2019

Alison Lewis

Alison Lewis is a literary agent at the Zoë Pagnamenta Agency, where she represents narrative nonfiction, cultural criticism, history, science, literary fiction, and memoir. A Colorado native and graduate of Middlebury College, she worked in editorial at W. W. Norton & Company before joining the agency in 2016. She is also editor of the literary magazine American Chordata, which was recently named one of the nine best literary magazines in the world today by Stack, and writes for Electric Literature.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

I get excited about serious, immersive journalism; sharp cultural criticism; memoir braided with theory or research; literary biography; and narrative nonfiction – particularly uncovering lives or perspectives that have been overlooked or omitted from the news or the historic record. I represent much less fiction, and generally only literary fiction, but within that I’m drawn to voice-driven, quirky/off-beat, or wildly imaginative stories, as well as writing that is quietly attentive to the intricacies of day-to-day life and human experience.

Lauren Scovel

Joy Tutela

Joy Tutela has been with the David Black Literary Agency since 1998. She represents various genres of books and illustrators, including projects in the following categories: women’s and LGBTQ+ issues, narrative non-fiction, memoir, history, sports, self-help, business, science, parenting, psychology, humor, cooking, lifestyle, fiction, middle grade and YA.

She represents the New York Times bestselling Atkins series and the New York Times bestselling Intellectual Devotional series by David Kidder and Noah Oppenheim. She also represents New York Times bestsellers Footnotes from the World’s Greatest Bookstores by New Yorker cartoonist Bob Eckstein, Catification by the host of “My Cat From Hell” Jackson Galaxy, and Jenny Sanford’s memoir Staying True. Other bestselling projects include Stephen Puleo’s Dark Tide and Boston Italians, Lisa J. Edwards’ A Dog Named Boo, and Kim Sunée’s Trail of Crumbs, and Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne’s Mason-Dixon Knitting. She represents critically acclaimed middle grade and YA authors, including Lev AC Rosen, Nisha Sharma, Matt Laney, Ron McGee, and Yvonne Cassidy.

Joy works with respected business leaders including Danny Seo, Emmy-Award winning eco-lifestyle guru and founder of Naturally, Danny Seo; Mike Steib, CEO of XO Group; Jim McCann, founder and CEO of 1-800-Flowers.com; and Susan Packard, former COO and co-founder of HGTV.

From and based in Red Sox Nation, Joy is a graduate of Wellesley College and the Radcliffe Publishing Course. She has been writing instructor at Goucher’s MFA in Creative Nonfiction program. She previously worked for Harvard Business School Press and taught at an elementary school in Italy. For more on Joy, please visit www.joytutela.com.

Specializes In

FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, GLBT, Humor/Satire, Middle Grade, Multi-Cultural, Science Fiction, Upmarket Women's Fiction, Young Adult

NONFICTION: Adventure/True Story, Cultural/Social Issues, Current Affairs, Dating/Relationships, Food & Lifestyle, GLBT, Gift Books, Health & Fitness, History, Humor, Investigative Journalism, Juvenile, Medical, Memoir, Men's Concerns, Military/War, Multi-Cultural, Narrative, Nature/Ecology, Parenting, Pets, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychology, Religion, Science, Self-Help, Spirituality, Sports, Technology, Travel, True Crime, Women's Concerns

Considers

FICTION: Literary Fiction, Mystery

NONFICTION: Music

Mitch Hoffman

Mitch Hoffman joined the Aaron Priest Literary Agency as a Senior Agent in December 2015, and is actively building a list of authors writing across the spectrum of fiction and nonfiction. He was previously Vice-President, Executive Editor at Grand Central Publishing.

As an editor, Mitch published over 200 books, more than 60 of which were New York Times bestsellers. He has nurtured the careers of debut novelists as well as global #1 bestselling authors, and has worked with journalists, memoirists, scientists, historians, and members of the military and intelligence services. Their books have won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Orange Prize for Fiction, the Edgar Award, ITW’s Thriller Award, The Barnes & Noble Discover Award, and have been longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, among many other honors.

Prior to joining Grand Central Publishing in 2007, Mitch held editorial positions at Dutton and Dell Publishing, and began his career as an intern at Farrar, Straus and Giroux. He has been a Fellow of the Jerusalem International Book Fair, a Distinguished Guest of the Toronto International Festival of Authors, and has been a featured panelist at a wide array of industry events, numerous writers’ conferences, and has also addressed the bipartisan Creative Rights Caucus on Capitol Hill (sponsored by the AAP and Authors Guild) regarding collaboration between writers and publishers, and the importance of copyright protection for authors.

Specializes In

FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Crime, Family Saga, Historical Fiction, Humor/Satire, Literary Fiction, Multi-Cultural, Mystery, Thrillers/Suspense, Upmarket Women's Fiction

NONFICTION: Adventure/True Story, Cultural/Social Issues, Current Affairs, History, Humor, Investigative Journalism, Medical, Memoir, Men's Concerns, Military/War, Multi-Cultural, Music, Narrative, Politics, Pop Culture, Religion, Science, Technology

Considers

FICTION: Chick Lit, Short Story Collections

NONFICTION: Food & Lifestyle, Health & Fitness, Nature/Ecology, Psychology, Travel

Kiana (Kiki) Nguyen

Kiana (Kiki) Nguyen is a literary agent at Donald Maass Literary Agency.

Kiki Nguyen started in publishing in 2015 with an internship with Wunderkind PR, independent book publishing PR company, working on campaigns with authors such as Ernest Cline. There, she discovered a practical industry for her codependent love of fiction. In 2016, Kiki went on to intern with DMLA where she soon joined the team full-time as an assistant literary agent.

Kiki is now building her client list within young adult and adult fiction with a focus on queer and BIPOC authors.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

Dark, gritty, fun romps in Romance, Horror, and Domestic Suspense especially; both Young Adult and Adult. I want to have a good time with bitchy, irredeemable characters who do what they want when they want and have to suffer the consequences. If they have never cared about doing the right, responsible, legal thing they're already halfway to my heart. I want extroverts with personality and chaotic social lives, please I'm bored and dying. Bonus points if it's characters in their 20s-30s that feel like they're living in the 2020s.

Romance with heat and bite—the rom-coms are getting corny and lacking the "com" to begin with.

Horror that doesn't take itself too seriously and feels like the narrators are just as unreliable as the potential kill count. I'm bored by single family homes and ancient estates, so let's change the location and demographic of the characters, please.

SFF that pivots away from the rigamarole of royal politics, machinations, knighthood/guards, etc. etc. I want to have some hectic times with the serfdom, please, I beg.

MSWL here:
https://www.kiananguyen.com/mswl

Johanna Castillo

Johanna Castillo is a seasoned professional in the publishing industry with over 18 years of experience. Formerly a Vice President & Executive Editor at Atria Books/Simon and Schuster and Editorial Director of Atria Español for fourteen years, she acquired and edited forty one New York Times bestsellers by authors including Isabel Allende (The Japanese Lover), Colleen Hoover (It Ends with Us), Sharyn McCrumb (Prayers the Devil Answers) Rachael Ray (The Book of Burger), María Dueñas (The Time in Between), Rosanna Pansino (The Nerdy Nummies Cookbook), Laura Day (How to Rule the World from your Couch), Javier Sierra (The Secret Supper), Laura Esquivel (Malinche) and Theresa Caputo (There is More to Life Than This), as well as multiple national and international bestsellers, such as The German Girl by Armando Lucas Correa, Meat by Pat LaFrieda, The Elizas by Sara Shepard and The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande.

As a literary agent, she looks forward to finding new, talented authors with whom she can work closely with editorially and form solid, long term partnerships that will result in bestselling and meaningful works.

Carrie Howland

Carrie Howland founded Howland Literary, LLC in 2018, after thirteen years as an agent, most recently at Empire Literary.

Carrie holds a B.A. in English and Creative Writing from Albion College, where she was the Poetry Editor of The Albion Review. Her poetry has appeared in various literary journals and magazines.

In her spare time, Carrie volunteers as a foster for a local dog rescue and is an active member of the Junior League. Her passions include music, pop culture, and the Midwest.

She has been featured in several publications discussing her work as an agent including Poets & Writers, SCWBI insight, Akashic Books, and Slice Magazine.

Carrie is accepting submissions for: adult literary and upmarket fiction as well as memoir, narrative, and prescriptive nonfiction.

Specializes In

FICTION: Commercial Fiction, GLBT, Literary Fiction, Multi-Cultural, Romance, Short Story Collections, Thrillers/Suspense, Upmarket Women's Fiction

NONFICTION: GLBT, Health & Fitness, Food & Lifestyle, Cultural/Social Issues, Dating/Relationships, Current Affairs, Investigative Journalism, Music, Multi-Cultural, Narrative, Pets, Parenting, Politics, Pop Culture, Self-Help, True Crime, Women's Concerns

Considers

FICTION: Commercial Fiction, GLBT, Literary Fiction, Multi-Cultural, Romance, Thrillers/Suspense, Short Story Collection, Upmarket Women's Fiction

NONFICTION: Cultural/Social Issues, Current Affairs, Dating/Relationships, Food & Lifestyles, GLBT, Health & Fitness, Investigative Journalism, Multi-Cultural, Music, Narrative, Parenting, Pets, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychology, Self-Help, True Crime, Women's Concerns

Aemilia Phillips

Aemilia Phillips is an agent at Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency. She works with a range of fiction and non-fiction writers, including poet and National Book Award nominee José Olivarez, Founder of Latina Rebels Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez, speculative short story author Ruben Reyes Jr, true crime expert Sarah Weinman, and Olympian Cassidy Krug, among many others.

She is particularly interested in writers who push conventional boundaries in order to address cultural, political, and social justice issues. A dual Mexican/American citizen with family on both sides of the border and interests in journalism, narrative non-fiction, voice driven fiction, and poetry, she looks for diverse, smart writing with an impactful story to tell.

For non-fiction she’s looking for driven, obsessed writers and topics that challenge the way we think about the world, with a particular interest in Latin American and feminist voices. She loves books that at first glance appear to be commercial, but that are also smart cultural critiques that force readers to examine new viewpoints. She’s fascinated by darker, complex fictional characters who upend preconceptions and stories with just a touch of magic.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

Aemilia Phillips is looking for writers who push conventional boundaries in order to address cultural, political, and social justice issues. With interests in journalism, narrative non-fiction, voice driven fiction, and poetry, she looks for diverse, smart writing with an impactful story to tell. For non-fiction she’s looking for obsessed writers and topics that challenge the way we think about the world, with a particular interest in Latin American and feminist voices. She loves books that appear to be commercial, but that are also smart cultural critiques that force readers to examine new viewpoints. She’s fascinated by darker fictional characters who upend preconceptions, and stories with just a touch of magic.

Specializes In

FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Literary Fiction, Multi-Cultural/Global Fiction, Short Story Collections, Family Saga

NONFICTION: Cultural/Social Issues, Investigative Journalism, Memoir, Multicultural/Global Perspectives, Narrative, Women's concerns

Considers

FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Crime, Family Saga, LGBTQIA+, Graphic Novels, Horror, Literary Fiction, Multi-Cultural/Global Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Short Story Collections, Thrillers/Suspense

NONFICTION: Adventure/True Story, Cultural/Social Issues, Investigative Journalism, LGBTQIA+, Current Affairs, Food & Lifestyle, History, Memoir, Multicultural/Global Perspectives, Narrative, Nature/Ecology, Politics, Science, Self Help, Sports, Travel, Women's concerns, True Crime

Laura Usselman

Laura Usselman is a literary agent at Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency, representing adult fiction and nonfiction. Her fiction interests include character-centered fiction of all stripes, from the formally strange to the family saga. For nonfiction, she is interested in thoughtful narrative nonfiction for younger readers, restlessly curious idea books, and voice-driven memoir. She has a special interest in unusual American perspectives.

Before joining SKLA, Laura earned her MFA in Fiction at Virginia Tech, where she taught composition and creative writing, and spent three years at Cambridge University Press. A native of Atlanta, she studied English and film at the University of Georgia. She lives with her family in Brooklyn.

Jennifer Ferrari-Adler

Jenni Ferrari-Adler is a longtime agent at Union Literary. Recent sales include debut novels THE HOUSE IN THE PINES by Ana Reyes, MONSTRILIO by Gerardo Semano Cordova, ALL THE SECRETS OF THE WORLD by Steve Almond, TELL ME HOW TO BE by Neel Patel, HOW TO BE EATEN by Maria Adelmann, and WHITE IVY by Susie Yang; the young adult novels FORGIVE ME NOT by Jenn Baker, and UNDERCOVER LATINA by Aya de Leon, the story collection CAT PERSON by Kristen Roupenian, the memoirs MAYBE IT'S ME by Eileen Pollack and ARTIFICIAL by Amy Kurzweil; and the cookbooks BAKING BY FEEL by @thesweetfeminist Becca Rea-Tucker, and YOGURT AND WHEY by Homa Dashtaki.

Jenni is drawn to distinct voices, engaging storytelling, and insight into the human condition. She works closely with clients on each step of the publishing process, and on their career as a whole, including handling film and television, foreign, and magazine sales. She is an editor, mediator, advocate, handholder, explainer, bad cop, good cop etc. etc. Born and raised in NYC, she holds an MFA in Fiction from the University of Michigan and a BA in Creative Writing from Oberlin College. She edited the anthology ALONE IN THE KITCHEN WITH AN EGGPLANT: Confessions of Cooking for One and Dining Alone (Riverhead), and has published her own work in Glimmer Train, Bellevue Literary Review, New York Magazine, and Tin House. She has taught Fiction at the University of Michigan and The Gotham Writers’ Workshop, and worked as a reader for The Paris Review and as a bookseller at Housing Works. She currently lives in Brooklyn. Please contact her with your query and sample pages at jenni@unionliterary.com. She is on twitter and instagram @jenferrariadler

Specializes In

FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Family Saga, Graphic Novels, GLBT, Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror, Humor/Satire, Short Story Collections, Thrillers/Suspense, Upmarket Women's Fiction, Young Adult

NONFICTION: Cultural/Social Issues, Food & Lifestyle, Memoir, Narrative

Considers

FICTION: Chick Lit, Children's, Commercial Fiction, Crime, Family Saga, GLBT, Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction, Horror, Humor/Satire, Literary Fiction, Middle Grade, Multi-Cultural, Mystery, Short Story Collections

NONFICTION: Cultural/Social Issues, Food & Lifestyle, Memoir, Investigative Journalism, Humor, Narrative

ALISON LEWIS

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS

LAUREN SCOVEL

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

SAMPLE AUTHORS OR TITLES

JOY TUTELA

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS

Mitch Hoffman

What I'm Looking For

Sample Titles or Authors

Specializes In

Considers

KIANA (KIKI) NGUYEN

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS

Johanna Castillo

What I'm Looking For

More info coming soon!

CARRIE HOWLAND

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS

AEMILIA PHILLIPS

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS

LAURA USSELMAN

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS

SPECIALIZES IN

CONSIDERS

JENNIFER FERRARI-ADLER

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS