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  • Guide to Literary Agents

Young Adult Literary Agents

A list of literary agents who represent young adult novels and stories: agent interviews, profiles, query instruction, guest columns, and more.

Literary Agent Interview: Stacey Glick of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management

October 7, 2012 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 2
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This installment features Stacey Glick of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. She joined DGLM in 1999 after working in film and television development for five years. Following a number of internships in the entertainment business, her first job after college was at PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, where she looked for book projects to be adapted into feature films. Next, she worked as a story editor at Hearst Entertainment, where she scouted material for television movies. A former child actress, she now lives in New Jersey with her husband and four little girls.

She is seeking: young adult, middle grade, and adult contemporary fiction of all kinds as well as fiction narrative nonfiction, parenting, cooking and food, biography, memoir, psychology, self-help & how-to, health/fitness, lifestyle, current events, and pop culture. Read more

The 2013 Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market Is Out — And Here Are 6 Darn Good Reasons to Buy It (and Naturally I’m Giving Away Books!)

September 27, 2012 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 94
2013 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market

The 2013 Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market is out and available in major bookstores! I’m super pumped about its release. It’s a great resource guide for writers of picture books and novels for kids (young adult, middle grade) as well as illustrators. The new 2013 edition is all updated and packed with info. Now in its 25th year, the newest edition still provides great market and submission/contact information for book publishers, international publishers, literary agents, contests, magazines, conferences and more. Click through to read 5 testimonials about the book from amazing bestselling authors like Jay Asher and Meg Cabot.

THE GIVEAWAY!!! Comment on this post and just say anything nice about any element of Writer’s Digest you enjoy — from a blog post to a class or a book or anything else. In two weeks, I will pick 2 winners randomly to win a copy of the book! It’s that easy. (UPDATE: kathyellendavis and PatriceWrites won.) Read more

New Literary Agent Alert: Michelle Witte of Mansion Street Literary Management

September 24, 2012 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 0
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About Michelle: As a new literary agent at Mansion Street Literary Management, Michelle Witte brings with her a wealth of experience, not only with juvenile fiction, but with the publishing industry as a whole. Michelle began her career as a journalist, first reporting and then later copy editing for the Deseret Morning News in Salt Lake City, Utah, the second largest paper in the state. From there, she transitioned with her editing skills to nonfiction publisher Gibbs Smith, where she oversaw creation, editing, and production of more than thirty titles, including children’s activity, humor, gift, cookbooks, and a smattering of other topics from blacksmithing to green living. Her entire bio is online at her personal website.

She is seeking: Michelle will be primarily representing young adult and middle grade works. She also reps children’s nonfiction. Read more

New Literary Agent Alert: Thao Le of Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency

September 10, 2012 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 5
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She is seeking: Thao is currently building her list and is specifically interested in middle grade and YA, as well as adult science-fiction and fantasy. She’s particularly drawn to smart, strong and sassy characters (whether they be robots, fairies, demons or of the human variety) and twisty plots with a compelling narrative. She’s always on the lookout for the type of stories that make you stay curled up in bed, turning page after page even after the sun has come up. Read more

New Literary Agent Alert: Pam van Hylckama Vlieg of Foreword Literary (formerly of Larsen Pomada Literary)

August 29, 2012 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 1
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Reminder: Newer agents are golden opportunities for new writers because they’re likely building their client list; however, always make sure your work is as perfect as it can be before submitting, and only query agencies that are a great fit for your work. Otherwise, you’re just wasting time and postage.

She is seeking: young adult and middle grade children’s book authors, and adult romance & new adult fiction authors. Read more

Literary Agent Interview: Adrienne Rosado of Nancy Yost Literary Agency

August 20, 2012 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 0
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This installment features Adrienne Rosado of the Nancy Yost Literary Agency. Adrienne is an agent at NYLA as well as the Foreign Rights Director. She is proud to represent authors such as Rita Award winner Caridad Ferrer and debut YA novelist Zoraida Cordova. You can find Adrienne on Twitter here.

She is seeking: Adrienne is interested in literary and commercial fiction, especially YA, urban fantasy, multicultural fiction, and women’s fiction, all with strong voices and an authentic tone. She’s especially drawn to dark humor and innovative takes on classic literary themes. Read more

7 Things I’ve Learned So Far, by Megan Bostic

August 4, 2012 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 28
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This is a recurring column I’m calling “7 Things I’ve Learned So Far,” where writers at any stage of their career can talk about seven things they’ve learned along their writing journey that they wish they knew at the beginning. This installment is from young adult writer Megan Bostic.

GIVEAWAY: Megan is excited to give away a free copy of her novel to a random commenter. Comment within 2 weeks; winners must live in Canada/US to receive the book by mail. You can win a blog contest even if you’ve won before. (UPDATE: SJ Mitchell won.) Read more

Literary Agent Interview: Evan Gregory of The Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency

July 28, 2012 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 0
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This installment features Evan Gregory of The Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency. Evan began at the agency in 2008 as an Assistant. He currently manages subsidiary rights for the agency in addition to his duties as an agent and general office manager. You can find him on Twitter or over at his blog.

He is seeking: In literary fiction, Evan is looking for horror, mystery, thrillers, science-fiction, fantasy, and women’s literature. He also accepts children’s books including picture books, early readers, and middle grade as well as young adult. In narrative nonfiction, his interests vary and he’s looking for a wide range of subjects including arts, cinema, photography, biography, business, cooking, health, history, nature, family, politics, science, sports, and travel. Read more

How I Got My Agent: Gina Damico

July 25, 2012 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 1
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“How I Got My Agent” is a recurring feature on the GLA blog. Some tales are of long roads and many setbacks, while others are of good luck and quick signings.

Author Gina Damico writes young adult fiction, and her first novel, CROAK, was released in March 2012 from Graphia. She received a degree in theater and sociology from Boston College, where she was active with the Committee for Creative Enactments, a collegiate murder mystery improv comedy troupe that may or may not have sparked an interest in wildly improbable bloodshed. Read more

Literary Agent Interview: Jita Fumich of Folio Literary Management

July 24, 2012 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 0
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This installment features Jita Fumich of Folio Literary Management. Jita first began working with Folio in 2006. She holds a B.A. from New York University and has taken classes at NYU’s Center for Publishing. As an agent, Jita seeks to work with her authors on all aspects of their career—understanding that being an author today involves more than just writing a great book. In addition to traditional agenting, Jita is the Digital Liaison at Folio. In this capacity, she assists all Folio authors seeking to self-publish both backlist and original titles in electronic format.

She is seeking: Urban fantasy, lighter traditional fantasy, edgy paranormal romance, edgy contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspense, women’s fiction, commercial fiction, YA of all sorts, and select narrative nonfiction. Read more

Literary Agent Interview: Erica Rand Silverman of Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc.

July 11, 2012 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 2
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“Agent Advice” (more than 170 interviews so far!) is a series of quick interviews with literary and script agents who talk with Guide to Literary Agents about their thoughts on writing, publishing, and just about anything else.

This installment features Erica Silverman of Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc. Erica represents authors such as Mariah Bruehl, Celeste Conway, Rachelle Doorley (Tinkerlab, Shambhala 2014), Eric Kahn Gale (The Bully Book, HarperCollins 2013), C.J. Hill, Leslie Koplow and Caldecott winner Peter Spier. She works on the management teams of various literary estates, including Don Freeman (Corduroy), Marguerite Henry and Lois Lenski. Read more

Literary Agent Interview: Ann Behar of Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency

June 22, 2012 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 1
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“Agent Advice” (more than 170 interviews so far!) is a series of quick interviews with literary and script agents who talk with Guide to Literary Agents about their thoughts on writing, publishing, and just about anything else.

This installment features Ann Behar of Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency. Ann holds M.A. in English Literature and a J.D. from the University of San Diego Law School. With the birth of her two daughters, Ann waited a few years before jumping into the literary agency business where she found her English degree and law degree to be equally valuable. Read more

Literary Agent Interview: Melissa Flashman of Trident Media Group, LLC

May 24, 2012 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 0
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“Agent Advice” (more than 150 interviews so far!) is a series of quick interviews with literary and script agents who talk with Guide to Literary Agents about their thoughts on writing, publishing, and just about anything else.

This installment features Melissa Flashman of Trident Media Group, LLC. Melissa grew up in Kentucky, graduated from Wesleyan University, and studied in the Ph.D. program in English at Johns Hopkins. She worked as an assistant at International Creative Management (ICM) before joining Trident Media Group. You can find Melissa on Twitter here. Read more

New Literary Agent Alert: Andrew Wetzel of Martin Literary Management

April 9, 2012 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 0
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He is seeking: “Speaking of my tastes, the areas I’d most like to carve out for myself with Martin Literary Management would be ‘Literary with a capital L’ fiction (think Eugenides, Houellebecq, Murakami, Cormac McCarthy, Martin Amis) as well as the dark corner of the literary list that is slightly less pretentious and slightly more commercial (think Palahniuk, Bret Easton Ellis, Dennis Johnson). That’s a very ‘male’ list and it is definitely where my personal tastes lie. I love a great story but style is just as important to me sometimes. I’m also very interested in reading Young Adult novels, specifically those with a macabre sensibility or a fascinating dystopian or fantasy setting…” Read more

How I Got My Agent: Robin Mellom

January 26, 2012 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 20
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“How I Got My Agent” is a recurring feature on the GLA Blog. Some tales are of long roads and many setbacks, while others are of good luck and quick signings. If you have a literary agent and would be interested in writing a short guest column for this GLA blog, e-mail me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com and we’ll talk specifics.

Robin Mellom is the author of DITCHED: A LOVE STORY, a young adult novel released in Jan. 2012 by Disney/Hyperion.

GIVEAWAY: Robin is excited to give away a free copy of her book to a random commenter. Comment within one week; winners must live in Canada/US to receive the book by mail. You can win a blog contest even if you’ve won before. (Update: Grammarian won.) Read more

Literary Agent Interview: Nicole Resciniti of the Seymour Agency

January 24, 2012 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 5
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“Agent Advice” is a series of quick interviews with literary and script agents who talk with Guide to Literary Agents about their thoughts on writing, publishing, and just about anything else. This installment features Nicole Resciniti of the Seymour Agency. Nicole is a member of AAR, ACFW, RWA, and Mensa. She holds degrees in biology, psychology, and behavioral neuroscience. She also Tweets.

She is seeking: romance, mainstream suspense, thrillers, mysteries, young adult, inspirational, science fiction/fantasy, and action/adventure. Read more

7 Things I’ve Learned So Far, by Miranda Kenneally

December 13, 2011 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 13
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This is a recurring column I’m calling “7 Things I’ve Learned So Far,” where writers at any stage of their career can talk about seven things they’ve learned along their writing journey that they wish they knew at the beginning. This installment is from YA writer Miranda Kenneally.

1. Writing is still hard. Just because I have an agent and a book deal doesn’t mean that all my writing is supposed to come out perfectly the first time. Writing is still very hard work, no matter who believes in your raw talent. Read more

More Than 60 Agents Will Be Taking Pitches at the 2012 Writer’s Digest Conference

December 6, 2011 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 1
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The 2012 Writer’s Digest Conference (Jan. 20-22, 2012) is coming up fast and promises to be a blast. We have incredible presenters lined up to instruct, fun sessions to attend, and, of course the gigantic Agent Pitch Slam that features the largest gathering of literary agents (more than 60 literary agents this year!) at any writing conference in the country. Last year, we had about 55, but the conference attendance was so outstanding that we felt lines were too long for each agent. That’s why our solution this year is “more agents, more time.” Read on. Read more

Literary Agent Interview: Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency

October 17, 2011 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 4
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This installment features Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency. A freelance copyeditor, Dawn reviewed mysteries for years before starting Blue Ridge Literary Agency in January 2009. She lives in Lynchburg, Va., where she also facilitates a local writers’ group and is very active in her church. Although she read mysteries for fun, she handles most types of fiction and children’s fiction. She also blogs and Tweets.

She is seeking: mysteries, cozy mysteries, thrillers, urban fantasy, romance (no erotica), sci-fi, women’s, general, historical, Christian, young adult, middle-grade, and young readers. She does not seek: poetry, scripts, short stories, children’s picture books, memoirs, nonfiction, or screenplays. Read more

Literary Agent Interview: Deidre Knight of the Knight Agency

June 22, 2011 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 6
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This installment features Deidre Knight of The Knight Agency. Deidre established The Knight Agency (TKA) in 1996 after working in the entertainment industry.

She is seeking: romance, nonfiction, literary fiction, young adult and middle grade lists with debut or established authors. Read more

Literary Agent Interview: Taylor Martindale of Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency

June 10, 2011 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 5
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This installment features Taylor Martindale of Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. Taylor is a proud graduate of The College of William and Mary and holds a BA in English, with a minor in Hispanic Studies. She was the Copy Chief of her college newspaper for three years and occasionally does freelance writing for a local paper. Before joining SDLA in Summer 2009, Taylor was the Submissions Coordinator at Bliss Literary Agency, Intl. She also Tweets.

She is seeking: She is most interested in acquiring young adult fiction—specifically gritty contemporary and unique paranormal/urban fantasy. She also accepts children’s picture books, commercial fiction, women’s fiction, and multicultural fiction. She does not want business, political, or science books; cookbooks, or self-help. Read more

Literary Agent Interview: Sandy Lu of L. Perkins Agency

April 30, 2011 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 2
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This installment features Sandy Lu of L. Perkins Agency. Sandy holds BAs in psychology and sociology from Queens College, with minors in music, business, and Japanese. Prior to becoming an agent, she attended the Ph.D. Program in Social and Personality Psychology at the CUNY Graduate Center and worked as a business/operations manager in the theater industry.

She is seeking: In fiction, she is looking for dark literary and commercial fiction, mystery, thriller, psychological horror, paranormal/urban fantasy, historical fiction, and YA. In particular, she is looking for historical thrillers or mysteries set in Victorian times, and she has recently fallen in love with steampunk. Her nonfiction areas of interest include narrative nonfiction, history, biography, memoir, science, psychology, pop culture, and food writing. She also has a particular interest in Asian or Asian-American writing, both original and in translation, in both fiction and nonfiction.
Read more

Literary Agent Interview: Vickie Motter of Andrea Hurst & Associates Literary Management

April 23, 2011 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 12
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This installment features Vickie Motter of Andrea Hurst & Associates Literary Management. Vickie has a BA in English Literature from Western Washington University. Her blog, Navigating the Slush Pile, covers all issues of publishing and gives valuable advice to new and seasoned authors.

She is seeking: YA contemporary & adult fiction in the following areas: dystopian, steampunk, fantasy, dark fantasy, paranormal, and cozy mysteries. In nonfiction: narrative, humorous memoir, healthy living, cookbooks with a strong platform, and current events. She loves all things weird, fantastical, morbid, and romantic, and she has a special love of unique plots, dark themes, strong characters, an engaging voice, and witty humor. Read more

Literary Agent Interview: Holly McGhee of Pippin Properties, Inc.

April 7, 2011 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 2
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This installment features Holly McGhee of Pippin Properties, Inc. After a twelve-year career in book publishing, with positions ranging from assistant to advertising-and-promotion director to executive editor, Holly founded Pippin Properties, Inc. The author of the Dessert chapter book series as well as the upcoming Mitchell’s License (under pen name Hallie Durand), her fascination with making books began in 1991, when she was appointed Associate Publisher for Michael di Capua’s imprint at HarperCollins.

She is seeking: children’s, middle-grade and young adult fiction and nonfiction as well as the some adult projects.
Read more

Agent Advice: Kimberly Shumate of Living Word Literary (Part II)

March 31, 2011 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 1
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This installment features Kimberly Shumate of Living Word Literary. (This is part II of her interview. See Part I here.)

She is seeking: Adult fiction, YA fiction, Christian living, dating/marriage, parenting, self-help, apologetics, health, inspirational, environmental, social issues, pop-culture, women’s issues, and men’s issues.
Read more

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