phone, he hadn’t seen any of my sample chapters. It was just the query letter that did it. Communicating the right thing is so important. You are a wonderful medium helping authors find their voice and elevate their writing from just a hobby to a real business… a source from which they can both learn and earn.”
Author of Lights Out
(Random House)
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“MARK, MARK, MARK!!!!!!! Holy smokes… I just signed my book deal. First, two well-known literary agents asked to represent me. One of them responded to my query letter in less than 4 minutes!!
Then THREE different publishers wanted my book and started talking about making offers. The publisher I chose is perfect for me because they produce titles for the trade, educational, and scientific markets. And they agreed to publish my book as a hardcover!!!
When I met you, Mark, it was a pivotal time. I was under the belief that I could self-publish my book with a vanity press and then seek a publisher. I didn’t know what a literary agent was, why I needed one, or how to get one. I was wandering in the dark. You guided me in the right direction and gave me a solid plan.”
Author of Intestinal Health
(Rowman & Littlefield)
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“Boom!!! I just signed a contract with Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins for (what I’ve been told by several people) is a very large advance for a first-time author.
Before working with Mark I submitted my book to agents but didn’t get any interest. This time around I got a top NY literary agency (Fine Print Lit). What cloud is higher than 9?
I had several agencies interested before deciding to go with Fine Print. And, to be honest, all of the attention didn’t surprise me. The query letter and proposal that Mark helped me develop were incredible. Agents actually said things to me like: ‘Scott, I read your proposal and I’m just blown away by it!’ Mark is extremely talented at what he does. If you have the opportunity to work with him, take advantage of it.”
Author of The Unbreakable Boy
(Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson)