Here are four new agents actively building their client lists. Siobhan McBride specializes in literary and commercial fiction—including mystery and crime, suspense, and psychological horror—and narrative nonfiction, including memoir. She is interested in reading about marginalized voices, strong females, gender issues (men and women), class divide, mental health issues, self-help and psychology, as well as dystopian themes and fantastic fiction.
Sophie Pugh-Sellers is looking for both fiction and nonfiction projects, particularly innovative takes on classical narrative elements and stories told by radical new voices. Arlie Johansen is interested in literary fiction, memoir, narrative nonfiction, and feminist nonfiction. She particularly enjoys short story and essay collections, and both fiction and nonfiction that elevates traditionally underrepresented voices. Larissa Melo Pienkowski is seeking picture books, YA, speculative fiction, magical realism, memoir, narrative nonfiction, cookbooks, and poetry.
Always check the agency website and agent bio before submitting. Agents can switch agencies or close their lists, and submission requirements can change.
You can find a full list of agents actively seeking new clients here: Agents Seeking Clients.
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Siobhan McBride of Carnicelli Literary Management
Siobhan McBride, associate agent, joined CLM in 2020, after having held positions at Sobel Weber Associates and Serendipity Literary Agency and internships at W.W. Norton and Writers House. At Serendipity, she gained a thorough knowledge of young adult literature, nonfiction health, advice, and how-to, and mystery and crime fiction. At Sobel Weber, she built on her love of mystery, crime, and literary fiction and developed an interest in psychology and fantasy fiction, working with Southern crime fiction authors Tom Franklin and Brian Panowich, crime/science fiction author Dan Stout, and mystery writer Peter Swanson.
What she is seeking: Siobhan specializes in literary and commercial fiction—including mystery and crime, suspense, and psychological horror—and narrative nonfiction, including memoir. She is interested in reading about marginalized voices, strong females, gender issues (men and women), class divide, mental health issues, self-help and psychology, as well as dystopian themes and fantastic fiction. She especially loves finding stories that haunt her (physically/philosophically/spiritually) for weeks after reading.
How to submit: Please use the form HERE.
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Ms. Sophie Pugh-Sellers of The Gernert Company
Sophie joined The Gernert Company in 2019, and holds a BA in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies from Barnard College. Raised in Oakland, California and Charlottesville, Virginia, her literary palate is as eclectic and complex as her two hometowns. All of her favorite writing includes characters, language, and worlds so powerful that she misses them long after closing the book. She lives in Washington Heights.
What she is seeking: She is looking for both fiction and nonfiction projects, particularly innovative takes on classical narrative elements and stories told by radical new voices.
How to submit: Queries by e-mail should be directed to: info@thegernertco.com. Please indicate in your letter which agent you are querying.
___________________________
Arlie Johansen of Aevitas
Arlie Johansen graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a BA in English, and minors in Journalism and Creative Writing. She joined Aevitas in 2019, after attending the Columbia Publishing Course in 2017 and subsequently interning at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Soho Press, and the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency.
What she is seeking: Arlie is interested in literary fiction, memoir, narrative nonfiction, and feminist nonfiction. She particularly enjoys short story and essay collections, and both fiction and nonfiction that elevates traditionally underrepresented voices.
How to submit: Use Arlie's form HERE.
___________________________
Larissa Melo Pienkowski of Jill Grinberg Literary Management
Larissa Melo Pienkowski grew up outside of Boston and attended Simmons University, where she earned her degree in Social Work and Sociology, performed poetry competitively and recreationally, and edited a number of literary magazines. Larissa later went on to receive her MA in Publishing and Writing from Emerson College, where she worked with the likes of Beacon Press and Barefoot Books, before becoming the assistant publisher of a small indie press. She joined Jill Grinberg Literary Management in 2020 and is now working to build her list. The daughter of Brazilian and Polish immigrants, Larissa speaks Portuguese and Spanish and travels to experience as much of the world as possible—always with a good book in hand
What she is seeking: In fiction, she is looking for character-driven, idiosyncratic stories that center underrepresented voices; braided, multigenerational narratives that make her cry; powerful stories of migration, diaspora, and displacement; haunting, atmospheric speculative fiction and magical realism in the vein of Carmen Maria Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties and Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits, respectively; modern re-imaginings of mythology for adult and YA readers; quirky coming-of-age stories about identity and the gritty yet relatable parts of life; and well-researched historical fiction that immerses her in another world. She has a soft spot for novels that stretch the boundaries and limitations of genre.
On the non-fiction side, she is seeking emotionally searing memoirs from underrepresented perspectives; journalistic reporting that blends seamlessly with personal narrative; cookbooks that feature diverse cuisines; essay collections that chronicle contemporary life through the lens of social justice; niche cultural history and criticism; and radically transformative spiritual/self-help titles.
Larissa likes poetry that addresses contemporary themes while striking her in the heart. She is also open to funny, whimsical picture books in which children can see a reflection of themselves.
As an advocate for authors from marginalized communities, Larissa is especially interested in representing diverse voices and experiences across all genres.
How to submit: Please submit to info@ jillgrinbergliterary.com
Your email subject line should follow this general format: QUERY: Title of Project by Your Name / Age Category/Genre / ATTN: Name of Agent.
Please paste your query letter in the body of the email and attach your materials as a docx. file.
For all fiction submissions, please send a query letter and the first fifty (50) pages of your manuscript. If we are interested in reading more, we will reach out to request the full manuscript.
For all nonfiction submissions, please send a query letter and complete proposal. Your nonfiction proposal should include a project overview or outline, proposed chapter summaries, comparable titles, a sample chapter, your biography, and a bibliography of any additional works. You may also include promotional ties/materials if relevant.
Picture book submissions should include the full text. If you are working with an illustrator or have illustrated your own book, please provide full-color images or the fully illustrated text. If applicable, you can provide a link to the illustrator’s online portfolio or website.
Sophie Pugh-Sellers is looking for both fiction and nonfiction projects, particularly innovative takes on classical narrative elements and stories told by radical new voices. Arlie Johansen is interested in literary fiction, memoir, narrative nonfiction, and feminist nonfiction. She particularly enjoys short story and essay collections, and both fiction and nonfiction that elevates traditionally underrepresented voices. Larissa Melo Pienkowski is seeking picture books, YA, speculative fiction, magical realism, memoir, narrative nonfiction, cookbooks, and poetry.
Always check the agency website and agent bio before submitting. Agents can switch agencies or close their lists, and submission requirements can change.
You can find a full list of agents actively seeking new clients here: Agents Seeking Clients.
___________________________
Siobhan McBride of Carnicelli Literary Management
Siobhan McBride, associate agent, joined CLM in 2020, after having held positions at Sobel Weber Associates and Serendipity Literary Agency and internships at W.W. Norton and Writers House. At Serendipity, she gained a thorough knowledge of young adult literature, nonfiction health, advice, and how-to, and mystery and crime fiction. At Sobel Weber, she built on her love of mystery, crime, and literary fiction and developed an interest in psychology and fantasy fiction, working with Southern crime fiction authors Tom Franklin and Brian Panowich, crime/science fiction author Dan Stout, and mystery writer Peter Swanson.
What she is seeking: Siobhan specializes in literary and commercial fiction—including mystery and crime, suspense, and psychological horror—and narrative nonfiction, including memoir. She is interested in reading about marginalized voices, strong females, gender issues (men and women), class divide, mental health issues, self-help and psychology, as well as dystopian themes and fantastic fiction. She especially loves finding stories that haunt her (physically/philosophically/spiritually) for weeks after reading.
How to submit: Please use the form HERE.
___________________________
Ms. Sophie Pugh-Sellers of The Gernert Company
Sophie joined The Gernert Company in 2019, and holds a BA in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies from Barnard College. Raised in Oakland, California and Charlottesville, Virginia, her literary palate is as eclectic and complex as her two hometowns. All of her favorite writing includes characters, language, and worlds so powerful that she misses them long after closing the book. She lives in Washington Heights.
What she is seeking: She is looking for both fiction and nonfiction projects, particularly innovative takes on classical narrative elements and stories told by radical new voices.
How to submit: Queries by e-mail should be directed to: info@thegernertco.com. Please indicate in your letter which agent you are querying.
___________________________
Arlie Johansen of Aevitas
Arlie Johansen graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a BA in English, and minors in Journalism and Creative Writing. She joined Aevitas in 2019, after attending the Columbia Publishing Course in 2017 and subsequently interning at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Soho Press, and the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency.
What she is seeking: Arlie is interested in literary fiction, memoir, narrative nonfiction, and feminist nonfiction. She particularly enjoys short story and essay collections, and both fiction and nonfiction that elevates traditionally underrepresented voices.
How to submit: Use Arlie's form HERE.
___________________________
Larissa Melo Pienkowski of Jill Grinberg Literary Management
Larissa Melo Pienkowski grew up outside of Boston and attended Simmons University, where she earned her degree in Social Work and Sociology, performed poetry competitively and recreationally, and edited a number of literary magazines. Larissa later went on to receive her MA in Publishing and Writing from Emerson College, where she worked with the likes of Beacon Press and Barefoot Books, before becoming the assistant publisher of a small indie press. She joined Jill Grinberg Literary Management in 2020 and is now working to build her list. The daughter of Brazilian and Polish immigrants, Larissa speaks Portuguese and Spanish and travels to experience as much of the world as possible—always with a good book in hand
What she is seeking: In fiction, she is looking for character-driven, idiosyncratic stories that center underrepresented voices; braided, multigenerational narratives that make her cry; powerful stories of migration, diaspora, and displacement; haunting, atmospheric speculative fiction and magical realism in the vein of Carmen Maria Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties and Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits, respectively; modern re-imaginings of mythology for adult and YA readers; quirky coming-of-age stories about identity and the gritty yet relatable parts of life; and well-researched historical fiction that immerses her in another world. She has a soft spot for novels that stretch the boundaries and limitations of genre.
On the non-fiction side, she is seeking emotionally searing memoirs from underrepresented perspectives; journalistic reporting that blends seamlessly with personal narrative; cookbooks that feature diverse cuisines; essay collections that chronicle contemporary life through the lens of social justice; niche cultural history and criticism; and radically transformative spiritual/self-help titles.
Larissa likes poetry that addresses contemporary themes while striking her in the heart. She is also open to funny, whimsical picture books in which children can see a reflection of themselves.
As an advocate for authors from marginalized communities, Larissa is especially interested in representing diverse voices and experiences across all genres.
How to submit: Please submit to info@ jillgrinbergliterary.com
Your email subject line should follow this general format: QUERY: Title of Project by Your Name / Age Category/Genre / ATTN: Name of Agent.
Please paste your query letter in the body of the email and attach your materials as a docx. file.
For all fiction submissions, please send a query letter and the first fifty (50) pages of your manuscript. If we are interested in reading more, we will reach out to request the full manuscript.
For all nonfiction submissions, please send a query letter and complete proposal. Your nonfiction proposal should include a project overview or outline, proposed chapter summaries, comparable titles, a sample chapter, your biography, and a bibliography of any additional works. You may also include promotional ties/materials if relevant.
Picture book submissions should include the full text. If you are working with an illustrator or have illustrated your own book, please provide full-color images or the fully illustrated text. If applicable, you can provide a link to the illustrator’s online portfolio or website.
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