New agents are a boon to writers looking to break into the publishing world. They are hard-working, and eager to find and nurture new talent.

Three of my books were picked up by Random House because of the enthusiastic endorsement of a new agent.

Check out these agents, and, as always, read the websites of their agencies to see if your work is a good fit for them.
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Cate Hart

About Cate: Cate Hart is a Junior Agent at Corvisiero Literary Agency, where she started as an intern working closely with Marisa Corvisiero and Saritza Hernandez. A Tennessee native, Cate earned her B.F.A. from the University of Tennessee. Before joining Corvisiero Literary Agency, Cate worked in financial management.

What she is seeking: Cate's primary interest is YA. She will consider any genre, but is looking especially for Fantasy and Magical Realism. For Middle Grade, she is looking for Fantasy, Adventure and Mystery with a humorous or heart-warming voice and a unique concept. For Adult, she is only accepting Historical Romance. Cate will also consider select LGBTQ and Erotica. For Non-Fiction, Cate will consider select histories and biographies. She is looking for secret histories and little known facts and events. She enjoys reading about the everyday heroes of the American and French Revolutions, something more beyond the tactics of war.

How to submit: Please send a query letter addressed to Cate with “Query” and your title in the subject line. Attach a 1-2 page synopsis and the first five pages of your manuscript as a doc file. Cate will respond to every query. You can check her website catehart.com for “current through” dates as well as updated wishlists.

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Rena Rossner


About Rena: Rena handles foreign rights for the Deborah Harris Agency, a literary agency based in Jerusalem. She is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University’s Writing Seminars Program, where she double-majored in poetry and non-fiction writing. She studied at Trinity College, Dublin and holds an MA in History from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. She worked at bookstores in four countries, has written extensively for The Jerusalem Report and The Jerusalem Post, and worked in PR, grant-writing, and website development at The Jerusalem Foundation. She is a writer of both fiction and poetry.

She is seeking: "I am most interested in representing Fantasy and Science Fiction in all its permutations - Adult, Middle Grade, Young Adult etc. I also look for Middle Grade and Young Adult contemporary stories and I'd be open to MG/YA mysteries and thrillers as well. I represent quite a few picture books and I'm always looking for those. In terms of adult books, I look for Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, multicultural books, and I'd also consider adult mysteries, thrillers and psychological suspense, but not cozy mysteries. I specifically look for literary work (in any genre,) and books with elements of magical realism and the fantastic. You will steal my heart for sure if it's set in the Middle East, in Israel or if it has Jewish or Israeli themes and characters, but I'm open to all themes, settings and characters. You've got to have a really good reason to send me nonfiction, or cookbooks, but if you have a reason that seems to fit with who I am and what I'm looking for, I'll take a look."

How to submit: Please include a synopsis of your book, a short biographical note and the first two chapters of the work— or an equivalent of up to fifty pages. Email: rena@thedeborahharrisagency.com
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Holly Lorincz of MacGregor Literary

About Holly: Holly has a degree in Journalism as well as a MAT focused in writing and literature. She was the editor of the literary magazine Perceptions, and then became a high school and college instructor. During that fifteen year run, she was named Teacher of the Year in Oregon, won two national awards from the National Federation of Schools, coached her high school speech team to two State Championships and nine individual Champions, began an editing service, and published various short works.

She is seeking: "I am currently only accepting general market submissions in these areas: historical romance, literary or classic westerns, political or conspiracy thrillers, women's fiction, or literary fiction."

How to submit: Email queries to holly [at] macgregorliterary.com. Please include the genre in the subject line.

After you've sent out a few dozen queries to literary agents, and either not received a response from any of them, or gotten polite form rejections designed to soothe your pain while simultaneously increasing it, it's time to either hunker down or make a new plan.

(Frankly, it's better to get an email that says your work is "unreadable, unmarketable, and unpublishable," rather than a bland "Your story does not fit into our list, right now." At least you get to work up some righteous indignation.)

The other day I ran across an article on Writer's Digest by Kristi Belcamino - "Don’t Give Up Until You’ve Queried 80 Agents Or More." The article inspired me to get into my files and look up how many rejections I had received: 140. I clearly have a lot more work to do if I'm going to fulfill my New Year's resolution.

Kristi has given writers four pointers:

1. Perseverance. Be stubborn and refuse to ever give up.

2. Work. Cultivate a constant desire to improve as a writer. This means putting words, lots and lots of words, on paper. This also involves studying the craft of writing and reading as much as you can as often as possible. 

3. Teflon Mentality. Develop a force field to deflect ego-smashing rejections. It is crucial to have the ability to effectively handle rejection, letting them bounce off you, and not allowing them to stop you from plugging away. (See #2 Work.) 

4. Patience. Here’s a little secret — the world of publishing runs on a completely alternate universe concept of time. Tired of waiting to hear back from an agent or publisher or editor? Grab a beer and put your feet up.

If you keep all of the above in mind, and, in Ray Bradbury's words, "Write like hell!" I'm sure you can beat my record. (Although, you may not beat C. S. Lewis'. Click here for his truly astonishing number of rejections.)

That being said, you should keep in mind that the lines are increasingly becoming blurred between traditional publishing and self-publishing. Because of the dramatic success of Fifty Shades of Grey and Wool, publishers are beginning to accept works that have been previously epublished. Some agents are seeing the writing on the wall as well.

What this means for you, as a writer who does not want to go fifty shades of gray waiting for an agent to call, is that you can do both. If you've given it all you've got, don't grab a beer - design a cover, and publish.

These three literary agents have opened their doors to new clients. As always, visit the website of their agencies, check their list of clients, check the publishers they work with, and read all submission requirements carefully before contacting. (Click on the name of the agent, or their agency, for more information.) To check an agent's history (for possible complaints) go to Preditors and Editors.

Christopher Rhodes of James Fitzgerald Agency

About Christopher: Christopher Rhodes’s career in publishing began in 1996 as a bookseller at Borders Books at the World Trade Center. He has held positions in both the sales and marketing departments at Simon and Schuster and was Executive Assistant to Carol Mann of the Carol Mann Agency where, among other duties, he managed contracts and assisted in the sale of foreign rights. Currently, Christopher is the Facility & Events Coordinator for the library at the University of North Carolina Wilmington where, working closely with the university’s Department of Creative Writing, he plans and hosts readings, writer’s conferences, and fiction writing contests. he is now an agent at the James Fitzgerald Agency.

What he is seeking: Christopher accepts queries in the following areas: fiction; connected stories/essays; memoir; young adult; creative/narrative nonfiction; economics; social activism; inspirational; self-help; history (last 200 years); entrepreneurship; art & design; health & beauty.

How to contact: Send e-mail submissions via submissions [at] jfitzagency.com and put “Query for Christopher” in the title. Read their submission guidelines HERE.
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Allison Devereux of Wolf Literary Services

About Allison: Allison Devereux is Associate Agent and Foreign & Subsidiary Rights Manager at Wolf Literary Services. She also assists Gillian MacKenzie of the Gillian MacKenzie Agency. She has been with WLS since 2012, working closely with Senior Agent and VP Adriann Ranta, with whom she jointly represents clients. A Texas native, Allison earned her B.A. at the University of Texas at Austin, where she graduated from the Plan II Honors Program. Before coming to WLS, Allison worked at Macmillan in Tor Books’ managing editorial department; prior to that, she was an Editorial and Design Assistant at the Institute of Classical Archaeology in Austin, as well as an intern at the Harry Ransom Center.

What she is seeking: Allison is looking for literary and upmarket commercial fiction with fresh, unique voices and tight prose. She enjoys stories set in familiar, relatable settings, with everyman characters who find themselves in unlikely, surprising, and unexpected situations. She is also passionate about magical realism (more real than magic), and idiosyncratic, picaresque characters.

For nonfiction, Allison is interested in narrative nonfiction, compelling memoir, and books on popular and contemporary culture with a strong, original premise. She is looking for illustrated/graphic books for adults (both fiction and non), as well as blog-to-book projects. She also loves a good humor book.

Allison tends to shy away from science fiction, fantasy, and other genre fiction. She is not interested in self-help, erotica, spiritualism, hard SF, epic fantasy, or stories about fairies.

How to contact her: To submit a project, please send a query letter addressed to Allison along with a 50-page writing sample (for fiction) or a detailed proposal (for nonfiction) to queries [at] wolflit.com. Samples may be submitted as an attachment or embedded in the body of the email. Read their submission guidelines HERE.
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Allison Hunter of InkWell Management

About Allison: Allison Hunter, a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, began her publishing career in 2005 working for the Los Angeles-based literary publicity firm, Kim-from-L.A. She joined the InkWell team in New York City in 2010. She has a B.A. in American Studies and Creative Writing from Stanford University and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.

What she is looking for: Allison is actively acquiring literary and commercial fiction (including romance), memoir, narrative nonfiction, cultural studies, pop culture and prescriptive titles, including cookbooks. She is always looking for funny female authors, great love stories and family epics, and for non-fiction projects that speak to the current cultural climate.

How to contact her: Contact Allison through the agency at submissions @ inkwellmanagement.com (remove spaces). In the body of your email, please include a query letter and a short writing sample (1-2 chapters). Response time may take up to two months. Read submission guidelines HERE.

Chuck Sambuchino is one of the editors of Writer's Digest, an incredibly useful resource for writers. (If you don't have the cash to buy one, most libraries have a well-thumbed copy.)

He also writes a blog, the Guide to Literary Agents, in which he spells out exactly what agents are looking for. This is one of those posts that every aspiring writer should read before contacting an agent. Some of these "pet peeves" will make you laugh, others will make you cringe.
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Query Letter Pet Peeves – Agents Speak

By Chuck Sambuchino

Ready to send your book out and contact agents? The last thing you want to do is to rush that submission out the door and hurt your book’s chances.

When submitting your all-important query to agents or editors, it’s not just a question of what to write in the letter—it’s also a question of what not to write.

I asked 11 literary agents about their personal query letter pet peeves and compiled them below. Check out the list to learn all about what details to avoid in a query that could sink your submission—such as vague wording, too much personal information, grammatical mistakes, and much more.

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“I think the biggest querying no-no I’ve ever seen was when an author tracked down some sensitive personal information and included it in their cover letter. Eeep! As agents we absolutely love when authors do their research and get to know our interests, but you want to always make sure what you include in your query letter is professional and that you don’t slip too far into the realm of the personal.

The biggest no-no I’ve seen recently probably would be authors whose query letters focus too much on their author bios and don’t tell me what their book is about! Make sure you put those essential story details up front.”

~ Shira Hoffman of McIntosh & Otis, Inc.

For more advice from Shira, click the link above.
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“I’ve received queries for ‘Dear Editor,’ ‘Dear Agent,’ ‘Dear Publisher,’ as well as e-mail queries that are addressed to 10 different agents together.”

~ Jacquie Flynn of Joelle Delbourgo Associates

For more advice from Jacquie, click the link above.
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“Spelling errors or grammatical mistakes. They just make me want to stop reading.”

~ Lisa Leshne of LJK Literary Management

For more advice from Lisa, click the link above.
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“Unfocused queries and the term ‘fiction novel.’ ”

~ Melissa Flashman of Trident Media Group, LLC

For more advice from Melissa, click the link above.

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“I’m sick of vagueness. I get so many queries every day that don’t tell me enough about the novel. If there’s no reason for me to say yes, then it’s going to be no.”

~ Bridget Smith of Dunham Literary, Inc.

For more advice from Bridget, click the link above.

——--

“[Just recently], somebody queried me with a YA fantasy—and in the place where they should have put their professional bio or a few sentences about themselves, they had taken on the persona of their main character and said something about the character instead … Queries are business letters. Agenting is a business. Publishing is a business. I try to be nice and friendly and funny and all, but the bottom line is that I expect those with whom I work to be professional and take what they’re doing seriously.”

~ Linda Epstein of Jennifer De Chiara Literary

For more advice from Linda, click the link above.

Click HERE to read the rest of this article.

These three agents are looking for clients. All three are new to the scene, but their agencies are not. Be sure to read the agency's website. Look at the list of clients, see where they have been published, read their FAQs, and above all, pay careful attention to their submission guidelines.


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Nadeen Gayle of Serendipity Literary Agency

About Nadeen: After representing clients in law for over 7 years, Nadeen Gayle brings her zeal for representation and championing voices to book publishing. Prior to graduating from Hofstra law school, Nadeen majored in English with a Mass Communications minor at Clark Atlanta University and was a very active participant in the English department’s annual Writers Conference. After receiving her BA in English, Nadeen taught briefly in the Atlanta public school system. Her short stint with students and parents in Atlanta shaped her focus with connecting to both children and adults after which she worked as counsel for Administration for Children Services. As a parent herself, Nadeen’s work with children and parents shapes her dual interest in both YA and Adult titles.

Nadeen’s law career was not without its share of great stories. Her love for entertainment and media took her to Court TV where she worked as a production assistant during its heyday. She is a big fan of narratives that are seamlessly written yet with ideas that might be stripped from the headlines. In addition, her experience in the Congressional Black Caucus Boot-Camp training furthered her interest in politics and the deal behind the deal.

What she is seeking: Romance, Memoir, Pop culture, Inspirational/Religious, Women’s Fiction, Parenting, Young Adult, Mystery and Political Thrillers, and all forms of Nonfiction.

How to submit: This agency takes submissions through its online form. They try to respond to queries as quickly as possible, but if you haven’t heard from them within 4-6 weeks, please feel free to resubmit. Click here for the submission form.
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Foladé Bell of Serendipity Literary Agency

About Foladé: Foladé Bell began her career in publishing shortly after graduating from Howard University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. She brings a multifaceted background to Serendipity. Having worked within several fields, she brings a diverse background in various aspects of media, new media and publishing. A creative activist, Foladé cultivated her sales, negotiation and client management skills within positions at Reed Elsevier, Business Wire and Radio & Records. Since joining Serendipity Literary Agency, she is focused on unearthing the raw potential of new authors ready to enter the collaborative process as well as assisting existing authors advance their careers.

What she's looking for: Foladé is actively seeking to represent a broad range of projects. She is particularly drawn to: literary and commercial women’s fiction with a strong sense of story, voice and character; funny and relatable fiction; Daring YA books that showcase a fresh, unique perspective; literary mysteries/thrillers that aren’t formulaic or market saturated, contemporary historical fiction, African-American issues, gay/lesbian, Christian fiction, humor and books that deeply explore other cultures. No subject is out-of-bounds. She loves non-fiction that reads like fiction. Feel free to approach her with ideas adapted from blogs or websites with new views on pop culture.

How to submit: This agency takes submissions through its online form. They try to respond to queries as quickly as possible, but if you haven’t heard from them within 4-6 weeks, please feel free to resubmit. Click here for the submission form.
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LAURA ZATS of Red Sofa Literary

About Laura: Laura Zats graduated from Grinnell College with degrees in English and anthropology. While completing her studies, she took advantage of her love of Young Adult (YA) literature and wrote a thesis on identity formation in YA. She’s been working as an editor for several years and has held positions at companies in both the US and the UK. In 2013, Laura joined Red Sofa Literary as an Associate Agent in 2013. In her free time, Laura likes to craft, swing dance, bake, and binge on Netflix marathons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Doctor Who.

What she is seeking: Young adult and middle grade (especially contemporary for both), romance, new adult, contemporary women’s fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, and erotica.

How to submit: Query laura [at] redsofaliterary.com Put “Query” in the e-mail subject line.

These literary agents have opened their doors to new clients. As always, visit the website of their agencies, check their list of clients, check the publishers they work with, and read all submission requirements before contacting. (Click on the name of their agency for more information.) To check an agent's history (for possible complaints) go to Editors and Preditors. For general information about agents, go to Writer Beware.
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Lara Perkins of Andrea Brown Literary Agency

About Lara: Lara Perkins is an Associate Agent and Digital Manager at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. She has been with the agency for over three years, working closely with Senior Agent Laura Rennert, with whom she jointly represents a number of clients, in addition to building her own list. Recent deals, together with Laura Rennert, include Matthew Ward’s middle grade novel, THE FANTASTIC FAMILY WHIPPLE, sold in a two book, six-figure deal to Razorbill, and P.J. Hoover’s young adult novel, SOLSTICE, forthcoming with Tor Teen in June 2013. Lara has a B.A. in English and Art History from Amherst College and an M.A. in English Literature from Columbia University, where she studied Victorian British Literature. In her pre-publishing life, she trained to be an architect, before deciding that books, not bricks, are her true passion. She spent over a year at the B.J. Robbins Literary Agency in Los Angeles before coming to Andrea Brown Literary.

What she is seeking: Lara is a fan of smart and raw young adult fiction, character-driven middle grade fiction with a totally original, hilarious voice, and so-adorable-she-can't-stand-it picture books, preferably with some age-appropriate emotional heft. She's a sucker for a great mystery and is passionate about stories that teach her new things or open up new worlds. More than anything, she has a soft spot for the wonderfully weird, the idiosyncratic, and the entirely unexpected.

How to contact her : lara [at] andreabrownlit.com. The agency only allows writers to query one agent, so please do not query Lara if you have queried other Andrea Brown agents in the past. Submission instructions are explained in detail on the agency submission page here. (Read carefully before contacting Lara.)
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Nikki Terpilowski of Holloway Literary

About Nikki: Nikki Terpilowski interned at a literary agency for a year before founding Holloway Literary. The agency only has 10 clients, and no street address. Several of the publishing houses Holloway works with also accept unagented manuscripts.

What she is seeking : Women's fiction, southern fiction, multicultural literary fiction, upmarket African-American fiction, steam punk, romance (all kinds except category), military and espionage thrillers, historical fiction, nonfiction with a strong platform and academic assessments of popular culture. Additionally, Nikki seeks graphic novels, Manga, YA, MG and children's picture books.

Nikki is especially interested in time travel, reincarnation, mythology, ancient civilizations, magical and animist realism, Japan, American history (especially hidden African-American history, interesting women in history, as well as the antebellum period, and the Civil and Revolutionary wars), the military (all branches, but especially the U.S. Marine Corp, Army and all Special Forces), espionage, martial arts, narrative nonfiction about food and beverage (especially organic food, wine and coffee), travel or expat life, international relations and foreign policy,and prescriptive nonfiction on spirituality, parenting, health and well-being.

Contact her at: submissions [at] hollowayliteraryagency.com. For fiction: send a one page query and the first fifteen pages of your ms in the body of the email. For nonfiction: send a proposal (and if relevant, link to related blog). Include a brief bio and social media links.

Here are three new literary agents looking for clients. As new agents, they are building their lists, which means they are eager not just for new writers, but for their success. Read the websites of their respective literary agencies to see if the agency offers services you may be interested in further along in your career.

Rachael Dillon Fried

About Rachael Dillon Fried: Rachael is a new agent at Sanford Greenburger Associates, located in New York. After a stint with International Creative Management’s [now ICM Partners] live appearances division in Los Angeles, associate agent Rachael Dillon Fried embraced her love of books and relocated to New York City to pursue a career in literary representation. She landed at Sanford Greenburger, where she assisted agent Heide Lange before becoming an associate agent. Rachael is a Rhode Island native and graduate of Brown University. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, a television writer. Find Rachael on Twitter.

What she is looking for: Rachael is enthusiastic about increasing her client list with both fiction and nonfiction authors. She has a keen interest in unique literary voices: women’s fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir and humor and pop culture. She hopes to build long-term relationships with clients who are passionate about developing their craft and career.

Recent Sales: Rules Of Becoming A Legend By Time Lane (Viking/Penguin), My Boyfriend Barfed In My Handbag...And Other Things You Can't Ask Martha By Jolie Kerr (Plume/Penguin), We Were Here By Mary Kubica  (Mira/Harlequin)

How to contact her: rfried [at] sjga.com. Please submit a query letter and your first three chapters to RFried@sjga.com. If she is interested in pursuing you as a client, She will contact you within six to eight weeks.

Shannon Hassan

About Shannon Hassan: Shannon Hassan is a new agent at Marsal Lyon Agency, located in Solana Beach, CA. Shannon has worked in publishing and law for more than a decade. She represents authors of literary and commercial fiction, young adult fiction, and select nonfiction. With respect to fiction: she is drawn to fresh voices, compelling characters, and crisp prose. For nonfiction: she is interested in memoirists with exceptional stories to tell, as well as authors with a strong platform in current affairs, history, education, or law. Based in Boulder, Colorado, she is also eager to hear from authors with a unique perspective on the New West.

Previously Shannon was an agent at the Warner Literary Group where she represented a range of literary and film projects, including the soon to be published Future Flash by Kita Murdock (Sky Pony Press). Prior to that she was the Acquisitions Editor at Fulcrum Publishing, where she worked with best-selling and award-winning authors such as Anita Thompson, Laurie David, Adam Schrager, Larry Schweiger, Marilou Awiakta, Matt Dembicki, Sally Kneidel, and Mitch Tobin.

Before entering the publishing world, Shannon was a corporate attorney at Arnold & Porter in New York, and she received her JD from Harvard and her BA from George Washington University. She has served on the board of the Publishers Association of the West and was a founding board member of the Boulder Writing Studio. Find her on Twitter.

What she is looking for: Shannon represents authors of literary and commercial fiction, young adult fiction, and select nonfiction. With respect to fiction: she is drawn to fresh voices, compelling characters, and crisp prose. For nonfiction: she is interested in memoirists with exceptional stories to tell, as well as authors with a strong platform in current affairs, history, education, or law.

How to contact her: Query Shannon [at] MarsalLyonLiteraryAgency.com and write “QUERY” in the subject line of the email. “In all submissions, please include a contact phone number as well as your email address. If we are interested in your work, we will call or email you. If not, we will respond via email. Our response time is generally 1-4 weeks for queries and 4-8 weeks for sample pages and manuscripts.”

Maria Vicente

About Maria Vicente: Maria Vicente is an Associate Agent at P.S. Literary Agency, located in Ontario, Canada. She has a B.A. in English Literature from Carleton University and a B.Ed. from The University of Western Ontario. Her reading preferences vary across categories and she is interested in writers with unique and creative concepts. Maria has a literary blog and can be found on Twitter at @MsMariaVicente.

What she is looking for: Maria is looking for literary and commercial fiction, new adult, young adult, middle grade, high-concept picture books, and nonfiction proposals in the pop culture, pop psychology, design, and lifestyle categories. She has a particular interest in magical realism, fiction with visual components, and nonfiction inspired by online culture.

How to contact her: Note: Please read the submission requirements on P.S. Literary's website carefully before sending a query. P.S. Literary only accepts queries via e-mail: query [at] psliterary.com. Please limit your query to one page and include the following: an introduction (the title and category of your work and an estimated word count), a brief overview (similar to back-cover copy), and a writer’s bio (a little bit about yourself and your background). Do not send attachments or submit a full-length manuscript/proposal unless requested. In your email subject line, have it read “Query for Maria: [Book Title].

These agents are actively seeking clients, so if your manuscript is ready, and if it fits their interests (read what they do and do not represent very carefully), "lob it over the fence" as one of my professors used to say. (Sports metaphors abound in communications schools.)


Beth Phelan

Beth Phelan has recently joined the Bent Agency in Brooklyn, NY.  As a new agent she is actively building her client list. This is how she describes herself:

“After graduating from New York University, I found my footing as an intern with the Levine Greenberg Literary Agency. Since then, I’ve held positions at Waxman Leavell Literary and Howard Morhaim Literary Agency. As a literary agent with the Bent Agency, I am looking for complex fiction that pulls you in immediately, characters that you wish were your real friends and plot lines that drag you away from reality to a world you never want to leave. My favorite stories are told with humor and sprinkled with surprises. When I was a kid, my father told me: ‘You’re not going to have any friends left if you keep reading instead of returning their phone calls.’ That’s when I knew I wanted to work with books (although I like to think that I’ve managed to strike a better balance in my life now). I live in Brooklyn with a neurotic chihuahua, goofy beagle and always some form of cheese in the fridge.”

What she is looking for:

Beth Phelan represents fiction for young adults and middle-grade readers, select commercial and literary adult fiction, and nonfiction by way of lifestyle, cooking/food writing, humor, pop culture, LGBT and pets/animals. For adult fiction, she leans toward new adult, suspense, thriller, and mystery

She is not considering sports, history, poetry, screenplays, reference, science, academic, short stories, erotica, art, self-help, spirituality.

How to contact her:

To query Beth, please read the agency submissions guidelines, then email phelanqueries [at] thebentagency.com.

Molly Glick

Molly Glick is an established literary agent who is looking for new clients. She is currently working with Foundry Media, a literary/talent agency based in New York. Like many agents, Molly worked as an editor (Crown), before switching to representing authors. She has served on the Contracts Committee of the AAR and teaches classes at Media Bistro and the Grotto. Her instructional articles on nonfiction proposal and query letter writing have been featured in Writer’s Digest.

What she is looking for:

"Mollie represents literary fiction, young adult fiction, narrative nonfiction, and a bit of practical nonfiction. She’s particularly interested in novels that bridge the literary-commercial divide, combining a great, high concept plot with beautiful writing, and nonfiction dealing with popular science, medicine, psychology, cultural history, memoir and current events. She’s very hands-on, working collaboratively with her authors to refine their projects, then focusing on identifying just the right editors for her submissions. Some of Mollie’s recent projects include New York Times Bestseller Jonathan Evison’s West of Here and The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving (Algonquin); Carol Rifka Brunt’s Tell The Wolves I’m Home (Random House); Rhonda Riley’s The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope (Ecco); Elizabeth Black’s The Drowning House (Nan A. Talese); Dr. Tracy Alloway’s The New IQ (Free Press); Lenore Skenazy’s Free Range Kids (Jossey-Bass); Josephine Angelini’s Starcrossed (Harper Teen) and Gennifer Albin’s Crewel (Farrar, Strauss & Giroux)."

How to contact her:

Mollie Glick only accepts submissions by email. Please send all queries for Mollie to mgsubmissions@foundrymedia.com. Read the agency's submissions page first.

Monica Odom

Monica Odom joined Liza Dawson Associates in 2010. She is also the agency’s manager of finance and social media. Monica graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in English from Montclair State University, and is now a candidate for her Masters in Publishing from New York University. Prior to joining LDA, Monica interned at Joelle Delbourgo Associates, New Jersey Business Magazine, and MTV Networks’ Public Affairs department. Find her on Twitter. In her free time, Monica can most often be found with her nose in a book (or handheld screen), unless she is catering to the various and extensive needs of her spoiled-rotten cats, Sam and Luna.

What she is looking for:

Monica is looking for literary fiction, women’s fiction and voice-driven memoir, as well as nonfiction in the areas of pop culture, food and cooking, history, politics, and current affairs. Monica is especially interested in writers with strong social media platforms.

How to contact her:

Contact Monica at querymonica [at] LizaDawsonAssociates.com. Along with your query letter, please include the first ten pages of your manuscript as an email attachment.

Connor Goldsmith 

Connor Goldsmith is an Associate Agent and Digital Strategist at Lowenstein Associates, a New York based agency founded in 1976 by Barbara Lowenstein.

What he is looking for:

Connor specializes in adult science fiction and fantasy, but is also looking for psychological thrillers and literary fiction with a unique hook. He is particularly looking for fiction from authors from marginalized perspectives, especially LGBT and/or racial minority authors. He is also very interested in manuscripts with LGBT and/or racial minority protagonists. Connor does not represent Young Adult or Middle Grade books.As a nonfiction literary agent, Connor seeks books by recognized experts with broad, established platforms. Subjects of interest include cinema, television, theater, mass media, historical biography, and progressive politics.

How to contact him

“For fiction, please send us a one-page query letter, along with the first ten pages pasted in the body of the message by email to assistant@bookhaven.com. If nonfiction, please send a one-page query letter, a table of contents, and, if available, a proposal pasted into the body of the e-mail to assistant [at] bookhaven.com. Please put the word QUERY and the title of your project in the subject field of your email and address it to the agent of your choice (Connor). Please do not send an attachment as the message will be deleted without being read and no reply will be sent. We reply to all queries and generally send a response within 4-6 weeks.

Here are two more agents actively seeking clients. Make sure to read about them on their agency websites, as well as any personal websites they maintain. If they write a blog (Anna Olswanger does), read that as well. Knowing what an agent likes and doesn't like - not just in terms of the writers they represent, but how they view the world - is essential for a good fit.

Anna Olswanger

Anna Olswanger has been an agent with the prestigious Liza Dawson agency since 2005. Her experience shows in her recent sales, which have been to the larger publishing houses: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Random House, and Bloomsbury.

What she is looking for:

Anna is actively looking for picture books, adult nonfiction, and historical mysteries (adult). In a recent interview with Chuck Sambuchino she says, "I like working with author-illustrators of picture books for children, and I like art that is sophisticated and that leans towards fine art. I am hoping to work with more authors of serious nonfiction (politics, science, finance). Kindness to animals is a big interest of mine, as are Judaica and Israel. Two books I wish I could have agented are Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle by Dan Senor and Saul Singer and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. I have some interest in middle grade fiction, none in YA. In the case of middle grade fiction, the writing has to really sparkle. I would love to represent an author of adult or middle grade historical mysteries whose research is impeccable, and whose writing is sharp and reflects the research, but without the research showing. I wish there were an ancient Israel equivalent of Steven Saylor's ancient Rome mysteries."

How to contact her:

Before you contact Anna, be sure to read her bio on her website: Anna Olswanger. This will give you a very good idea of her interests. Contact her at queryanna@LizaDawsonAssociates.com (no phone calls or snail mail submissions, please).

Adam Muhlig

Adam Muhlig was recently hired by McIntosh & Otis an established literary agency located in New York. He was the former Director of Rare Books and Manuscripts at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. In addition to authors (including several United States Poets Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winners), his clients include composers, performers, libraries, archives, and various private and public educational institutions throughout the United States.

What he is looking for: 

Adam is looking for fresh voices, both in fiction and narrative nonfiction. He is interested in new analyses and fresh perspectives by or about mavericks in the field of music - from jazz to classical to punk/pop - as well as texts focusing on natural history, travel, adventure and sports.

How to contact him:

Before contacting Adam, read McIntosh & Otis' submission guidelines HERE. Follow them to the letter. To query Adam Muhlig, please send the proper materials to AMquery@mcintoshandotis.com

Recently, Laura Bennett interviewed the legendary Andrew Wylie (aka "The Jackal') for the New Republic. Wylie is an anomaly among literary agents. He despises commercial fiction, dislikes e-readers (he tossed his Kindle after one day), and is a vociferous proponent of traditional print publishing.

As someone who has been around the block (a few times), and ruffled myriad feathers (more than a few times), his take on what is going on in the publishing industry is well worth reading. Here is a snippet of what he thinks about publishing on Amazon.

LB: What would it take to get you to sell a book to Amazon? 

AW: If one of my children were kidnapped and they were threatening to throw a child off a bridge and I believed them, I might.

LB: That sounds reasonable.

For an insider's view of the publishing industry, nothing beats a well-seasoned agent. I encourage you to read this interview - several times.
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The Andrew Wylie Rules: How the literary agent still makes millions off highbrow

Interview by Laura Bennett

Among literary agents, Andrew Wylie is as old school as they come. Dubbed “the Jackal” for his aggressive poaching of other people’s clients, his distaste for commercial fiction and his disinterest in social media is legendary. He is the reigning king of the backlist, profiting mainly off classic titles rather than taking risky bets on new ones. His only criterion is enduring quality, and his client list is eye-popping: Amis, Nabokov, Bellow, Rushdie, Roth.

It might seem that Wylie’s single-minded emphasis on highbrow literature would have made him an early casualty of the turmoil in book publishing. Instead, he has thrived—throughout the rise of the mega-bookstores, the emergence of Amazon, and the e-book turf war over digital rights and royalties. In 2010, Wylie launched his own publishing initiative, Odyssey Editions, collaborating with Amazon to release digital editions of major books such as Lolita and Midnight’s Children, bypassing publishers entirely. It was an attempt to pressure publishing houses to offer higher e-royalties to his authors, but after Random House refused to do business with the Wylie Agency, he backed down.

The publishing industry has now arrived at yet another crossroads. Last year, a Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit charged five major publishing houses and Apple with e-book price-fixing, a major victory for Amazon. In July, Random House and Penguin merged to form a corporate colossus that controls a quarter of world book publishing. That has left literary agents scrambling to define their role. Will consolidation mean fewer places to pitch projects or stronger publishers with more purchasing power? Could Amazon succeed in eliminating middlemen entirely?

Read the rest of this enlightening interview HERE.