These two new agents are seeking clients. Jordan Hamessley is actively building a list of diverse children’s fiction from picture books through YA and select adult science fiction and horror authors. She is also looking for quirky, non-fiction picture books with a STEM focus. Eva Scalzo is interested in romance and YA in all categories.
ALWAYS check the agency website before submitting. Agents may switch agencies or close their lists and submission requirements may change.
If these agents do not suit your needs, you can find a comprehensive list of new and established agents seeking clients here: Agents Seeking Clients.
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ALWAYS check the agency website before submitting. Agents may switch agencies or close their lists and submission requirements may change.
If these agents do not suit your needs, you can find a comprehensive list of new and established agents seeking clients here: Agents Seeking Clients.
_________________
Jordan Hamessley of New Leaf Literary & Media
With nearly a decade of experience working on the editorial side of publishing at Penguin Young Readers (Grosset & Dunlap), Egmont USA, and Adaptive Studios, Jordan made the switch to agenting. Jordan had the pleasure of editing many award winning and critically acclaimed authors such as Sara Benincasa, Len Vlahos, Ilsa J. Bick, Adam-Troy Castro, E.C. Myers, Dori Hillestad Butler, Andrew Keenan-Bolger and Kate Wetherhead, Michelle Schusterman and more.
She earned a reputation as an editor for being the “horror girl” and edited horror and ghost stories for all ages from chapter books (The Haunted Library series by Dori Hillestad Butler), middle grade (Gustav Gloom series by Adam-Troy Castro) to YA (Bleeding Earth by Kaitlin Ward.) She also has a deep affection for contemporary middle grade with heart and humor. She is always looking to find stories that bring the queer experience to the children’s space across all age ranges.
Some of her favorite reads of the last few years include Nova Ren Suma’s The Walls Around Us, Isabel Quintero’s Gabi: A Girl in Pieces, Paul Tremblay’s A Head Full of Ghosts, Charlie Jane Anders’s All the Birds in the Sky, and Barbara Dee’s Star-Crossed.
What she is seeking: She is actively building a list of diverse children’s fiction from picture books through YA and select adult science fiction and horror authors. She is also looking for quirky, non-fiction picture books with a STEM focus.
How to submit: Send query to query@newleafliterary.com. Please do not query via phone.
The word “Query” must be in the subject line, plus the agent’s name, ie – Subject: Query, Jordan Hamessley. Please also include the category (ie, PB, chapter book, MG, YA, adult fiction, adult nonfiction, etc.) You may include up to 5 double-spaced sample pages within the body of the email
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With nearly a decade of experience working on the editorial side of publishing at Penguin Young Readers (Grosset & Dunlap), Egmont USA, and Adaptive Studios, Jordan made the switch to agenting. Jordan had the pleasure of editing many award winning and critically acclaimed authors such as Sara Benincasa, Len Vlahos, Ilsa J. Bick, Adam-Troy Castro, E.C. Myers, Dori Hillestad Butler, Andrew Keenan-Bolger and Kate Wetherhead, Michelle Schusterman and more.
She earned a reputation as an editor for being the “horror girl” and edited horror and ghost stories for all ages from chapter books (The Haunted Library series by Dori Hillestad Butler), middle grade (Gustav Gloom series by Adam-Troy Castro) to YA (Bleeding Earth by Kaitlin Ward.) She also has a deep affection for contemporary middle grade with heart and humor. She is always looking to find stories that bring the queer experience to the children’s space across all age ranges.
Some of her favorite reads of the last few years include Nova Ren Suma’s The Walls Around Us, Isabel Quintero’s Gabi: A Girl in Pieces, Paul Tremblay’s A Head Full of Ghosts, Charlie Jane Anders’s All the Birds in the Sky, and Barbara Dee’s Star-Crossed.
What she is seeking: She is actively building a list of diverse children’s fiction from picture books through YA and select adult science fiction and horror authors. She is also looking for quirky, non-fiction picture books with a STEM focus.
How to submit: Send query to query@newleafliterary.com. Please do not query via phone.
The word “Query” must be in the subject line, plus the agent’s name, ie – Subject: Query, Jordan Hamessley. Please also include the category (ie, PB, chapter book, MG, YA, adult fiction, adult nonfiction, etc.) You may include up to 5 double-spaced sample pages within the body of the email
_________________
Eva Scalzo at Speilburg Literary Agency
Eva Scalzo was born in New Jersey, but has lived in Houston, Buenos Aires, San Juan, and Boston before settling down outside of Binghamton, New York. She has a B.A. in the Humanities from the University of Puerto Rico and a M.A. in Publishing and Writing from Emerson College. Since graduating in 2002, she has spent her career in scholarly publishing, working for Houghton Mifflin, Blackwell Publishing, John Wiley & Sons, and Cornell University in a variety of roles.
Eva has been reading romance since the fifth grade when she discovered the Sweet Valley High series. On inheriting her grandmother’s collection of vintage Harlequin Romances, she promptly set about filling the gaps, and her goal is to someday finish reading all the treasures. Eva is looking to represent all subgenres of Romance, with the exclusion of inspirational romance, as well as Young Adult fiction.
What she is seeking: I want to see more romance novels where the tension is less about the relationship and more about the obstacles outside of the relationship. One of my least favorite tropes in romance is the grand gesture trope—relationships are built on trust and communication. If your characters develop and grow their relationship organically, there shouldn’t be a big misunderstanding that breaks them apart, especially if all they need to do is actually talk (and listen!) to one another.
Multicultural romance is also something I want to see more of. I support the #OwnVoices campaign to increase the diversity in Romance not just of the characters but also of its authors. As a Latina I love seeing my culture represented in the books I read, I want others to feel that way too.
As a category mainly written by women for women, I want to see strong, smart female leads. Dominant men are okay, but misogyny and sexism are not. One subcategory I struggle with is Motorcycle Club romances, because I really don’t enjoy the club above all mentality and the way they tend to treat women. Ironically, I don’t have a problem with Highland romances where one could argue the attitudes of the clans are similar to a motorcycle club, but the historical context makes a big difference here.
In Young Adult I’m open to most subcategories, but there should be strong romantic elements regardless. I’d like to see contemporary, paranormal, science fiction, mystery/suspense and fantasy, but not historical.
How to Submit: Please send all unsolicited submissions via e-mail to: speilburgliterary@gmail.com.
In the subject line of your query email, please include “Query [AGENT’S FIRST NAME]” followed by the title of your project.
For fiction, please send the query letter and the first three chapters in the body of the email, no attachments please.
Eva Scalzo was born in New Jersey, but has lived in Houston, Buenos Aires, San Juan, and Boston before settling down outside of Binghamton, New York. She has a B.A. in the Humanities from the University of Puerto Rico and a M.A. in Publishing and Writing from Emerson College. Since graduating in 2002, she has spent her career in scholarly publishing, working for Houghton Mifflin, Blackwell Publishing, John Wiley & Sons, and Cornell University in a variety of roles.
Eva has been reading romance since the fifth grade when she discovered the Sweet Valley High series. On inheriting her grandmother’s collection of vintage Harlequin Romances, she promptly set about filling the gaps, and her goal is to someday finish reading all the treasures. Eva is looking to represent all subgenres of Romance, with the exclusion of inspirational romance, as well as Young Adult fiction.
What she is seeking: I want to see more romance novels where the tension is less about the relationship and more about the obstacles outside of the relationship. One of my least favorite tropes in romance is the grand gesture trope—relationships are built on trust and communication. If your characters develop and grow their relationship organically, there shouldn’t be a big misunderstanding that breaks them apart, especially if all they need to do is actually talk (and listen!) to one another.
Multicultural romance is also something I want to see more of. I support the #OwnVoices campaign to increase the diversity in Romance not just of the characters but also of its authors. As a Latina I love seeing my culture represented in the books I read, I want others to feel that way too.
As a category mainly written by women for women, I want to see strong, smart female leads. Dominant men are okay, but misogyny and sexism are not. One subcategory I struggle with is Motorcycle Club romances, because I really don’t enjoy the club above all mentality and the way they tend to treat women. Ironically, I don’t have a problem with Highland romances where one could argue the attitudes of the clans are similar to a motorcycle club, but the historical context makes a big difference here.
In Young Adult I’m open to most subcategories, but there should be strong romantic elements regardless. I’d like to see contemporary, paranormal, science fiction, mystery/suspense and fantasy, but not historical.
How to Submit: Please send all unsolicited submissions via e-mail to: speilburgliterary@gmail.com.
In the subject line of your query email, please include “Query [AGENT’S FIRST NAME]” followed by the title of your project.
For fiction, please send the query letter and the first three chapters in the body of the email, no attachments please.
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