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7 Insider Secrets to Get a Top Agent, Publisher, and Book Deal
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Literary Agent Directory
Important: Visit each agent’s website (links in their listings below) to see if they’re open to submissions before querying.
Biography
Keith Stillman is a literary agent at Sobel Weber Associates. Keith is a former writing teacher and bookseller. He graduated from the NYU Summer Publishing Institute and the WriterÕs House Internship Program, and holds a Master of Arts in Professional Writing from Kennesaw State University. He has a diverse taste in books, but tends to lean toward upmarket crime and horror fiction with a tilt toward the bizarre and fantastic.
Notes
FICTION: Crime Fiction, Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Speculative Fiction, Upmarket Fiction
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
FICTION: Fiction, Magical Realism, Upmarket Fiction NONFICTION: Art, Biography, BIPOC Nonfiction, Cookbook Cooking, Cultural Social Issues, Dating Relationships Sex, Design, Food Drink, General Nonfiction, Gift Novelty, Health Wellness, History, Humor Nonfiction, LGBTQ Nonfiction, Lifestyle, Memoir, Mind Body Spirit, Multicultural Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Photography, Psychology, Self-Help, Spirituality
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
FICTION: Fiction, General Fiction, Graphic Novel, New Adult Fiction NONFICTION: Cookbook Cooking, Food Drink, General Nonfiction, Health Wellness, Mind Body Spirit, Nonfiction CHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Chapter Book Fiction, Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Middle Grade Nonfiction, Picture Book, Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult Nonfiction
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 LappŽ, 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
FICTION: Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction, Graphic Novel, Humor Fiction, Literary Fiction, Satire, Science Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Thriller NONFICTION: Biography, Cookbook Cooking, Cultural Social Issues, Current Events Affairs, Environment, Food Drink, General Nonfiction, Government, History, Humor Nonfiction, Journalism, Law Legal, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Nature, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychology, Science, Sports, Technology
Biography
Erika Storella is a literary agent with The Gernert Company. Erika is the Chief Operating Officer 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 children and is looking for nonfiction projects that make an argument, narrate a history, and/or provide a new perspective.
Notes
NONFICTION: General Nonfiction, History, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction
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 represents adult literary and upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction and essay collections, all by writers with strong voices and interdisciplinary perspectives. She is not currently seeking memoirs. Across genres, she gravitates toward outsiders and stylish, inventive storytelling. She’s primarily interested in how subcultures, social movements, and complex individuals intersect with pop culture and the arts, history, STEM, linguistics, sports, and philosophy. She has a hands-on, collaborative approach to editing and loves helping writers shape their projects for publication. She’s 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 has written fiction and nonfiction for Ninth Letter, Hobart, Joyland, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Catapult, The Paris Review, Poets & Writers, Literary Hub and more, and volunteered with VIDA: Women in Literary Arts. Non-client writers she admires include Percival Everett, Han Kang, Raven Leilani, Helen Oyeyemi, and Namwali Serpell, in fiction; and Hanif Abdurraqib, Michelle Alexander, Amanda Montell, Mary Roach, and Merlin Sheldrake in nonfiction.
Notes
FICTION: Contemporary Fiction, Family Saga, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror, LGBTQ Fiction, Literary Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Short Story Collection, Upmarket Fiction NONFICTION: Art, Biography, BIPOC Nonfiction, Cultural Social Issues, Current Events Affairs, Environment, History, Journalism, LGBTQ Nonfiction, Multicultural Nonfiction, Music, Narrative Nonfiction, Nature, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychology, Science, Sports, Technology, Women’s Issues
Biography
Laura Strachan is a literary agent with the Strachan Literary Agency. Laura is also founder of the of Strachan Literary Agency, a small boutique agency that focuses on literary fiction and narrative nonfiction: compelling stories, well told. A licensed attorney, she combines her love of books and great writing with a lawyer’s sensibility in order to best represent her clients.
Notes
FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Fiction, General Fiction, Literary Fiction, Upmarket Fiction NONFICTION: General Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Travel CHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Young Adult Fiction
Biography
Jonah Straus is a literary agent with Straus Literary. He got his start in the warehouse at Atrium Publishers Group, an independent book distributor in Northern California, and went on to hold positions in production, editorial, sales, and marketing at several publishers in the San Francisco area. He moved to New York in 2005, where he worked in marketing for arts and literary programs, including the Selected Shorts NPR reading series at Symphony Space. He established Straus Literary in 2007, and moved the agency back to San Francisco in 2013 while maintaining a regular presence in New York. He has appeared at numerous writing conferences, including Community of Writers in Olympic Valley, the Mendocino Coast WritersÕ Conference, the Guadalajara International Book Fair, and Muse and the Marketplace.
Notes
FICTION: BIPOC Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fiction, General Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor Fiction, Literary Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Mystery NONFICTION: Biography, BIPOC Nonfiction, Cookbook Cooking, Cultural Social Issues, Current Events Affairs, Environment, Food Drink, General Nonfiction, History, Humor Nonfiction, Lifestyle, Memoir, Multicultural Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Politics, Science, Travel
Biography
Robin Straus is a literary agent with the Robin Straus Agency. Robin is a member of the Association of Authors’ Representatives and the Women’s Media Group. She graduated from Wellesley College with a BA in art history and English literature and received her M.B.A. from New York University. Prior to becoming an agent, she served as a subsidiary rights manager at Random House and Doubleday and worked in editorial at Little, Brown. She was an agent at the Wallace & Sheil Agency before founding Robin Straus Agency, Inc. in 1983. In 2014 she acquired The Wallace Literary Agency.
Notes
FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Fiction, General Fiction, Literary Fiction, Thriller, Women’s Fiction NONFICTION: Biography, Cookbook Cooking, Current Events Affairs, Food Drink, General Nonfiction, History, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Parenting, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychology, Science
Biography
Rebecca Strauss is an agent at DeFiore and Co. and focuses on literary and commercial fiction, women’s fiction, fantasy, science fiction, romance, mystery, YA, pop culture and select non-fiction. In all genres, she’s looking for a compelling story, clear concept, fresh voice and emotional heartÑa work that grabs you from the first page. She’s especially interested in emerging writers and underrepresented voices; and, she’s looking to develop long term relationships. Before joining DeFiore and Co., Rebecca was at McIntosh and Otis for seven years where she was an agent and Director of Subsidiary Rights. Prior to M&O, she was a foreign rights associate at Trident Media Group, and a book scout and development assistant at Sony Pictures. She’s originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and earned her degree in English Literature from Duke University.
Notes
FICTION: BIPOC Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction, Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, New Adult Fiction, Paranormal Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Women’s Fiction NONFICTION: BIPOC Nonfiction, Business Book, Economics, General Nonfiction, Humor Nonfiction, Money Finance, Nonfiction, Parenting, Pop Culture CHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult Nonfiction
Biography
Morgan Strehlow is a literary agent with The Bindery. As a literary agent and book coach, Morgan Strehlow comes alongside authors from longing to launch, cultivating courage, clarifying their message, and offering advocacy, accountability, and soul care through the writing and publishing process. An experienced freelance editor and writer, Morgan has worked in various capacities with a range of content providers and education platforms, including Christianity Today, Baylor University, Sacred Ordinary Days, Called Creatives, and Go and Tell Gals. Morgan spent the first decade of her career in the sports industry as a go-to communications strategist and creative collaborator for major brands, coaches, and athletes. She holds a B.S. in Communications from Hardin-Simmons University and an M.S. in Sport Management from Texas A&M University. Morgan is seeking compelling nonfiction by athletes, journalists, experts, academics looking to publish for the general market, and emerging voices with a growing platform who can speak to pop culture, sports, feminism, social justice, sex/sexuality, or religion/spirituality. She’s especially interested in the dynamic and interesting voices writing and speaking at the intersection of sport and society. On the fiction side, Morgan is eager for upmarket fiction, complex women’s fiction, and sports fiction. Morgan lives in Waco, Texas, with her husband, Sean, and their son.
Notes
FICTION: Fiction, General Fiction, Sports Fiction, Upmarket Fiction, Women’s Fiction NONFICTION: Cultural Social Issues, Dating Relationships Sex, Education, General Nonfiction, Journalism, Law Legal, LGBTQ Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Pop Culture, Religion, Spirituality, Sports, Women’s Issues
Biography
Hunter Strickland is an Agent at Focused Artistis. Hunter joined Focused Artists as a junior agent in 2024 after completing an apprenticeship with Co-founder Kristina Sutton. She previously held assistant roles at the Oklahoma Hall of Fame at the Gaylord Pickens Museum for publishing and editing. During her time there she developed a background working with historical non-fiction. HunterÕs list of interests are just as extensive as her background. While she has previous experience in the sports world and historical nonfiction, she is also drawn to fantasy worlds with unique elements.
Notes
FICTION: Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, New Adult Fiction, Romance, Women’s Fiction NONFICTION: History, Nonfiction, Sports CHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Young Adult Fiction
Biography
Shadra Strickland is a literary agent with Painted Words. She has been a part of the Painted Words family since 2008 as an award-winning illustrator and author. She is stepping up as an agent-at-large to help develop and represent new talent within the industry. Shadra is interested in humorous character driven picture books; graphic novels and picture books that highlight unique cultural experiences; poetic texts; and unique illustration styles. Shadra also enjoys helping illustrators find their writing voice. She teaches Book Illustration at Maryland Institute College of Art and online at Craftsy.com
Notes
FICTION: Fiction, Graphic Novel CHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Board Book, Children’s Books, Picture Book
Biography
Marlene Stringer is a literary agent with and the found of The Stringer Literary Agency. Marlene Stringer was raised and educated in NYC, and started her publishing career as a proofreader. She eventually became an in-house publisher for a corporate magazine before taking a detour to have her family, move to NJ, and write and edit for local publications. Following a move to Florida, she founded TSLA after eight years with Barbara Bova Literary Agency. Mother of four, she lives in Lakewood Ranch with her husband and two very spoiled toy poodles.
Notes
FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Family Saga, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror, Literary Fiction, Magical Realism, Mystery, New Adult Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Thriller, Upmarket Fiction, Women’s Fiction NONFICTION: Biography, Health Wellness, Lifestyle, Nonfiction CHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Young Adult Fiction
Biography
Wendy Strothman is a literary agent with Aevitas Creative Management. She represents Pulitzer Prize winning authors: David Blight, author of the bestselling biography Frederick Douglass; David Kertzer, author of The Pope and Mussolini; and Caleb McDaniel, author of The Sweet Taste of Liberty. She also represents Ruth Simmons, former president of Smith College, Brown University, and Prairie View who is publishing a memoir called Up Home: One GirlÕs Journey in 2023. Wendy works with many prominent historians, including Joanne Freeman, author of The Field of Blood; Alan Mikhail, author of GodÕs Shadow; Martha Hodes, author of the forthcoming My Hijacking; Wendy Warren, author of Pulitzer finalist New England Bound; journalists including Linda Greenhouse, author of Justice on the Brink; James Scott, author of Pulitzer finalist Target Tokyo; Amy Ellis Nutt, author of the bestselling transgender book, Becoming Nicole; legal scholars Richard Thompson Ford, author of Dress Codes and The Race Card; Deborah Archer, president of the ACLU and author of the forthcoming Locked In and Left Out; Nicholas Bowie and Daphna Renan, authors of the forthcoming Supremacy; naturalists Kenn Kaufman, author of the forthcoming The Birds that Audubon Missed; Scott Edwards, author of the forthcoming American Journey: Birds, a Bicycle, and Hope Across America; and biographers Benjamin Taylor, author of Here We Are and the forthcoming biography of Willa Cather andTess Chakalakal, author of a forthcoming biography of Charles Chesnutt. Before founding the Strothman Agency in 2003, Wendy was the publisher of Trade & Reference Books at Houghton Mifflin Company where she oversaw books from Curious George ¨ to the American Heritage Dictionary and the Peterson Field Guides; at Houghton she also edited works by Philip Roth, Arthur Schlesinger, and John Kenneth Galbraith. Before Houghton, she was publisher of Beacon Press where she published Marian Wright Edelman and Cornel West. She started her career at the University of Chicago Press. Wendy is the Vice President of the Authors Guild Foundation and was a trustee of Brown University; she and her husband, a pipe organ builder, and their golden doodle Farley divide their time between the coast of Maine and the Berkshires, with frequent forays into New York City.
Notes
NONFICTION: Biography, Environment, History, Narrative Nonfiction, Nature, Nonfiction
Biography
Hannah Strouth is a literary agent with Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. She is looking for literary and upmarket fiction, as well as select nonfiction. In fiction, she gravitates toward nuanced and compelling work that digs deep into a wide range of emotions. SheÕs automatically drawn to stories that help discover and explore new aspects about people, the way we (dis)connect, what haunts us (literally and metaphorically) and how we confront it, and stories of resiliency. If you can describe your story as Òdark,Ó Òedgy,Ó or Ògritty,Ó chances are itÕs up her alley. In nonfiction, whether itÕs pop culture, narrative, self-help, or memoir, she loves anything that teaches her how to be a better human or look at the world through a fresh lens. Across the board, sheÕs always looking for diverse voices and experiences. Before joining Sanford J. Greenburger Associates in 2024, Hannah spent over four years at the Jane Rotrosen Agency. Born and raised in Tennessee, she graduated from the College of William & Mary in Virginia with degrees in English and marketing and attended the Columbia Publishing Course. She has the pleasure of assisting Dan Mandel, Wendi Gu, Sarah Phair, and Alex Slater.
Notes
FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Family Saga, Fiction, General Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Literary Fiction, Magical Realism, Mystery, Paranormal Fiction, Romance, Short Story Collection, Speculative Fiction, Thriller, Upmarket Fiction, Women’s Fiction NONFICTION: Beauty Fashion Style, BIPOC Nonfiction, Cultural Social Issues, Dating Relationships Sex, Family, Health Wellness, Humor Nonfiction, Journalism, LGBTQ Nonfiction, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Pop Culture, Psychology, Self-Help, Women’s Issues
Biography
Andrew Stuart is a literary agent with the Stuart Agency. Before starting The Stuart Agency in 2002, Andrew Stuart was an agent with the Literary Group International for 5 years. Prior to becoming an agent, he was an editor at Random House and Simon & Schuster. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley with a B.A. in English, and he received his M.A. in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University. He focuses on titles in the areas of history, science, narrative nonfiction, business, current events, memoir, psychology, sports, and literary fiction.
Notes
FICTION: BIPOC Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Fiction, General Fiction, Literary Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Religious Fiction, Sports Fiction NONFICTION: Biography, BIPOC Nonfiction, Business Book, Cookbook Cooking, Current Events Affairs, General Nonfiction, Health Wellness, History, Memoir, Money Finance, Multicultural Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Parenting, Politics, Psychology, Religion, Science, Sports
Biography
Kari Stuart is a literary agent with CAA/ICM. Based in the New York office, she represents nonfiction and fiction authors who work across the adult market, including Tamar Adler, Alice Feeney, Food52, Amanda Freitag, Angela Garbes, JJ Goode, Yewande Komolafe, Samin Nosrat, Tunde Oyeneyin, and Missy Robbins. Her nonfiction list includes bestselling cookbooks, design, health and wellness titles, as well as narrative nonfiction, such as memoirs, biographies, business, parenting, and pop science. In the fiction space, she represents thrillers, psychological suspense, and mysteries. Stuart began her career at ICM Partners and joined CAA in 2022 following the agency’s acquisition of ICM. Stuart graduated from Skidmore College with a degree in English Literature and French.
Notes
FICTION: Crime Fiction, Fiction, General Fiction, Mystery, Suspense Fiction, Thriller NONFICTION: Biography, Business Book, Cookbook Cooking, Dating Relationships Sex, Design, Economics, Food Drink, General Nonfiction, Health Wellness, History, Lifestyle, Medical Medicine, Memoir, Mind Body Spirit, Money Finance, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Parenting, Religion, Science, Self-Help, Spirituality, Sports, Travel CHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Young Adult Fiction
Biography
Saba Sulaiman is a literary agent with Talcott Notch Literary Services. She says: “I was drawn into the world of literature by default when my sisterÕs growing collection of books in our tiny room began to overflow onto my bed. Born to Pakistani immigrants in Sri Lanka, and knowing how to express myself only in English for the first fifteen years of my life, I found comfort in reading about other culturally displaced people, unable to communicate in their native tongues, and hesitant to assert themselves in environments where there were few examples of people like them. Moving to Pakistan and absorbing what it meant to be an educated and empowered girl coming of age in a traditional Islamic society contributed greatly to my desire to seek similar narratives, especially from other women. I took the next step in my immigrant journey by moving to the United States to study Economics and Middle Eastern Studies at Wellesley College. I then studied modern Persian Literature at the University of Chicago, where I helped edit our departmentÕs academic journal. After a stint at Sourcebooks as an Editorial Intern, I joined the team at Talcott Notch Literary, and the rest is history. Being an author today is an entrepreneurial endeavor, and I see my role as my clientsÕ primary advocate as they navigate each and every stage of the publishing process Ð from digging deep into developing their craft, to representing their interests zealously even after they find homes for their books. I am also committed to highlighting marginalized voices with bright careers ahead of them and compelling stories to tell; stories that demonstrate the true range of perspectives that exist in this world, and address urgent and often underexplored issues with veracity and heart. For a complete list of the genres I work in, visit my website and check out my #MSWL. IÕm also proud to be on the steering committee for People of Color in Publishing, a grassroots organization working to serve the interests of publishing professionals of color. When IÕm not reading, youÕll probably find me running after my two small children, secretly learning another foreign language, playing Scrabble, watching a Bollywood movie, or singing in the bathroom (the acoustics, am I right?) “
Notes
FICTION: BIPOC Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Fiction, General Fiction, Literary Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Suspense Fiction, Thriller, Upmarket Fiction NONFICTION: BIPOC Nonfiction, Cultural Social Issues, Humor Nonfiction, Memoir, Multicultural Nonfiction, Nonfiction CHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Middle Grade Nonfiction, Picture Book, Young Adult Fiction
Charlotte Sunderland
Park, Fine & Brower Literary ManagementAccepting SubmissionsQuery Method(s): EmailBiography
Charlotte Sunderland is a literary agent at Park, Fine & Brower Literary Management. She works with Celeste Fine on bestselling fiction. After a decade in Los Angeles, she comes to books from a film background, having worked at Creative Artists Agency, wiip studios, and as the Creative Executive to actor and producer Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Charlotte is looking for atmospheric and cinematic fiction with compelling characters, tight plots, and page-turning prose that can expand into film and television. She is particularly interested in self-sabotaging heroines and morally ambiguous characters, dysfunctional families, unreliable narrators, ordinary people thrust into extraordinary situations, and humorous takes on conventionally dark subjects. Charlotte graduated from USCÕs School of Cinematic Arts with a B.A. in Cinema and Media Studies.
Notes
FICTION: Family Saga, Fiction, General Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Biography
Rachel Sussman is a literary agent with the Chalberg & Sussman Literary Agency. A graduate of Brown University, Rachel Sussman worked as an editor at Scribner and as an agent with Zachary Shuster Harmsworth before co-founding Chalberg & Sussman. She represents a wide range of nonfictionÑnarrative, memoir, psychology, history, lifestyle, and pop cultureÑand a select list of literary fiction. RachelÕs clients run the gamut from journalists like Mary Papenfuss (American Huckster: How Chuck Blazer Got Rich FromÑand Sold OutÑThe Most Powerful Cabal in World Sports) and Linda Hervieux (Forgotten: The Untold Story of the Only African-American Combat Unit at D-Day) to self-proclaimed mediocre mother Karen Alpert (I Heart My Little A-Holes) and DIY experts Sherry and John Petersik (Young House Love). Rachel enjoys developing Òbig thinkÓ booksÑclients include psychology professor Hal Herzog, author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It’s So Hard to Think Straight about Animals and Deborah Cohen, MD, author of A Big Fat Crisis: The Hidden Forces Behind the Obesity Epidemic and How We Can End ItÑand is proud to represent memoirists Matt Logelin (Two Kisses for Maddy), Jennifer Ridha (Criminal That I Am), and Tracy Slater (The Good Shufu). Her list of fiction writers include Natashia Deon, author of the award-winning debut Grace, Tiffany Hawk, author of Love Me Anyway, and Kristin Waterfield Duisberg, author of The Good Patient and After. RachelÕs projects, which include New York Times and USA Today bestsellers, Amazon Best Books of the Year, and Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selections, have been translated throughout the world and optioned by major studios and independent producers for both the big and small screens.
Notes
NONFICTION: Art, Biography, BIPOC Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Health Wellness, History, Humor Nonfiction, Illustrated, Lifestyle, Memoir, Mind Body Spirit, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Photography, Pop Culture, Psychology, Science, Self-Help, Upmarket Nonfiction
Biography
Kari Sutherland is a literary agent with KT Literary. She is based out of Southern California. She began on the editorial side of publishing, first at Disney Press, then HarperCollins ChildrenÕs BooksÐwhere she had the honor of editing many talented authors, including Victoria Aveyard and Sara Shepard. Middle grade and YA are at the heart of her list, but she also represents picture books, chapter books, graphic novels, and upmarket fiction. She graduated from Williams College with a B.A. in English and Psychology and received a Masters in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice before pivoting back to her first loveÐbooks. With her editorial insight and experience with the entire publishing process, Kari is passionate about helping to polish each manuscript and equip her clients for success.
Notes
FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novel, Science Fiction, Suspense Fiction, Upmarket Fiction, Women’s Fiction CHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Chapter Book Fiction, Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Middle Grade Nonfiction, Picture Book, Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult Nonfiction
Biography
Margaret Sutherland Brown is a literary agent with Folio Literary Management. She says: “I’m an agent at Folio representing literary and upmarket commercial fiction, psychological thrillers, select young adult fiction, and narrative non-fiction. Previously I was an agent at Emma Sweeney Agency, LLC, and transitioned to represent many of ESA’s clients at Folio in January 2020. Before becoming an agent, I spent the first seven years of my career in editorial, primarily at Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press, where I worked on a wide range of fiction and non-fiction. As an agent, I use my insider knowledge of how a publishing house operates to my clients’ advantage, and my editorial background informs how unusually closely and thoroughly I work with clients to develop a project before we ever submit to publishers. I’m proud to work with immensely talented authors. Among many other accolades, my clients have won the American Book Award, been finalists for the National Book Award and the PEN/ Hemingway Award, and been awarded Guggenheim Fellowships. I grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, graduated from Wake Forest University as an English major with a double minor in journalism and Spanish, and now live in Brooklyn with my husband and two sons. When I’m not reading I love to take advantage of New York City’s art, dance, theater, and restaurant scene and go running. I also love to travel. I’m grateful every day to have the privilege of supporting writers in their work of bringing into the world literature that describes, enriches and transforms our lives.”
Notes
FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Crime Fiction, Family Saga, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Suspense Fiction, Thriller, Upmarket Fiction, Women’s Fiction NONFICTION: Cultural Social Issues, Current Events Affairs, Dating Relationships Sex, Family, General Nonfiction, Health Wellness, History, Humor Nonfiction, Lifestyle, Memoir, Mind Body Spirit, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Parenting, Politics, Pop Culture, Religion, Science, Spirituality, Women’s Issues
Biography
Kristina Sutton-Lennon is the CEO, Co-Founder and a literary agent with Focused Artists. For Focused Artists, she has facilitated book deals with publishers, including HarperCollins, Hachette, and National Geographic. She pitches content to producers, studios and networks, and has projects in various stages of development with production companies. Kristina prides herself on her diverse slate of content and has a proven track record in sourcing material, script development, and talent scouting for the screen and page. Prior to delving into producing and management, Kristina was an actor (SAG-AFTRA) and educator, teaching acting and improv at the college level. She previously served as a film/tv agent and as the Director of the Louisiana Division for a talent agency headquartered in Atlanta. Kristina recently served as the Director of Media Rights at Context Literary Agency and currently serves as a Talent Manager for Citizen Skull. In 2022, Publishers Weekly named her an Honoree in their annual Rising Star Watch. Kristina earned her MFA in Acting from Louisiana State University. She is a proud member of NALIP (National Association of Latino Independent Producers), the Hollywood Radio & Television Society, the Oklahoma Motion Picture Alliance, and a board member of SPARK! Kristina is also a Board Member for the Seattle Latino Film Festival (SLFF).
Notes
FICTION: BIPOC Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Upmarket Fiction NONFICTION: BIPOC Nonfiction, Business Book, Crafts, Dating Relationships Sex, Family, Health Wellness, Journalism, LGBTQ Nonfiction, Money Finance, Multicultural Nonfiction, Nature, Nonfiction, Parenting, Pop Culture, Psychology, Self-Help, Technology, Travel, Women’s Issues CHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Picture Book
Danielle Svetcov
Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary AgencyAccepting SubmissionsQuery Method(s): Email or Online FormBiography
Danielle Svetcov is a literary agent with the Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency. She is the author of Parked, a ÒquirkyÓ Òbig-heartedÓ middle-grade novel that Òexplores what happens when homelessness and helpfulness collide.Ó Before Parked, Danielle wrote for the New York Times, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, and the Chicago Tribune Magazine. She joined LGR in 2002. Books she rereads for love: I Capture the Castle, Lone Pilgrim, Jane Eyre, Devil in the White City, Ladies and GentlemenÑthe Bronx is Burning. Audiobooks that sheÕs recently listened to (in the car) on rainy days: When You Reach Me, Naked, The Secret Garden, Undefeated. Her clients tend to be oppositional but reasoned, serious but amusedÑpreferring their rabbit holes deep. Her taste is reflected in the journalism and narrative nonfiction sheÕs sold, e.g. Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us About Ourselves; its natural follow-up Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art; a cultural history of our bodies under water, Why We Swim; a refusal to be grammatically cornered, Semicolon: The Past, Present, and Future of a Misunderstood Mark; a refusal to be artfully ignored Broad Strokes and She Votes; and a story of greed that threatens us all (where we least expect it), Kill Shot. Also, to offset the Victorian in her, she signs funny books, e.g. Skymaul: Happy Crap You Can Buy From A Plane; Look Big, a guide to surviving wild-animal close-encounters (which is funnier than you might think); What to Talk About; Bike Snob; and Minnesota-Book-of-the-Year nominee, The Annie Year, an ensemble novel that blurs heartland and heartburn. Of course, she has to eat, tooÉ She represents an incredible stable of chefs, restaurateurs, and food/ag-thinkersÑmany of them IACP and Beard Award winnersÑincluding Shalane Flanagan and Elyse KopeckyÕs New York Times bestselling Run Fast Eat Slow; Bryant TerryÕs Afro-Vegan and Vegetable Kingdom; Michelle PolzineÕs Baking at the 20th Century CafŽ; Russell Moore and Allison HopelainÕs This is Camino; Adrianna AdarmeÕs The Year of Cozy; Stuart Brioza and Nicole KrasinskiÕs State Bird Provisions; Brandon JewÕs Mr. JiuÕs in Chinatown; Sophie EganÕs OK to Eat; and many more. Some of her authors youÕll be hearing from soon: Rachel Gross, Nicole Perlroth, Sophia Vincent-Guy, Mark Bittman, Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, Beth Rodden, Eugenia Viti, Diana Kapp, Diana Helmuth, Molly Huddle, Sara Slattery, Rick Easton, Melissa McCart, Andrew Hilleman, Colin Clancy, Jodi Angel, S.P. Miskowski, Mike Sacks and Jason Roeder. Danielle is based in the agencyÕs California office.
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FICTION: BIPOC Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction NONFICTION: Art, Biography, BIPOC Nonfiction, Business Book, Computers, Cookbook Cooking, Cultural Social Issues, Current Events Affairs, Dating Relationships Sex, Diet Nutrition, Economics, Food Drink, General Nonfiction, Health Wellness, History, How-To, Humor Nonfiction, Journalism, Lifestyle, Medical Medicine, Memoir, Money Finance, Multicultural Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Pop Culture, Science, Self-Help, Sports, Technology CHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Middle Grade Nonfiction, Picture Book, Young Adult Nonfiction
Biography
Bonnie is an Agent at FinePrint Literary Mangement. She (the agent not the cartoon character!) is a former elementary school teacher who lives in Southern Illinois. She has a husband, three grown children, two bonus daughters, and three fur-babies who think they need to eat all the cat food. While she eagerly (and impatiently) awaits grandkids, she is lucky enough to have one granddog, Onix, and two grandkitties, Maki and Whiskey. Bonnie represents authors who cover all the age groups from picture books through adult, many of whom have their own furry overlords or small two-legged dictators commanding their households, too. When she is open to queries, here are a few of the things she looks for: General Across the board for all age groups, she wants to see underrepresented authors. (BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, etc) She has very eclectic tastes and sometimes doesnÕt know what sheÕs looking for until she reads it. Adult/YA Likes: She is dying for a good speculative psychological horror mystery! (Think a gender-bent/gay Sherlock Holmes, set in Middle Earth or outer space, with all the creepy feels of Silence of the Lambs!) Normalized queerness where it isn’t the focus of the plot or subplot. SheÕs a sucker for a good romantasy (HEA required). Issue-driven stories that address timeless social issues and the people who fight to change them, stories where the underdog wins, non-traditional characters who feel real (even if they are in outer space), accessible literary prose, the Oxford comma. Dislikes stories with violence against women/children/animals, erotica, misogyny, alpha males, and romances where the heroine dumps the main love interest for no reason and goes for the villain. Picture Books The story must be child-centered and give them all the agency. They have enough grownups telling them what to do in their real lives; in books, kids should get to be the heroes. Fiction or Nonfiction is okay, and if it rhymes, it must be absolutely PERFECT! Middle Grade Bonnie is SUPER selective! But she likes stories based on kid-focused issues with a touch (or more) of magic. She would love to see an aged-up version of the Junie B. Jones series with a nonbinary main character in a magical school setting. No animal stories, please, where they are the characters.
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FICTION: BIPOC Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, LGBTQ Fiction, Mystery, New Adult Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Suspense Fiction CHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Picture Book, Young Adult Nonfiction
Biography
Joyce Sweeney is the Director of Kid Lit and a literary agent with The Seymour Agency. Joyce Sweeney has been working in the Kidlit industry for four decades. First as an award-winning novelist, and soon after, leading invitation-only workshops for aspiring writers. Within the first two years, seven of JoyceÕs students had obtained traditional publishing contracts and a second career was born. Joyce and her students decided that everyone who could secure a contract should get a special ÒMagic BeanÓ to mark the achievement. Continuing to publish her own work, Joyce expanded into weekend writing retreats, conducted with Jamie Morris, under name NEXT LEVEL WORKHOPS. That led to ten years of online classes, taught by Joyce and produced by Cathy Castelli and CAFƒ CLASSES conducted in Fort Lauderdale. Using her contacts as an active SCBWI volunteer, Joyce continued to promote her students and help them find agents. The Magic Bean count continued to rise. By 2020, Nicole Resciniti, who is also JoyceÕs agent, offered them the chance to take this lifetime of mentoring to the next level and become a literary agent. Joyce finally found their dream job as a kidlit agent and the Magic Bean count is currently 83 and hoping for 100! At the agency, Joyce began to help and coach other agents who wanted to move into the kidlit space, and continues to represent authors and illustrators of picture books, middle grades and graphic novels. What they’re looking for: In Picture Books: Fiction or non-fiction. I am drawn to lyrical voices, fun syntax and offbeat concepts. I like unusual characters, and plots that make me cry or laugh out loud. Illustrator/authors welcome and rhyme (if you REALLY know how to do it) is fine. Diversity, please. Most of all, be unique. In Middle Grade: I am especially drawn to humor, fantasy and sci-fi, but a realistic novel that makes me cry will work too. Advocate of books for boys. Would love to see more LGBTQ as well.
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CHILDRENÕS BOOKS: Board Book, Chapter Book Fiction, Chapter Book Nonfiction, Children’s Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Middle Grade Nonfiction, Picture Book, Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult Nonfiction