ABS Literary Agency, Inc.
P.O. Box 397, Ashland, OR 97520-0014
Fax: 541-488-6937
Contact: (Ms.) W. Gail Manchur, President
Accepts queries by email (no attachments, please) and postal mail if they follow our guidelines. No faxed queries or submissions, and no unsolicited manuscripts. Check website for guidelines and hints on preparing a manuscript and other valuable information. We do not accept children's books, poetry, cookbooks, memoirs, autobiographies, romance, horror, pornography (soft or hard), swords and dragons fantasy. Query for other genre. We accept both fiction and nonfiction, but query first. Small but select list of clients includes 20% published and 80% unpublished. No upfront fees of any kind, and we do not submit to subsidy or vanity publishers. We do not recommend specific editors or editing services. We follow the Canon of Ethics of the AAR, Inc.
Emmanuelle Alspaugh
Judith Ehrlich Literary Management
880 Third Ave., Eighth Floor, New York NY 10022
ealspaugh@judithehrlichliterary.com
judithehrlichliterary.com
FICTION INTERESTS: romance, women’s fiction, historical fiction.
NONFICTION INTERESTS: narrative nonfiction, memoir, business and how-to.
ACTIVELY SEEKING: paranormal, futuristic and historical romance, and urban fantasy.
DOES NOT WANT: detective stories, spy thrillers, cozy mysteries or any novel with a dead body in the first chapter.
HOW TO CONTACT: “E-mail queries preferred. A nonfiction query should clearly describe the project and the author’s qualifications for writing it, emphasizing any platform and existing audience the author has developed for the book, and listing any professional published work.
TIPS: “It’s useful to mention any trade press books to which your work might be compared. If we are sufficiently intrigued by your project, we will ask for samples or the complete proposal or ms.”
Bernadette Baker-Baughman
Baker’s Mark Literary Agency
P.O. Box 8382, Portland OR 97207
info@bakersmark.com
bakersmark.com
SPECIALIZES IN: nonfiction and graphic novels.
NONFICTION INTERESTS: image-rich books, pop culture, light sociology and narrative nonfiction.
OTHER INTERESTS: beautifully illustrated works of non-fiction, memoir, YA fiction (especially oriented toward female readers) and contemporary literature. Agent is also willing to talk to writers who have comic scripts without art attached.
DOES NOT WANT: sci-fi, Western or children’s books.
HOW TO CONTACT: “We prefer a query before you send us your ms. Query via e-mail. Your query should be one page with no attachments and no chapters included in the body of the e-mail. Queries sent with attachments will be deleted unread.
Michelle Brower
Folio Literary Management
505 8th Avenue, Suite 603
New York, NY 10018
michelle@foliolit.com
foliolit.com
NONFICTION INTERESTS: memoir, pop culture, humor, animal/pet books, popular science and narrative nonfiction.
FICTION INTERESTS: literary and commercial fiction, including thrillers, graphic novels, select YA titles, books that capture elements of the strange and wonderful, and those that offer a unique perspective of the world.
DOES NOT WANT: cozies, romance, picture books, genre sci-fi or horror.
HOW TO CONTACT: Put "Query" in the subject line of the e-mail. “For fiction, send a query with enough information about the novel and your writing credentials for me to evaluate whether the material is going to be right for me.
Brown Literary Agency Ltd.
410 7th Street Northwest Naples, Florida 34120
Telephone: (239)455-7190, E-mail: broagent@aol.com
Contact: Roberta Brown, agent
Query with synopsis and first chapter only. Include SASE.Established authors only, or winners of 5 major competitions if unpublished. Agency represents women'sfiction & romance, all genres.
Danielle Chiotti
Upstart Crow Literary
danielle.submission@gmail.com
upstartcrowliterary.com
NONFICTION INTERESTS: narrative nonfiction, memoir, self-help, relationships, humor, current events, women’s issues and cooking.
FICTION INTERESTS: commercial women’s fiction and multicultural fiction (with a “literary” edge), romance, paranormal romance and YA fiction for girls.
DOES NOT WANT: sci-fi/fantasy, hard-boiled mystery or thrillers.
HOW TO CONTACT: Query through e-mail.
Stacia Decker
Donald Maass Literary
sdecker@maassagency.com
maassagency.com
FICTION INTERESTS: hard-boiled mystery and crime fiction.
HOW TO CONTACT: E-query letter with the first 5 pages pasted into the body of the e-mail. She will request more if interested.
Amberly Finarelli
Andrea Hurst Literary Management
P.O. Box 19010, Sacramento CA 95819
amberly@andreahurst.com
andreahurst.com
NONFICTION INTERESTS: humor/gift books, crafts, how-to (financial, house and home, health and beauty, weddings), relationships/advice, self-help, psychology, travel writing and narrative nonfiction.
FICTION INTERESTS: commercial women’s fiction; comic and cozy mysteries; literary fiction with a focus on the arts, culture and/or history.
HOW TO CONTACT: Query with a SASE by mail, or send an e-query. For fiction, submit a synopsis and two sample chapters. For nonfiction, submit the complete proposal.
Diana Flegal
Hartline Literary
123 Queenston Dr., Pittsburgh PA 15235
diana@hartlineliterary.com
hartlineliterary.com
NONFICTION INTERESTS: how-to from an “in the know” perspective, with credentials to back that up. Looking for “where the rubber meets the road” realistic solutions to life’s trying circumstances and issues with a broad base of interest (nonacademic but not in conflict with a Christian worldview). Parenting, marriage, arts and health. “Non-preachy is fine, but heavier spiritual material is welcome as well.”
FICTION INTERESTS: contemporary fiction with deep characterization and compelling, fast-paced story lines that show characters facing realistic circumstances, and sort of wrestling out their faith issues to a satisfying conclusion.
DOES NOT WANT: memoirs or biblical historical fiction.
HOW TO CONTACT: E-mail submissions with a complete proposal per the guidelines on the agency’s website. Allow 60 days for a reply. For fiction, submit a package that includes your cover letter, bio, synopsis, market analysis, marketing strategies (if any) and the firstthree chapters.
Loren S. Grossman
Paul S. Levine Literary Agency
1054 Superba Ave., Venice CA 90291
lrg@ix.netcom.com
paulslevinelit.com
NONFICTION INTERESTS: child guidance/parenting, education/academics, health/medicine, science/technology.
HOW TO CONTACT: Writers are encouraged to refer to one or more books for writers on how to query. Send a one- page, single-spaced query, preferably via e-mail (although snail mail is acceptable). Place the word “Query” in the subject line or “Re:” field of your query. No phone calls. In your query, note your target market, with a summary of specifics on how your work differs from other authors’ published work. All submissions should be free of spelling and grammatical errors. If you’re asked to submit material and you would like it returned should the agency not represent you, enclose a SASE.
Sammie L. Justesen
Northern Lights Literary Services
11248 N. Boyer Rd., Suite A, Sandpoint ID 83864
sammie@northernlightsls.com
northernlightsls.com
NONFICTION INTERESTS: health, biography, psychology, self-help, how-to, food, parenting, new age, medical and business.
FICTION INTERESTS: women’s, romance, mystery, Christian and suspense.
DOES NOT WANT: horror, children’s, erotica.
HOW TO CONTACT: E-queries only. For fiction, send a query, a one- or two-page synopsis of the plot, and the first few pages. Also include an author bio relating to your writing experience. Don’t send entire ms unless requested.
Jennifer Laughran
Andrea Brown Literary Agency
jennl@andreabrownlit.com
andreabrownlit.com
FICTION INTERESTS: children’s and YA only—realistic YA and middle-grade, humor, mystery, adventure, light fantasy and YA romance.
DOES NOT WANT: adult fiction, picture books, early readers, nonfiction, high fantasy or religious stories.
HOW TO CONTACT: E-mail queries only. Put “Query” in the subject line. Send the query and the first 10 pages in the body of the e-mail.
Alexandra H. Machinist
The Linda Chester and Associates Literary Agency
submissions@lindachester.com
lindachester.com
NONFICTION INTERESTS: narrative nonfiction, pop culture, popular science and travel narrative.
FICTION INTERESTS: literary fiction, literary suspense, upmarket women’s fiction, anything and everything that explores a subculture, historical, historical romance, paranormal romance and any other novel that will keep her up turning pages all night.
DOES NOT WANT: memoir, prescriptive nonfiction or chick lit.
HOW TO CONTACT: Agent responds only to submissions that follow these guidelines: “Please send a query that includes a comprehensive synopsis of the project, as well as a bio listing your writing and life credentials, to submissions@lindachester.com.” If she’s interested in your work, she will respond within four weeks. Snail mail submissions will not be reviewed.
Jennifer Mattson
Andrea Brown Literary Agency
jmatt@andreabrownlit.com
andreabrownlit.com
FICTION INTERESTS: picture books that are real, storytime-ready stories (no one-joke tales or mood pieces). For the older set, she’s drawn to richly imagined fantasies that depart from old-hat heroic quests (alternate realities, magical realism and steampunk are all styles/premises to have recently caught her notice).
ACTIVELY SEEKING: dystopian fiction for middle-graders and sprawling, atmospheric tales with Dickensian twists and satisfying puzzles. But as much as high-concept novels pique her interest, the most mind-blowing premise can’t hide a flat narrative that rarely reaches for unexpected descriptions, fully fleshed characterizations or a zinging narrative voice.
DOES NOT WANT: fables and folktales.
HOW TO CONTACT: Send the query and first 10 pages via e-mail. If you haven’t heard from her within eight weeks, please assume she is passing on your project.
Jeffery McGraw
The August Agency
submissions@augustagency.com
augustagency.com
ACTIVELY SEEKING: women’s fiction, well-written melodramas (consider Gone With the Wind or The Hours) and witty comedies-of-manners (All About Eve). His other favorite areas are nonfiction subjects: political science, history, biography, self-help, health, lifestyle and the
social sciences.
HOW TO CONTACT: E-query with the word “query” in the subject line. Include a detailed summary of your book (one to two paragraphs only), a chapter outline (for nonfiction only), a brief paragraph explaining who you are and why you have chosen to write this particular book, and the first 1,000 words or first chapter (which must be pasted within the body of your e-mail; all unsolicited attachments will be deleted).
Kate McKean
Howard Morhaim Literary Agency
30 Pierrepont St., Brooklyn NY 11201
kmckean@morhaimliterary.com
morhaimliterary.com
NONFICTION INTERESTS: narrative nonfiction, sports-related books, food writing, pop culture and craft.
FICTION INTERESTS: literary fiction, contemporary women’s fiction, paranormal romance, romantic suspense, urban fantasy, mystery, YA and middle-grade fiction.
DOES NOT WANT: epic fantasy, sci-fi or children’s picture books.
HOW TO CONTACT: Agent prefers e-mail queries, and generally responds in six to eight weeks. Send a query letter and three sample chapters.
Courtney Miller-Callihan
Sanford J. Greenburger Associates
55 Fifth Ave., 15th Floor, New York NY 10003
cmiller@sjga.com
greenburger.com
NONFICTION INTERESTS: practical/how-to books, self-help, pop culture, lifestyle and narrative nonfiction.
FICTION INTERESTS: historical fiction, commercial women’s fiction and kids’ books.
DOES NOT WANT: religious/spiritual titles, talking animal books, thrillers and sci-fi.
HOW TO CONTACT: “Query via e-mail. Please submit a query, book proposal or the first three chapters of the ms, a synopsis of the work and a brief bio or résumé. I generally reply to queries within six weeks.”
Robin Mizell
Robin Mizell Ltd.
P.O. Box 1270, Athens OH 45701
mail@robinmizell.com
robinmizell.com
NONFICTION INTERESTS: long-form narrative journalism, neuroscience, psychology, sociology, pop culture, memoir and biography.
FICTION INTERESTS: literary and commercial fiction, graphic novels, YA and book-length short-story collections.
HOW TO CONTACT: Query via e-mail with a summary of the book, the word count and an explanation of your platform, credentials and expertise. Also include the first five pages of your ms.
Tamela Hancock Murray
Hartline Literary
10383 Godwin Dr., Manassas VA 20110
tamela@hartlineliterary.com
hartlineliterary.com
NONFICTION INTERESTS: work submitted from writers with a great platform and media presence who can partner with the publisher to sell books.
FICTION INTERESTS: Christian fiction, primarily romance. Historical is of special interest at this time.
HOW TO CONTACT: E-queries only, sent to the above e-mail address. For fiction, submit a package that includes your cover letter, bio, story synopsis, market analysis, marketing strategies (if any) and the first three chapters. For nonfiction, include a query and a comprehensive book proposal with at least three sample chapters.
Ellen Pepus
Signature Literary Agency
ellen@signaturelit.com
signaturelit.com
NONFICTION INTERESTS: narrative nonfiction, memoir, food and travel writing, pop culture and self-help.
FICTION INTERESTS: high-quality literary and commercial fiction, women’s fiction and romance, historical fiction, erotica and mysteries.
DOES NOT WANT: sci-fi, fantasy, short stories or children’s books.
HOW TO CONTACT: Send your query by e-mail. No unsolicited attachments. Responds in two to three weeks.
Katharine Sands
Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency
200 E. 62nd St., Suite 30D, New York NY 10065
katharinesands@nyc.rr.com
NONFICTION INTERESTS: books that have a clear benefit for readers’ lives in the categories of food, travel, lifestyle, home arts, beauty, wisdom, relationships, parenting and fresh looks, which might be at issues, life challenges or pop culture. For compelling reads in “faction,” memoir and “femoir,” she likes to be transported to a world rarely or newly observed.
FICTION INTERESTS: literary fiction, chick lit, commercial fiction.
HOW TO CONTACT: Send an e-query. If sending nonfiction, send the book proposal.
Jessica Sinsheimer
Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency
submissions@sarahjanefreymann.com
sarahjanefreymann.com
NONFICTION INTERESTS: food memoirs, travel memoirs, Parenting, Psychology, and cookbooks
FICTION INTERESTS: women’s fiction, literary fiction, young adult
HOW TO CONTACT: Please put “Query for Jessica” at the start of the e-mail subject line to get your work read. All queries are read and considered, though she can only respond to those that interest her. “I won’t object to a few sample pages (attach them as a Word document, please): I know that writing queries is a skill separate from writing manuscripts.”
Gretchen Stelter
Baker’s Mark Literary Agency
P.O. Box 8382, Portland OR 97207
info@bakersmark.com
bakersmark.com
FICTION INTERESTS: middle-grade and YA fiction, magic(al) realism, contemporary fiction and women’s fiction. Agent is interested in anything with an urban-fantasy touch (more Mike Carey than Maurice G. Dantec), and the middle-grade and YA should have edgy, true-to-life characters and dialogue. The contemporary and women’s fiction should have a wide entry point for its audience but a strong hook that makes it stand out from the crowd.
HOW TO CONTACT: “We prefer a query before you send us your ms. Query us via e-mail. Your query should be one page with no attachments and no chapters included in the body of the e-mail. Queries sent with attachments will be deleted unread. If, based on your query, we ask to see more of your work, we will request more material to be sent via the U.S. Postal Service. Work without a SASE will not be returned. Please do not submit any original materials.”
Jon Sternfeld
Irene Goodman Literary Agency
27 W. 24th St., Suite 700B, New York NY 10010
queries@irenegoodman.com
irenegoodman.com
INTERESTS: literary fiction and narrative nonfiction that combines a love of literature with an adventurous spirit. Agent is open to all writers with an original voice, and he has a particular interest in nonfiction that focuses on cultural, historical and social issues.
HOW TO CONTACT: Send a query and the first 10 pages, along with a detailed synopsis of the book, in the body of an e-mail. Agent responds in two months. E-mail queries to personal addresses will not be answered. No snail mail queries.
Ted Weinstein
Ted Weinstein Literary Management
twliterary.com
FICTION INTERESTS: None.
NONFICTION INTERESTS: All nonfiction subjects, including but not limited to: business and personal finance, politics, health, food, history and biography, popular science, and pop culture.
HOW TO CONTACT: E-queries only. Send a query or query & full, polished nonfiction book proposal. Put the words “Author Submission” in the subject line and paste materials in the e-mail, rather than as attachments (which will not be opened). Submissions e-mail available on website.
Christine Witthohn
Book Cents Literary Agency
2011 Quarrier St., Charleston WV 25311
cw@bookcentsliteraryagency.com
bookcentsliteraryagency.com
NONFICTION INTERESTS: women’s issues/experiences, gardening (herbs, plants, flowers), fun/quirky topics (particularly those of interest to women) and cookbooks. Agent also has a real fondness for travel and outdoor adventure.
FICTION INTERESTS: great YA/tween/teen projects, romances (contemporary, romantic comedies, paranormal, mystery/suspense), women’s lit (must have a strong hook), mainstream mystery/suspense, as well as exceptional literary fiction.
DOES NOT WANT: sci-fi, inspirational, erotica, horror/dark thrillers, short stories/novellas, poetry or screenplays.
HOW TO CONTACT: Agent accepts e-queries only. No attachments. Nonfiction queries should clearly describe the project and include the writer’s qualifications and the first chapter. Fiction queries must include the genre, word count, a clear summary of the plot and characters, any writing credentials and the first chapter in the body of the e-mail. Agent loves edgy stories and authors who think outside the box. It always helps when authors know their target market and competition.