Agentopia: Bridget Smith

Bio

Bridget Smith is an associate agent and all-around assistant at Dunham Literary, Inc.

Previously, she was an intern at Don Congdon Associates, worked at a secondhand book store in Connecticut, and evaluated short story submissions for Tor.com under Liz Gorinsky and Patrick Nielsen Hayden.

She graduated from Brown University in 2010. While there, she studied anthropology and archaeology, worked as a radio DJ, fenced on the varsity team, and helped design an experiment that she later performed in microgravity at NASA (as seen on Twitter), so it’s fair to say she has pretty wide-ranging interests. Currently she reads, runs, and watches more television than is probably good for her.

Twitter: @bredalot
Agency website: www.dunhamlit.com

Wishlist 

I’m looking for middle grade, young adult, and adult, in both fiction and academic nonfiction (no memoirs, please, but science, culture, and history are welcome).

Fantasy and historical are my soft spots (and I have a particular weakness for the two combined: if you’ve written a Regency fantasy, send it my way!), but I also like science fiction, contemporary, and genre-bending YA.

I love a good, distinctive voice and lovable characters with an off-kilter charm. Girl friendships. Boy friendships. Romance that flows under the surface, especially if no one talks about it – until they do. Snarky, funny dialogue in a heartfelt narrative. Gorgeous and true lines I want to cut out and paste on my wall. Contemporary characters doing something big or unusual outside the realm of high school, like elite athletes or radio DJs. Worlds I can get lost in, and characters I want to get lost with. 

How to Query

Send a query letter with my name in the subject line to query@dunhamlit.com. We also accept queries by post at 110 William Street, Suite 2202, New York, NY 10038. Our full guidelines are here: http://dunhamlit.com/?how-to-submit,4

 

UPDATE: Juliana Haygert from NA Alley asked if Bridget was open to New Adult. She said "Sure! It's very hard to sell right now, but I'm open to being sold on it."