Agentopia: Alyssa Jenette

Welcome to the August edition of Agentopia. This month we have Alyssa Jenette in the spotlight.

About Alyssa

Alyssa joined Stonesong Literary in May 2015 after interning at the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency. She has a background in art and trained as an illustrator before she joined publishing, and therefore have unique insight and expertise when it comes to design-heavy or illustrated works. She is a very editorial agent, and she finds a lot of joy in shaping stories alongside the author.
She recently enjoyed I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN, THE GHOST NETWORK, WHY WE CAME TO THE CITY, SLADE HOUSE, and WHITE CAT. Some of her favorite authors are Jasper Fforde, Terry Pratchett, and Holly Black.

What is currently on your wishlist?

These are very specific requests, but I would love a picture book about logic concepts, YA/MG about supportive found families, a Craigslist Missed Connection rom-com, and a YA epistolary novel told through chats, emails, and texts about the decline of a best-friendship (or about getting Catfished!). A great place to check my interests is on my Manuscript Wishlist profile or my #MSWL hashtag on Twitter.

Overall I find myself drawn to literary voices, strong plotting, and cleverness. Make me laugh or sigh or get excited and you're well on your way to winning my heart!

What's a personal turn-off in a query which is guaranteed to get the author rejected?

Queries that are too long or ill-researched are pretty much always a no. Authors who are serious about getting published MUST do the work required to show agents that they're committed, thoughtful, and making the effort. That means brief queries targeted at the agents that are actually interested in and represent your genre. That means you've IDENTIFIED your genre. That means you've read up on agents and aren't going to send them things that they don't represent or aren't interested in. I still get queries for romance novels when I explicitly state across multiple platforms that I don't represent romance. Don't be that author! 99% of the time you aren't going to be the exception that changes an agents mind about a genre or a premise, so I would say stick to the agents who already want to see what you do.

Do you google authors and if yes, what are you looking for?

Sometimes I google authors! But most of the time I'm too busy keeping up with my queries to think about the author's personal life. I do tend to get curious and google when the book is either REALLY out there or, of course, a book that I'm super-enjoying. I'm not looking for anything specific when I google--I've never *not* signed someone whose work I love because of something I saw while googling. That being said, it's always a good thing to see what comes up when you google your name--you want to put your best foot forward in case an agent gets the itch to search.


Alyssa is closed to queries during August but submission guidelines for September can be found on the Stonesong website.

Alyssa's wishlist: MSWL
Twitter @alyssajenette

Agentopia: Joanna MacKenzie

Welcome to the July edition of Agentopia! This month Joanna MacKenzie from Nelson Literary Agency is in the spotlight.

About Joanna:

As a Chicago-based agent, I am excited to join the Nelson Literary Agency team and to expand my list in both adult and YA. I’m looking for the epic read that, at its center, beats with a universal heart.  In particular, I’m drawn to smart and timely women’s fiction, as well as absorbing, character-driven mysteries and thrillers – both, ideally, with a little edge.  I have a weird obsession with, what I call, “child in jeopardy lit” and can’t get enough kick-ass mom heroines.  On the YA side, I’m interested in coming of age stories that possess a confident voice and characters I can’t stop thinking about.
Originally from Poland, and by way of Canada, I’m all about narratives that deal with the themes of identity and the immigrant experience as well as those that delve into all aspects of the relationships that make us who we are – parents, siblings, best friends, and first love.

What is on your wishlist?

Oh, man, I’m going to try and keep this answer short and succinct.  I’ve always been drawn to stories about the relationships that make us who we are - they don’t have to be positive or long lasting, but rather transformative.  I’m thinking about stories like I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson or Looking for Alaska by John Green.  I’d love to find a “stay up all night reading” sister story.  As someone who was born in one country, moved to another, and now makes her home in the US I’m into anything that deals with the immigrant experience and to that end I’d love to find the YA version of The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri.  I’m also a huge Veronica Mars fan, so anything with a gritty sleuth is a must for me.  Also on my #mswl is the YA version of Dark Matter by Blake Crouch.
 
 

What is a personal turn-off in a query which is guaranteed to get the author rejected?

It’s always hard for me to read that the author believes their work is 100% unique - so much so that they can’t come up for a comp title.   
 
 

Do you google authors and if so, what are you looking for?

I do google authors!  I’m looking for someone who is engaged and professional.  I realize that sounds broad, but I like going to someone’s feed and seeing that they’re talking about what they’re reading, for example, as opposed to criticizing other authors.  I’m a firm believer in the importance of building a community online - one that is positive and constructive and helps to build readers.  I’m always looking to work with authors who want to be partners in their success and who are aware that how they present themselves online is part of that. 

For more info on how to query Joanna, check out her submission guidelines.
Follow Joanna @joannamackenzie 

Agentopia: Gabrielle Piraino

Welcome to the June edition of Agentopia! This month we have Gabrielle Piraino from DeFiore and Company in the spotlight.

About Gabrielle

Gabrielle Piraino was raised a Navy brat but has always called the East Coast home. As a kid, she could either be found with her nose in a book or clambering around outdoors collecting freckles, though not much has changed. She graduated early from St. Bonaventure University with a dual-B.A. in Honors Classical Languages and English. Trading upstate for the five boroughs, Gabbie then earned her Masters of Science in Publishing at Pace University in Manhattan. She has previously worked for both major commercial publishing houses and literary agencies alike, including Farrar, Straus & Giroux and most recently, AGI Vigliano. Gabbie joined the team at DeFiore and Company in the summer of 2016. Outside of the office, her hobbies include baking, crafts, rugby—though she’s retired from the pitch—losing miserably at Mario Kart, and befriending strangers to pet their dogs. 

When considering new projects, Gabbie is most drawn to strong narrative voices, unique world-building, and diverse casts of characters. Focused specifically on building long-term relationships with authors, she is currently accepting queries for sci-fi, fantasy, horror, thriller, and up-market chick lit (both Adult and YA). She’d also be happy to review queries from prospective author-illustrators for comics/graphic novels, as well as Children’s and Middle Grade stories with compelling characters. 

Children’s/YA Authors she can’t get enough of (in no particular order) include: Lewis Carroll, Philip Pullman, Leigh Bardugo, Gennifer Albin, Laini Taylor, Marissa Meyer, Orson Scott Card, Ann Aguire, Caragh M. O’Brien, Emmy Laybourne, Paulo Bacigalupi, and Ursula Le Guin.  

What is currently on your wish list?

At the top of my #MSWL right now is fast-paced horror. I’d love to represent a story that leaps off the page and forces me to sleep with the lights on. I’m continually on the look out for sci-fi/fantasy stories with strong character development and world-building. Own Voices projects, as applicable, are great too.

What's a personal turn-off in a query which is guaranteed to get the author rejected?

Please proofread your queries very carefully. Any egregious misspellings, letters addressed to different agents, or inability to follow my preferences/guidelines on our company website lose my attention very quickly. Personally, I also prefer to see the word count in the query letter. Bonus points if you spell my nickname correctly (but if you’re nervous, Gabrielle works just as well).

Do you google authors and if yes, what are you looking for?

I review links that the author has chosen to include with their query if I’m interested in requesting more material. Otherwise, I'll ask about the author’s internet platform after I’ve read the full manuscript. As I’m more active in fiction, the strength of the novel is my first priority. 

To submit to Gabrielle, send all queries to gabrielle@defliterary.com with “QUERY” in the subject line, as well as a brief plot summary; a brief, relevant bio; the first 50 pages in the body of the email; and a link to a website/portfolio for prospective illustrators. 

Agentopia: Patricia Nelson

Welcome to the May edition of Agentopia! This month we have Patricia Nelson from Marsal Lyon Literary Agency in the spotlight.

About Patricia:

Patricia Nelson joined Marsal Lyon Literary Agency in 2014. She represents adult, young adult, and middle grade fiction, and is actively building her list.

In general, Patricia looks for stories that hook her with a unique plot, fantastic writing and complex characters that jump off the page. On the adult side, she is seeking women’s fiction both upmarket and commercial, historical fiction set in the 20th century, and compelling plot-driven literary fiction. She’s also looking for sexy, smart adult contemporary and historical single title romance. On the children’s side, Patricia is open to a wide range of genres of YA and MG, with particular interest in contemporary/realistic, magical realism, mystery, science fiction and fantasy. She is interested in seeing diverse stories and characters, including LGBTQ, in all genres that she represents.

What is currently on your wish list?

Diverse books and #ownvoices stories is my #1 wish list item -- like many others who work in the publishing industry, I think it's SO important to expand the voices and stories we're hearing in kidlit. Beyond that, I would love to find a haunting YA contemporary fantasy with gorgeous, literary writing. I'm always looking for page-turning YA fantasy or sci-fi with a compelling heroine and a premise and setting that feels truly unique. I also like YA contemporary, but generally tend toward the upper-YA or more literary side with a very strong sense of place and characters who are complicated (and might even be a bit tough to love) -- I often use AMERICAN GIRLS by Allison Umminger, in which a teen girl spends the summer in LA with her sister and becomes fascinated by the Manson murders, as an example of the kind of contemporary YA I tend to fall for. And I'd love to take on a contemporary YA with a teen girl protagonist who reminds me of the amazing young women who write for ROOKIE and TEEN VOGUE: smart, socially and politically engaged, explicitly feminist, fighting to resist and to build a better world. I think a lot of teens are more interested in social justice than adults give them credit for, especially now, and it would be great to see that trait in more YA characters.

What's a personal turn-off in a query which is guaranteed to get the author rejected?

It drives me crazy when the querier frames themselves as the savior of YA! You'd be surprised how often people say things like: "Unlike all the vampires and dystopias being published in YA now, my book has substance." Not only is this an inaccurate characterization of the publishing landscape, it's patronizing and dismissive of all the other brilliant writers out there working in this genre -- and it makes me think you won't be a positive member of the writing/publishing community, which is not a great sign for career longevity. When a query starts with a comment like this, I'm almost definitely going to send a pass.

Do you google authors and if yes, what are you looking for?

I only look up authors after I've read the query and pages and I'm interested, but if I like the writing, yes, I do turn to google. Mostly, I want to see that you've at least dipped your toe into being a person on the internet, because that will be a necessity once you have a book to promote. For me, I hope to find that a querying writer has at least one of: a twitter account, an instagram account, a tumblr, or at least a simple website with an "about me". It doesn't matter to me how many followers you have, though!

If you're on social media, I do tend to scroll back and look at posts to get a sense of your personality and whether I think we'd get along. It's not make-or-break, but I do view it positively when I see that authors are posting about what they're reading and/or the writing process, and when they're engaging with other writers online, which tends to be a good sign that you're engaged in your genre and starting to build a community. The big red flag is trash-talking the industry or the querying process, or a general tone of persistent negativity.

To submit to Patricia,  send a query letter with the first ten pages of the manuscript with the word QUERY in the email’s subject line to: Patricia@MarsalLyonLiteraryAgency.com.

Further submission guidelines can be found here.

Follow Patricia on Twitter at @patricianels

Agentopia: Kate Testerman and Linda Camacho

Welcome to the April edition of Agentopia! This month we have Kate Testerman and Linda Camacho in the spotlight.

First is Kate Testerman from kt literary

About Kate:

After a dozen years working in publishing in New York City, Kate moved to Colorado and formed kt literary in early 2008, where she concentrates on middle grade and young adult fiction. Bringing to bear the experience of being part of a large agency, she enjoys all aspects of working with her authors, offering hands-on experience, personal service, and a surfeit of optimism.

Her clients include Maureen Johnson, Ellen Booraem, Stephanie Perkins, Carrie Harris, Trish Doller, and Matthew Cody, among other exciting and acclaimed authors. Kate is a graduate of the University of Delaware’s Honors Program, a former cast member of the New York Renaissance Faire, and an avid collector of shoes, bags, children, and dogs. Her interests cover a broad range including contemporary drama, urban fantasy and magical realism, adventure stories, and romantic comedies. She is an active member of the SCBWI and AAR.

What is currently on your wish list?

Diverse stories, particularly Own Voices. Like so much of the country right now, I'm feeling an urge to protest and resist, and would love to be part of a novel like THE HATE U GIVE by Angela Thomas, that shines a light on the stores that make up our multicultural world.

What's a personal turn-off in a query which is guaranteed to get the author rejected?

I'm willing to grant querying authors a bit of leeway, but racism and sexism are definite turn-offs.

Do you google authors and if yes, what are you looking for?

If I like a manuscript and want to set up a call with the author, then yes, I will do some googling and pop around on their social media channels. But I don't spend a lot of time seeking out authors.

To submit to Kate, email your query letter and the first three pages of your manuscript in the body of the email to katequery@ktliterary.com 

Full submission guidelines and query letter examples can be found here

Twitter: @DaphneUn

Next up is Linda Camacho from Prospect Agency

About Linda:

Linda Camacho joined Prospect Agency in 2015 after nearly a decade in publishing. After graduating from Cornell University, Linda interned at Simon & Schuster and Writers House literary agency, and worked at Penguin before happily settling into children's marketing at Random House. She has an MFA in creative writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Unofficially, Linda loves chocolate, travel, and far too much TV. 

In terms of submissions, she's pretty omnivorous. She enjoys a variety of categories and genres, ranging from picture book to adult, from clean and lighthearted contemporary to edgy and dark fantasy.

What is currently on your wish list?

I’m looking for high concept YA of all kinds, like maybe a thriller, a western, or a fantasy (preferably set in a non-European world). Surprise me! And I’m dying for more adult romance, particularly contemporary (would love one with a plus-size protagonist). Frankly, I’d love to see a plus-size protagonist in anything having nothing to do with weight loss, like in Sarai Walker’s Dietland, which is terrific.

What's a personal turn-off in a query which is guaranteed to get the author rejected?

A big turn-off is when the writer slams the category/genre in which they're querying me for and saying that their work is the exception. I can't tell you how many "All YA is trash, but mine rises above that" I get in my in-box!

Do you google authors and if yes, what are you looking for?

I definitely do Google authors. If they don't have much online presence, I don't hold it against them. If they are online (i.e., on Twitter), I tend to look at the things they've said, if they're professional or not, if they'd be a person I'd want to work with. A person ranting on social media about how they think agents are mean and dumb, for instance, would certainly make me pause.

Prospect Agency accepts online submissions. Please include a query letter, synopsis and the first three chapters (or first 30 pages) of your manuscript.

Twitter: @LindaRandom

Agentopia: Mark Gottlieb 

Welcome to the first Agentopia interview of 2017! This month Mark Gottlieb from The Trident Media Group is in the spotlight. 

About Mark

Mark Gottlieb attended Emerson College and was President of its Publishing Club, establishing the Wilde Press. After graduating with a degree in writing, literature & publishing, he began his career with Penguin’s VP. Mark’s first position at Publishers Marketplace’s #1-ranked literary agency, Trident Media Group, was in foreign rights. Mark was EA to Trident’s Chairman and ran the Audio Department. Mark is currently working with his own client list, helping to manage and grow author careers with the unique resources available to Trident. He has ranked #1 among Literary Agents on publishersmarketplace.com in Overall Deals and other categories.

What is currently on your wish list?

An ideal project would carry an important social message or moral to the story, and while not only being beautifully written, it should be accessible or have some aspects of commercialism to the writing, even if it is literary fiction.

We represent all genres, generally excluding poetry, short stories, novellas, and textbooks.

We are always seeing a high demand for commercial fiction, genre fiction, thrillers, women’s fiction, romance, YA, literary/general fiction, high-end nonfiction and health books written by authors with major platforms in the areas of history/politics/current affairs, business books and celebrity nonfiction.

Generally speaking, I am not interested in struggling genres such as cozy mysteries, erotica, urban fantasy, horror, paranormal romance, and personal (non-celebrity) memoir.

 What's a personal turn-off in a query which is guaranteed to get the author rejected?

There are many mistakes that I’ve seen in query letters, but I will name just a few that would absolutely deter me from requesting the manuscript from an author:

-Submitting queries for novellas, short story collections, poetry or textbooks will usually turn a literary agent off, as most literary agents do not represent such things. Publishers tend not to buy from literary agents in those areas in the first place.

-Word count is also very important. Traditional book length is 80-120K, and commercial fiction tends to be in the 80-90K-word range. Going outside of normal book-length will not produce good results for an author querying a literary agent for a shot at going into major trade publishing.

-Writing within struggling genres such as cozy mysteries, erotica, or urban fantasy is also another way to turn a literary agent off in the querying process. We tend to be weary of that at Trident Media Group.

 Do you google authors and if yes, what are you looking for?

Yes and I’m finding that the importance of platform in an author’s career has also made its way into the world of fiction, to an extent. In looking for an ideal fiction client with a platform, I look for authors that have good writing credentials such as experience with writing workshops, conferences, or smaller publications in respected literary magazines.

Having awards, bestseller status, a strong online presence, or pre-publication blurbs in-hand for one’s manuscript is also very promising in the eyes of a literary agent.

Platform is even more important in considering nonfiction authors. It is not enough for an author of nonfiction to be a respected authority on their subject matter—it’s important to publishers to know that such authors have a big online presence or social media following.

That’s why selling celebrity fiction to publishers is almost a no-brainer. Publishers get this strange thought in their minds that if any given celebrity has 100,000 followers or more, if even just ten percent of those followers buy the book, then the publisher is already in good shape.

 

Submission guidelines

To contact Mark send a query letter using the form form found at www.tridentmediagroup.com/contact-us. 

He can also be found at:  twitter.com/Trident_Media

A New Year for Agentopia

I’m very excited to be taking up the role of Agentopia Coordinator and to bring your questions to some fantastic agents.

So you know a little about the person behind the interviews, let me introduce myself. I’m in my final year of university and currently run and edit the pro-feminist magazine ARTEMIS. Despite my passion for running the magazine, YA books have always been my first love and I can’t imagine that’s going to change no matter what age I am. I was convinced I would be an author growing up but recently realised my passion lies in the other side of publishing and am now pursuing a career as a literary agent.

For me, stories have always been about the characters and their relationships with those around them. Whether fantasy or contemporary, books with strong heroines and believable romances never fail to make me squeal and I’ve been known have to take a five minute break from books that were just too good. Some of my all-time favourite books are Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black and anything by Cassandra Clare.

To get us started I’d love to know what questions you’d most like answered by literary agents, so please do answer the poll and feel free to add your own questions in the comments section.

I hope you enjoy the first interview of the year which will be posted in February!

What questions would you like answered by agents?

What is currently on your wish list?

What's a personal turn-off in a query which is guaranteed to get the author rejected?

What's the most important element of a story which makes you want to represent it?

Do you have a ‘maybe’ pile, or is it a quick decision between requesting or passing on a manuscript

If a writer can see they have been skipped on Querytracker, does this mean they are on your 'maybe pile'?

Are there any trends which you feel will soon be very popular in YA fiction?

Are there any current popular trends in YA fiction which you feel are becoming less popular?

Do you google authors and if yes, what are you looking for?

How long does it take to respond to queries?

Other

Please Specify:

Agentopia: Natalie M. Lakosil

Click here for more info about Agentopia, including past posts. Today, we're thrilled to welcome the fabulous Natalie M. Lakosil and hear all about her wishlist!

Bio

Natalie is an agent at the Bradford Literary Agency. She holds a B.A. in Literature/Writing and, after nearly four years at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency and a brief dabble in writing author profiles and book reviews for the San Diego Union Tribune, she joined the Bradford Agency in February of 2011. Natalie blogs at www.adventuresinagentland.com.

Natalie is drawn to talented, hard-working new authors with a fresh, unique voice and hook. Her specialty is commercial fiction, with an emphasis in children’s literature (from picture book through teen), romance (contemporary and historical), and upmarket women’s fiction. Her interests include historical, multi-cultural, sci-fi/fantasy, gritty, thrilling and darker contemporary novels, middle grade with heart, and short, quirky picture books. She is always drawn to an open and positive attitude in an author, professionalism, good grammar, and fantastical, engaging and sexy plots.

Wishlist 

• Contemporary romance (sexy, no romantic suspense, small town, cowboys, not so much into bikers or sports/sports themes)
  Contemporary NA (also sexy)
• Anything horror or gothic (but NOT paranormal; no "light" horror like ghosts) or Victorian
• Smart, contemporary, "beautiful dark" YA (ala BEFORE I FALL, FAULT IN OUR STARS)
• Magical realism (in YA and women's fiction)
• FRESH women's fiction/general fiction (love historical, time travel, magical realism, and fresh concepts, not just woman who is rediscovering herself after a divorce)
• Light/humorous or historical mystery (in adult and YA) 
• nonfiction picture books and young readers
• anything I can go absolutely bananas about
• Upmarket fiction (commercial fiction with a literary bent - a strong hook with great writing and deep character development)

How to Query

Send query, synopsis, and first 10 pages in the body of an email to queries @ bradfordlit.com

Agentopia: Sarah Negovetich

Bio

Sarah Negovetich is fully aware that no one knows how to pronounce her last name, and she's okay with that. She's been with Corvisiero Literary Agency since 2012. As a Jr. Agent and PR Team Leader, Sarah works with a select group of clients and leads the agency's marketing efforts.

Her favorite writing is YA, because at seventeen the world is your oyster. Only oysters are slimy and more than a little salty, it's accurate if not exactly motivational.

Sarah's background is in Marketing. FYI, your high school algebra teacher was right when they told you every job uses math. She uses her experience to help authors with platform building and book promotion.

Wish List

I would love to see more Science Fiction, especially those not involving aliens (though aliens are fine). Anything very gadget heavy, including SteamPunk, would be awesome. I'd also love to see a high fantasy that doesn't involve the main character as the answer to a long standing prophecy to save the kingdom/world/etc. These are great stories, but they've been done a lot. Show me what else you can do with the genre.

I'd love to see something in any genre with a redeemable bad guy. I'm looking for an antagonist that makes me want to root for him at the same time I want him to lose. I'm all about the conflicting emotions.

Something that I'm not seeing a lot of is YA adventure/mystery that doesn't include fantasy. A story that takes the reader along on a wild goose chase like Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code or even National Treasure would be amazing.

Give me the extremes: Either something that makes me cry with laughter every other page or something so dark and twisted it keeps me up all night with the covers pulled over my head (but not gory). This doesn't work for every story, but if you can do one of these well, I want to see it.

How to Submit

I represent MG and YA only. I am not the agent for your chapter book or NA novel. There are lots of other great agents that handle those areas.

To submit, send your query letter, first five pages and a 1-2 page synopsis within the body of your email to Query@corvisieroagency.com. No Attachments. 'Query for Sarah' should be your subject line. Please make sure your query includes the age group (MG or YA), genre and word count. Also, make sure you include your real name, even if you intend to use a pen name. Your synopsis should give away the end and include any plot twists and Spoilers! (I always say that word with an exclamation point like I'm River). This isn't the place to be vague.

I respond to all queries. You can check my blog for a status update on where I am with queries and requested manuscripts.

Agentopia: Peter J. Knapp

Click here for more info about Agentopia, including past posts. Today, we're thrilled to welcome Peter J. Knapp and hear all about his wishlist!

Bio

Pete Knapp joined the Park Literary Group in July 2011, where he has had a chance to work with many of the agency’s bestselling authors -- Nicholas Sparks, Emily Giffin, and Debbie Macomber included -- in all stages of the publication process. He has been actively involved in the company's film activities, helping to coordinate marketing and publicity efforts for The Lucky One (WB) and Safe Haven (Relativity, February 2013). Prior to joining Park Literary, he was a story editor and book scout at Floren Shieh Productions, consulting on book-to-film adaptations for Los Angeles-based film companies, including CBS Films. He has also interned in the literary affairs and development offices of New Line Cinema, Overture Films, and Maximum Films & Management.

Peter is an avid reader of young adult and middle grade fiction, frequently trading book recommendations with his nine-year-old sister. Having graduated from NYU summa cum laude with a B.A. in Art History, he maintains a (mostly) healthy interest in the visual arts, particularly with animation. He is an advisor for Builders Beyond Borders, a nonprofit that organizes international humanitarian trips for teenagers, and though he loves to travel, he happily calls Brooklyn home.

Find Peter at: www.parkliterary.com; peteknapp.blogspot.com; @petejknapp

Wishlist


Smart, realistic teen fiction with a narrative hook. In other words, books with a storytelling device that makes realistic teen fiction feel high concept. Examples would be: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (device: story told largely from a dead person's perspective through recorded tapes); Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler (device: story told as a letter from the narrator to her ex-boyfriend, chronicling the stories behind various keepsakes of their relationship, all of which she is returning to him); If I Stay by Gayle Forman (device: told from the perspective of a girl in a coma, as her soul wanders around the hospital after a devastating car accident, deciding whether she should fight for her life.).

Smart, contemporary teen and MG fiction WITHOUT a narrative hook. A story doesn't need a clever narrative framing device to get my attention. As long as the story is fresh and the characters are there, I will pay attention. Think John Green's The Fault in our Stars; Nina LaCour's The Disenchantments; Rebecca Stead's Liar & Spy; R. J. Palacio's incredible debut Wonder; Gary Schmidt's Okay for Now.

Middle grade books that are bittersweet. Think When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead; or Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara Pennypacker, So Totally Emily Embers by Lisa Yee, all of which comes at serious issues (loss, abandonment, finding family, unlikely friendship) through a funny angle (aka a Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead concept); or any of the MG mentioned above (Okay for Now, Wonder, Liar & Spy)

YA/MG books that are realistic -- and not. What I mean by this is books that are grounded in a world that is recognizable as our own, but the rules are different. Think: Kat Zhang's What's left of Me, which takes place in a world much like ours, except everyone is born with two souls that must compete for one body; Maggie Stievater's The Raven Boys, which is grounded in a familiar campus town in Virginia, but with psychics and forests that bend time; Nova Ren Suma's Imaginary Girls, a heartbreaking story about love and loyalty between two siblings with a supernatural twist; Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me, a mystery set in New York in the 1970s, but with time-travel. What makes these stories particularly compelling and "real" is not just the setting but the emotional challenges each character faces  -- even in Kat Zhang's book, where the topic of two souls raise questions about identity and the assertion of independence that are relevant to every teen's life. 

YA/MG books with LGBT characters. This is not its own genre -- LGBT characters can fit into any of the above -- but I would love to find a story that deals with LGBT issues like Brent Hartinger's Geography Club. Another book that recently sold that I've only read the announcement for, but which looks extremely interesting, is Bill Konigsberg's Openly Straight (what interests me about this is that it takes a now common story -- the coming-out story -- and flips it on its head: what happens with a gay kid goes back into the closet?). Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is another book that tackles gay teen life in a thoughtful, moving way.

YA/MG gritty crime thrillers and mysteries. I'd love a YA book in the vein of Tana French, Gillian Flynn, Patricia Highsmith. Kat Rosenfeld's Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone is a terrific example of a heartbreaking crime story with a complicated protagonist, complicated morality, a book that goes beyond whodunit and examines different types of fear -- while keeping readers at the edge of their seats. These books can but don't have to have a fantastic element (ie, Jill Hathaway's Slide, where a girl with epilepsy slips into other characters' perspectives.)

YA/MG historical light fantasy. My favorite fantasy often feels like it's grounded in the past -- whether it be steampunk, Dickensian, noir, or anything else. Think books like The Diviners, The Peculiars, The Monstrumologist, Liesl & Po. Emphasis on the word grounded. I do not typically go for high fantasy or heavy fantasy -- but rather stories that have a fantastic twist.

YA/MG survivor/nature/boy or girl with animal stories. And yes, I still like literary middle grade with dogs. I love the classics like Hatchet, My Side of the Mountain, Shiloh, Where the Red Fern Grows, Because of Winn Dixie. And, more recently, I loved Eliot Schrefer's Endangered. More like these, please!

Here are some specific projects I would love: writing comparable in subject and tone to Courtney Summers; something similar to Endangered by Eliot Schrefer; a YA Chariots of Fire (doesn’t need to be track & field, but similar feel—perhaps skiing?); a YA noir like Brick; a realistic contemporary YA set on a ranch; a thriller or suspense in the vein of Erik Larson’s nonfiction; a cute YA love story similar to Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares; YA or MG similar to the FX show The Americans; a YA Thomas Crown Affair. 

How to query

To submit to Pete Knapp, send a query letter and the first three chapters or up to 10,000 words in the body of an email to queries (at) parkliterary (dot) com. No attachments. (For security reasons, all emails with attachments will be deleted.) Be sure “Pete Knapp” or “Peter Knapp” appears in the subject line of the email.

Agentopia: Sara Megibow

Click here for more info about Agentopia, including past posts. Today, we're thrilled to welcome Sara Megibow and hear all about her wishlist!

Bio

Sara has been with Nelson Literary Agency since early 2006. Her first responsibilities included reading query letters, sample pages, and full manuscripts, and she was promoted to Associate Literary Agent in 2009. From sexy romance to epic fantasy, Sara has loved reading since picking up her first copy of The Hobbit. Sara earned a B.A. in Women’s Studies and a B.A. in American History from Northwestern University. She loves to ski, hike, kayak, and hang out with her beat-boxing husband, adorable son, and fuzzy cat.

Read about Sara’s submissions, clients, and sales at http://publishersmarketplace.com/members/SaraMegibow/

Follow Sara on twitter @SaraMegibow.

Read about the agency at www.nelsonagency.com

Wishlist

It's the start of an exciting new year! Already the biggest sales I've made in 2013 have been for Middle Grade and New Adult projects, so let's bring on more of those. I'm not worried about word count or concept - if it's about fishermen or spaceships, I'm looking for quality of writing and engaging characters. As always, I'm a huge romance fan - paranormal, contemporary, historical - you name it, I'm in! Typically we get the most queries per day for books in the young adult genre - that seems to be our sweet spot as an agency. So, all sorts of YA is good - science fiction or thriller or contemporary or YA with a strong romance element.

How to Query

Please visit our website www.nelsonagency.com for submission guidelines, sample query letters, recommended resources and FAQs (all located on the "Submit Manuscript" page).

Query by email only (no attachments, headshots, sample pages or synopses please). We do not accept snail mail queries or submissions or queries by phone or in person. Please send email to query@nelsonagency.com. You are encouraged to include the link to your author website in your query letter.

Agentopia: Marisa Cleveland

Click here for more info about Agentopia, including past posts.

Bio

Marisa Cleveland is an associate agent with The Seymour Agency.

She interned with The Seymour Agency for a year before transitioning into associate agent. Her goals have always included writing her romance novels and representing career-driven authors.

She is a member of the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators and Romance Writers of America - Published Authors Network.

Websites: www.marisacleveland.com & www.theseymouragency.com

Twitter: @marisacleveland

Wishlist

I'm looking for a middle school novel I can’t put down until the last page and can’t stop discussing. Voice is key for me. If I’m going to sign (and sell) someone, I have to be able to listen (vocally and on the page) to that writer through revisions and edits and book after book. I want to find characters I’d want as my best friends long after the story ends, whether it’s in this world or an alternate universe… and middle grade means the content where issues are age-appropriate and not based solely on lexile levels.

Since I'm a new agent, I'm building my client list slowly and only considering other genres if requested from other venues (conferences, pitchfests, contests, etc.), though once my current authors are submission-ready and sold, I plan to expand my wishlist.

How to Query

Please email your query and the first five pages of your manuscript in the body of the email to marisa@theseymouragency.com. No attachments please.

Agentopia: Jordy Albert

Click here for more info about Agentopia, including past posts.

Bio

Jordy Albert is a junior agent with the Corvisiero Literary Agency. She holds a B.A. in English from the Pennsylvania State University, and a M.A. from Millersville University of Pennsylvania. She is a fan of the Syfy, History and Discovery Channels. She wanted to study Archaeology growing up, but her love of literature won out. She enjoys studying languages (French/Japanese), loves Shakespeare and the theater, classical music, usually has a book in her hand, and is teaching herself how knit. She is also a HUGE fan of Doctor Who.

Twitter -- Blog
Wishlist

Romance. I am particularly interested in historical, especially Regency; contemporary (or women's fiction). Young Adult and Middle Grade fantasy, sci-fi, or dystopian with strong, well-developed characters. I'd also like to see YA contemporary or historical with elements of romance. I am drawn to intelligent, quirky characters, and would love to see plots featuring time travel, mythology, competitions, or travel.

How to Query

Please send your query, 1-2 page synopsis, and the first five pages to query@corvisieroagency.com. Remember to copy/paste everything into the body of the email. No attachments. Please visit our website for our submission guidelines.