2021

Amanda Orozco

AMANDA OROZCO

Amanda Orozco is a literary agent at Transatlantic. Before joining Transatlantic in the fall of 2020, she gained a breadth of experience in academic publishing, publicity, subsidiary rights, and agenting. She graduated from UCLA with a degree in Physiological Science and an English minor and worked as a fine art instructor and freelance editor for several years before moving to New York to complete the NYU Masters of Science in Publishing: Digital and Print Media. While at NYU, she worked at the National Book Foundation, Shreve Williams Public Relations, and The Gernert Company; she was also selected to attend the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Beijing International Book Fair. Upon graduating from NYU in 2019, she worked in Subsidiary Rights at Little, Brown, where she helped sell rights for authors such as Michael Connelly, Elin Hilderbrand, and Sarah Knight, until discovering agenting was her true calling. She worked at Park & Fine Literary and Media before moving back to Los Angeles, where she is now excited to build her list at Transatlantic. Amanda has been a member of PoCinPub since 2018 and currently works for Dryland, the literary journal born in South Central, where she aims to amplify marginalized voices from the literary underground.

Amanda is particularly drawn to stories from Asian and Latinx writers, though she is always looking for stories with compelling writing featuring protagonists with a distinct voice and personality; clever, quirky, gritty, and/or twisty stories that surprise her and keep her reading through the night.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

Amanda is particularly drawn to stories from Asian and Latinx writers, though she is always looking for stories with compelling writing featuring protagonists with a distinct voice and personality; clever, quirky, gritty, and/or twisty stories that surprise her and keep her reading through the night.

For fiction, she’s looking for YA contemporary romance and fantasy, as well as literary and upmarket adult fiction in the contemporary, speculative, horror, and romance genres. She has a soft spot for coming-of-age stories, short story collections, and the occasional urban fantasy. Recent favorites include Mary H.K. Choi, Elizabeth Acevedo, Weike Wang, Kiley Reid, Ling Ma, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, and Leigh Bardugo. She is not the right agent for thrillers, mysteries, procedurals, space operas, or historical fiction.

For nonfiction, she’s interested in stories that offer fresh cultural, political, and/or social critiques along with personal narratives on art, pop culture, tech, and forgotten, unexamined history. She is looking for perspectives from the margins or from emerging artists and academics with original ideas and sharp commentary. She is open to select poetry, memoirs, and illustrated gift/humor books. Recent favorites include Carmen Maria Machado, Cathy Park Hong, Roxane Gay, Ayad Akhtar, and Jenny Odell.

Specializes In

FICTION: Family Saga, Fantasy, Horror, Literary Fiction, Multi-Cultural, Romance, Short Story Collections, Upmarket Women's Fiction, Young Adult

NONFICTION: Cultural/Social Issues, Current Affairs, History, Humor, Investigative Journalism , Multi-Cultural, Narrative, Pop Culture, Psychology,

Considers

FICTION: Chick Lit, Children's, Commercial Fiction, Erotica, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Picture Books

NONFICTION: Dating/Relationships, Gift Books, Juvenile, Memoir, Politics, Spirituality, Travel, Women's Concerns

Posted by GrubStreet in Literary Agent

Maggie Cooper

MAGGIE COOPER

A 30-something white woman with freckles and long brown hair, wearing a collared black and white shirt.

Maggie Cooper has been an agent with Aevitas Creative Management since 2018, representing fiction and select nonfiction animated by imagination, empathy, and joy. Based in Boston, she holds a degree in English from Yale University, attended the Clarion Writers Workshop, and earned her MFA in fiction from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she served as an editor for The Greensboro Review.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

I am actively seeking genre-bending literary fiction; beautifully told queer stories; and smart, feminist vacation reads. My other passions include unclassifiable book projects, books about food and cooking, and well earned happy endings—particularly for characters underrepresented in mainstream publishing. Across the board, I hope to represent projects that make our world weirder, kinder, more joyful, or all three.

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS

I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Marisa Crane
For the Love of the Bard by Jessica Martin
A PROS AND CONS LIST FOR STRONG FEELINGS by Will Betke-Brunswick's

Specializes In

FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Family Saga, LGBTQIA+, Graphic Novel, Literary Fiction, Romance, Short Story Collections

NONFICTION: Cultural/Social Issues, Gift Books, LGBTQIA+, Multicultural/Global Perspectives, Narrative, Pop Culture, Women's Concerns

Considers

FICTION: Historical Fiction, Humor/Satire

NONFICTION: Food & Lifestyle, Memoir

Posted by GrubStreet in Literary Agent

Melissa Danaczko

MELISSA DANACZKO

Melissa Danaczko is a literary agent with the Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency. Prior to agenting, she was a Senior Editor with the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.

Melissa focuses on literary and commercial fiction, and is particularly fond of historical fiction, psychological thrillers, mystery, speculative fiction and family dramas. She also represents non-fiction including memoir, narrative history, long-form reportage and popular science. In all categories, she gravitates towards books with a fresh perspective, energetic writing and deep sense of place. It’s a big plus if a book can introduce her to a new world, make her think differently about one she already knows or tap into the cultural climate.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

I am on the hunt for novels that play with genre elements (particularly horror), dark psychological thrillers/mysteries, family sagas and contemporary fiction with strong emotional cores, and historical novels set around the world.

On the non-fiction side, I would love to find a project about the food industry. I'm also very interested in environmental writing, neuroscience and psychology.

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS

Bernice McFadden
Amanda Jayatissa
Addison Armstrong

Specializes In

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

NONFICTION: Adventure/True Story, Cultural/Social Issues, Food & Lifestyle, GLBT, History, Investigative Journalism, Narrative, Nature/Ecology, Psychology, Science,

Considers

FICTION: Crime, Short Story Collections

NONFICTION: Memoir, Parenting, Pop Culture, Technology, True Crime, Women's Concerns

Posted by GrubStreet in Literary Agent

Leah Pierre

LEAH PIERRE

A Texas native, Leah briefly moved to the East Coast to attend Rosemont College to pursue her dream of working in publishing. She graduated from Rosemont College with a B.A. in English and History and soon after became an agent at Ladderbird Literary Agency. Leah then went on to pursue and receive her M.A. in Publishing from her alma mater. Having accomplished her dream of working in publishing, she has since moved back to the South to begin her next adventure and continue searching for the next commercial YA or Adult project that will hook her (or make her cry).
Leah likes to spend her time enjoying the company of fictional characters more than people. But when not in the company of fictional characters, she likes to crochet, travel, hang out with friends and family, and catch up on the movies and tv shows she is always behind on.

Her projects include forthcoming books from H.D.Hunter, Ravynn K. Stringfield, a number of IP projects, and more! She is a tenacious advocate for BIPOC writers and is always looking for ways to bring more diverse intersectionality to the publishing industry.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

More generally, she loves diverse and unique work that is fast-paced and has a complex cast of diverse characters. Give her something with good plot twists, conflicts that are hard-hitting, and scenarios that really makes her wonder if anyone is right. She is a huge sucker for camaraderie, banter, and the tight-knit, family-like group of friends trope. She is pretty much a fan of all the tropes. She's also really into morally gray characters and characters who have a hero-to-villain arc. Angry, evil, and "villainous" women are a sweet spot for her.

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS

Something Like Right by H.D. Hunter
Love in 280 Characters or Less by Ravynn K. Stringfield

SPECIALIZES IN

FICTION: Children's, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Picture Books, Romance, Thrillers/Suspense, Young Adult

CONSIDERS

FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Family Saga, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Upmarket Women's Fiction

Posted by GrubStreet in Literary Agent

Allison Wright

ALLISON WRIGHT

A woman in her early 40s, with long brown hair, wearing a black leather jacket.

 

 

Allison Wright is the publisher and executive editor of the Virginia Quarterly Review. Her writing has appeared in the Atlantic, VQR, CNN, Popular Mechanics, the Texas Observer, Literary Hub, the Rumpus, and elsewhere. She teaches journalism and media studies at the University of Virginia, where she is an affiliate of the Center for Health Humanities & Ethics. She holds a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin.

WHAT WE LOOK FOR AT VQR

VQR is interested in short fiction and reported essays, which can include elements of the personal/autobiographical.

Posted by GrubStreet in Literary Magazine Editor

Alice Tasman

ALICE TASMAN

Alice Tasman has been a literary agent at JVNLA since 1995. Alice represents a wide variety of writers with an emphasis on fiction. Her writers have earned numerous awards, honors, and fellowships, including the Calvino Prize, the C. Hugh Holman Award, the Henfield/Transatlantic Review Award, the Mary Roberts Rinehart Award, the O. Henry Prize, the Saint Francis College Literary Prize, the Willie Morris Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Her clients' writing has appeared in The New York TimesBest American Short StoriesMcSweeney'sOne StoryOxford AmericanPrairie SchoonerThe Normal School, and A Public Space. Awards and honors for her children's writers include an ABA Indie Choice E.B. White Read Aloud Honor Award, Midwestern Booksellers Association Award, The Monarch Award, Texas Bluebonnet Award, Newbery Award nominee, Cybils Award nominee.

She loves finding debut writers and is committed to working with authors over the long term. She is very hands-on in every stage of the publishing process—from editing manuscripts and refining proposals, to amassing the perfect list of editors for the project and negotiating contracts, to actively working with publishers on the publicity and marketing of the books.

Alice earned her BA from Brown University and her MFA from Sarah Lawrence College.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

Adult literary fiction, upmarket commercial women's fiction, multi-cultural fiction. Strong voices and stories that excite, surprise, disarm.

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS

Dietland, Sarai Walker
The Talented Miss Farwell, Emily Gray Tedrowe
Blow Your House Down, Gina Frangello
GRIT, Gillian French

SPECIALIZES IN

FICTION: Commercial fiction, Family Saga, Literary Fiction, Short Story Collections, Upmarket Women's Fiction

CONSIDERS

FICTION: Chick Lit, Middle Grade, Multi-Cultural, Thrillers/Suspense, Young Adult

Posted by GrubStreet in Literary Agent

Renée Jarvis

RENÉE JARVIS

Renée is an assistant agent at MacKenzie Wolf Literary. Born and raised in New York City, she graduated with a BFA in Creative Writing from Brooklyn College. She previously interned at Don Congdon Associates and spent two years as a writing teacher at the non-profit organization Legal Outreach.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

Renée is seeking narrative nonfiction, speculative fiction, literary fiction, and children’s books. She is looking for works across these genres which center BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ voices. In nonfiction, she is interested in pop culture analysis, cultural histories, linguistics, international stories, and explorations of music, fashion, and art. In fiction, she loves books with strange and unique formats,  humorous narrators, robust plots, and lyrical prose.

Considers

FICTION: Chick Lit, Children's, Commercial Fiction, Erotica, Fantasy, GLBT, Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction, Horror, Humor/Satire, Literary Fiction, Middle Grade, Multi-Cultural, Mystery, Picture Books, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story Collections, Thrillers/Suspense, Upmarket Women's Fiction, Young Adult

NONFICTION: Cultural/Social Issues, Current Affairs, Dating/Relationships, Food & Lifestyle, GLBT, Gift Books, Health & Fitness, History, Humor, Investigative Journalism, Memoir, Multi-Cultural, Music, Narrative, Nature/Ecology, Pop Culture, Psychology, Science, Self-Help, Spirituality, Technology, Women's Concerns

Posted by GrubStreet in Literary Agent

Mariah Stovall

MARIAH STOVALL

A black woman in her twenties, with dark hair pulled back into a bun, wearing a black top and silver jewelry
Mariah Stovall is an agent at Trellis Literary Management, where she represents adult literary and upmarket fiction and narrative nonfiction, all with an emphasis on innovation, voice, and underrepresented perspectives. Prior to joining Trellis, she worked at Howland Literary, Writers House, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, and Gallery Books. Mariah has done volunteer work with Periplus and the VIDA Count. She's also the author of the novel I Love You So Much It’s Killing Us Both.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

On the fiction side, I'm looking for voice-driven novels that break the mold when it comes to voice, content, form, or all of the above—books that push the boundaries of the marketplace or fill in its existing gaps. On the nonfiction side, I'm looking for narrative nonfiction with a strong point of view and sociological bent—books at the intersections of history, science, technology, arts and entertainment, politics, and current events. Great writing can get me interested in just about any topic. Note: I am not currently looking for memoirs.

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS

The Death of a Jaybird: Essays on Mothers and Daughters and the Things They Leave Behind, by Jodi M. Savage

Bones Worth Breaking, by David Martinez

This Country Is No Longer Yours, by Avik Jain Chatlani

Oye, by Melissa Mogollon

Specializes In

FICTION: Family Saga, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Multi-Cultural/Global Fiction, LGBTQIA+

NONFICTION: Cultural/Social Issues, History, Music, Narrative, Pop Culture, Women's concerns, Multicultural/Global Perspectives

Considers

FICTION: Short Story Collections, Science Fiction, Thrillers/Suspense, Mystery, Humor/Satire, Commercial Fiction, Horror

NONFICTION: Investigative Journalism, LGBTQIA+, Current Affairs, Politics, Psychology, Science, Sports, Technology

Posted by GrubStreet in Literary Agent

Jemiscoe Chambers-Black

JEMISCOE CHAMBERS-BLACK

Before joining the Andrea Brown Literary Agency family, Jemiscoe worked for over a decade in film and television as an Assistant Director. She has a BA and MFA in creative writing in fiction, working with mentors Wiley Cash, Jo Knowles, Marcus Burke, and Richard Adams Carey. She has also been a freelance editor and writing tutor for over five years and contributed to the online literary magazine ​The Assignment. Jemiscoe lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband, three kids, and two cats.

Jemiscoe is currently building her client list in the middle grade, YA, and adult categories. She is also interested in considering illustrators and author-illustrators.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

Jemiscoe is currently building her client list in the middle grade, YA, and adult categories. She is also interested in considering illustrators and author-illustrators.

In middle grade, Jemiscoe is most interested in contemporary manuscripts. They can focus on hard themes, but she enjoys those that also weaves in humor, whimsy, adventure, and wonder. She's also open to fantasy, which can include paranormal, low fantasy, and magical realism. Horror, mystery, and graphic novels are also of interest.

In YA, Jemiscoe would love to see romance, especially rom-coms. Give her all the love stories in whatever form they come! She loves contemporary fiction that deals with friendship - its joys and struggles. She would also like to see fantasy (except high fantasy), mystery, and horror.

In the adult space, Jemiscoe is looking for romance. It can range from sweet to steamy, but she is not interested in erotica or historical romance. She is also open to psychological thrillers, mysteries, friendship stories, strong power-women stories, or laugh-out-loud stories. Jemiscoe loves literary fiction with beautiful prose and a strong cast of characters. She would also like to see adult fantasy (except high fantasy).

Specializes In

FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Family Saga, Fantasy, GLBT, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Mystery, Romance, Thrillers/Suspense, Upmarket Women's Fiction, Young Adult

Considers

FICTION: Chick Lit, Crime, Horror, Humor/Satire, Literary Fiction, Multi-Cultural

Posted by GrubStreet in Literary Agent

Melanie Castillo

MELANIE CASTILLO

Melanie Castillo is a literary agent at Root Literary. She represents middle grade, YA, and adult fiction along with select nonfiction titles. What she loves most about the job is the balance of creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit. After graduating with a masters in writing and book publishing from Portland State University, she worked as an editorial project manager at Quarto and then as a freelance editor for several years before joining the agency in 2018. Melanie was born and raised in Southern California in a multicultural, blended family, so she has a soft spot for books that shine a spotlight on the nuances of relationships and identity. She currently lives in Long Beach and can be found on Twitter at @wellmelsbells.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

I'm actively looking for fiction and narrative nonfiction. I'm especially excited to find high-concept commercial and literary leaning general fiction, young adult novels with a strong voice and propulsive pacing, and heartfelt and humorous middle grade novels across genres.

SAMPLE TITLES AND AUTHORS

The Memory Collectors, Kim Neville
Trouble in the Stars, Sarah Prineas
Nura and the Immortal Palace, Maeeda Khan

Specializes In

FICTION:  Children's, Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Middle Grade, Multi-Cultural, Upmarket Women's Fiction, Young Adult

NONFICTIONCultural/Social Issues, Pop Culture, Women's Concerns

Considers

FICTION:  Chick Lit, Family Saga, GLBT, Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story Collections, Thrillers/Suspense

NONFICTIONDating/Relationships, History, Memoir, Music, Nature/Ecology, Parenting, Psychology, Science

Posted by GrubStreet in Literary Agent