Chelsea GriffinThe Zinn Company

After graduating from Northwestern and working for the Peace Corps, Chelsea began her publishing career

in 2002 at Knopf. Later, at Simon & Schuster and Simon Spotlight Entertainment (now Gallery), she edited and acquired a diverse list of projects. As an agent, first with The Susan Golomb Literary Agency and now with The Zinn Company, she represents Jess Walter, author of Beautiful Ruins, finalist for the National Book Award; Stephen Chbosky, author of the bestselling novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower; Erica O’Rourke, author the YA paranormal series Bound, which won a gold medal from the GirlsWriteNow! Foundation; Alison Baker, author of many award winning short story collections, including How I Came West and Why I Stayed; and Ben H. Winters, who penned the now-infamous “mashup” book Sense and Sensibility and Seamonsters, as well as the dystopian detective novel, The Last Detective.

She is looking for work of literary quality of any genre.

Please send a one-page query and the first 5 pages of your novel to her c/o the Zinn Company, 555 Fifth Avenue, Suite 5, New York, NY 10005.

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James RevelRevel & Yount

James Revel worked for twenty years as an editor at Simon & Schuster before forming a boutique agency with Caroline Yount in 2003. Since then, he’s established a varied client list that includes Tom Franklin, Veronica Roth, James Ellroy, and Malinda Lo. He’s on the lookout for adult fiction that runs the gamut from literary and upmarket to speculative (particularly urban/contemporary fantasy rooted in realistic settings, horror/dark fantasy, and magical realism), as well as historical fiction and crime fiction. He is open to YA fiction of all types except paranormal romance. He would especially love to get his hands on a dark and/or funny contemporary MG or YA project.James is specifically seeking projects that balance strong voice with gripping plot lines; he particularly enjoys flawed (but sympathetic) protagonists and stories that organically blur the lines between genres. Stories that make him laugh earn extra points. Recent favorites include Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Life after Life by Kate Atkinson, Coda by Emma Trevayne, and Horns by Joe Hill.For submissions, please mail the query and the first 5-10 pages to James Revel at Revel & Yount, 9124 Beacon Street, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 09743.

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Anna BullockLiterary Agent, Willow CompanySuite 1001176 Jackson Drive Chicago, IL 60601(312) 555 – 0125

Anna graduated from The City College of New York with an MFA in poetry. While at City College she served as the editor of the literary journal, Promethean. In 2009 she became an associate editor at Callaloo. After two years of working on Callaloo, Anna transitioned to her current position as an agent with the Willow Company.

Anna represents both adult and YA genre fiction and nonfiction. For both adult and young adult fiction, Anna is seeking historical and realistic fiction that portrays the breadth of the human experience. She will also accept fantasy, especially magical realism and dystopian adventure/thriller. Anna is particularly interested in manuscripts that employ unique and diverse voices that avoid stereotypical portrayals of the complicated and multicultural American experience. She’s also open to Middle Grade fiction. Her favorite authors are Octavia Butler, Toni Morrison, John Green, Alice Walker, Walter Dean Myers, Suzanne Collins, Lois Lowry, and Mildred D. Taylor.

To query Anna, please send a query letter and the first ten pages of your manuscript via snail mail to the address provided above. Indicate “ATTN: Anna Bullock” on the envelope.

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Shawna GriffithSchwinn Agency

Once she’d graduated from Penn State, Shawna began her publishing career in 2010 at Penguin where she edited and acquired a large number of books, leading her to start Schwinn Agency in 2011. At Schwinn she represents David Shields, author of Reality Hunger, Jhumpa Lahiri, 2013 finalist for the National Book Award – The Lowland; Cormac McCarthy, author of The Road; Jonathan Franzen, author of Strong Motion; Jill Christman – Darkroom; and Davy Rothbart, who wrote the personal essay collection, My Heart Is An Idiot.

Shawna is looking for literary fiction or nonfiction projects, specifically those that exhibit strong character voice and vivid plot. She prefers realism, historical fiction, and memoir.

Please submit a one-page query and the first 10 pages of your novel to her at 549 North Millet Street, New York City, NY 34534 or online at shawna.griffith@schwinn.com.

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Mark McNeelSchwinn Agency

Mark McNeel’s illustrious career has taken many twists and turns. Originally a stockbroker in Chicago, Mark retired from that career in 2000 and decided to utilize that

business knowledge in the field of book publishing, where he worked for Simon and Shuster until 2010. Mark signed on with Schwinn Agency shortly after it was founded in 2011, intrigued by the opportunity to utilize his business acumen and his knowledge of publishing. Since then he’s represented George R.R. Martin – The Game of Thrones Series, S.G. Browne – Lucky Bastard, and Stefan Bachmann – The Peculiar.

Mark is searching for adult fiction spanning from literary to commercial, which exhibits strong protagonists in interesting situations. Urban/contemporary realistic fantasy, magical realism, paranormal, and high fantasy are Mark’s preferred subgenres, though he will take a look at any query outside those specifications that he finds intriguing.

If you are interested in Mark representing you, please submit a one-page query and the first 4-10 pages of your manuscript to him online at mark.mcneel@schwinn.com or mailed to 549 North Millet Street, New York City, NY 34534. He will aim to respond within two weeks.

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Magdalene Hall

Maggie Hall has been a dedicated member of Benford Agency as a literary agent for five years. After graduating with her MA from Ball State University in 2007, Maggie completed her MFA in Creative Writing at Iowa State University. For a brief time, Maggie joined with the literary agency Panda Inc. before she found her literary home with Benford Agency in Chicago, IL.

As a young reader, Maggie became interested in such authors as Patrick Taylor, James Herriot, and Gerald Durrell and other authors who consider the nature of close-knit communities and human life and happiness. She is drawn to stories that seek to examine the interaction between characters and setting.

Maggie is interested in fiction, specifically realism, historical fiction, and humor. She is open to but less enthusiastic about YA fiction, dystopian fantasy and middle grade. The more insightful and attentive the writing is to character and setting, the better. Maggie is also open to unique and modern interpretations of these ideas in nonfiction.

If you believe your work would be best represented by Maggie, please sent a one-page query letter and the first ten pages of your work to the following address:

33905 Carlson Dr. Chicago, IL 40502

Responses can be expected within two weeks of receipt.

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Bailey Bagoda2525 Nova Ln.Carmel, CA 93922

Aloha! In 1997, Bailey Bagoda completed her undergraduate work at Brigham Young University, Hawaii. After completing her MFA at California College of the Arts, Bailey decided to call Carmel, CA her home.

Bailey’s love for travel led her to spend two years living abroad in Istanbul, Turkey. During that time she continued to polish her first novel and began work on her second book of travel essays.

In 2005, Bailey published her first novel, Seasonless Paradise. That winter, she found her second home as a literary agent for Sunshine Inc. in nearby Monterey.

Though historical, literary, dramatic and humorous fictions still pique Bailey’s interest, she now seeks out vibrant and

unique nonfiction concerning travel and the experience of new places, the individual as foreign and misplaced. Nonfiction with historical, literary, dramatic and/or humorous elements would be highly appreciated, and if your work fits this description, send it, posthaste.

At your interest, please send a query letter and the first 10-20 pages of your manuscript to the provided address above care of Bailey Bagoda.

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Eleanor Lang

Eleanor Lang spent ten years working as a middle school teacher before receiving her MFA in Creative Writing in 2005 at University of Minnesota. She worked for three years as an editor at Random House and is now a literary agent with Candelabra.  

She accepts submissions of fantasy, science fiction, and YA; however, she is not interested in stories which are set in fantasy or sci-fi settings for the sake of escapism alone. She enjoys reading in all genres, as long as the story reveals a truth about our shared human experience through the use of compelling and complicated relationships, questions of identity, or similar issues.

Some of her favorite authors include Orson Scott Card, Madeleine L'Engle, and Philip Pullman.

If you are interested in working with Eleanor Lang on your manuscript, send the first 6-10 pages of your manuscript to her at:Candelabra 58 North 12th StreetChicago, IL 44444

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Charles BingleyCharles Bingley was a professor of Classical Literature at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio until 1995, when he first began working for Old Books Press. He is now a literary agent with Austen-Leigh, Inc. in New York.

Charles is interested in historical and literary fiction with strong, funny, or quirky protagonists. His favorite books often center around well-known historical figures, and some of his favorite authors include Colleen McCullough and Margaret Doody.

If you would like to work with Charles Bingley, send the first ten pages of your manuscript to him at:Austen-Leigh, Inc. 403 East Maple StreetAlbany, NY 32100

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Onyx StonewellBlack Ink, INC.

Onyx Stonewall graduated from Columbia University in 1973 and has spent several decades helping

writers advance their careers. Her clients have included Philip K. Dick, Isaac Asimov, Scott Turow, Gillian Flynn, and Karin Slaughter. In recent years, she’s made a point to seek out new, impressive authors.

While her focus is science fiction, crime novels, and historical fiction, she is open to upmarket, dark narratives of most genres. Adult fiction is preferred, but YA novels in these categories that feature compelling, sophisticated characters will also be considered. Please no nonfiction or romance novels.

She thoroughly enjoyed Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy, and is searching for the next dark, smartly written series.

For submissions, send a one-page query and the first 10-12 pages of your novel to her c/o Black Ink, INC., 1111 Times Square, Suite 23, New York City, NY 10036.

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Harland ForesterJameson & Schultz Literary Management

Harland Forester studied creative writing and minored in history and environmental studies at Baylor University.

He is open to both fiction and nonfiction and is attracted to stories that offer commentary on the environment and sustainability.

Commercial books, especially historical fiction and YA are welcome, except for paranormal romance YA novels. He is attracted to stories with unusual narrators, like the one found in Marcus Zusak’s The Book Thief. A strong voice, a humorous tone, and a surprising setting that is central to the plot are all appreciated. He is not looking for hard science fiction or fantasy, but stories that bend genres will be considered.

Please mail the query and the first ten pages of the book to Harland Forester at Jameson & Schultz Literary Management, 2525 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60602.

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John NoyenJohn Noyen grew up with a dog named Baxter and, as a result, has no interest reading projects that feature dying dogs. For unrelated reasons, he is also uninterested in protagonists named Archie, Cameron, or Megan (Meghan is acceptable). Exceptions will be made for outstanding work that catches his attention before revealing the offending name.

Since earning his PhD from the University of Michigan in 1989, John has worked in the publishing industry, minus a two-year hiatus spent at an elephant sanctuary in Kenya. He has been representing authors for sixteen years and working at Campbell & Howard Agency for seven.

His primary focus is fiction, with occasional narrative nonfiction and memoir as well. Projects that excite him often include satire or dark humor while dealing with human issues. Deviation from strict realism isn’t a deal-breaker, but sentimentality is. John does not represent children’s fiction, romance, epic fantasy, or Nicholas Sparks. Given the opportunity, he would have gladly represented Ray Bradbury, Margaret Atwood, Flannery O’Connor, and/or Jonathan Swift, but not Shakespeare, because he does not handle dramatic works or poetry.

If you are interested in working with John, please send a query and the first eight to ten pages of your manuscript to John Noyen, c/o Campbell & Howard Agency, 428 5th St., New York, NY 11235.

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Katherine ScrattleKat holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Iowa and is a classically-trained mezzo-soprano. After working for several years in a small bookstore/coffee shop in Halifax, she moved to Connecticut and opened D. Street Agency with two colleagues.

Kat’s favorite books include Stephen King’s Misery, Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, Téa Obreht’s The Tiger’s Wife, and Ben Percy’s Red Moon. She has a particular interest in dark, genre-bending fiction that balances form and function—engaging, tight plots; conflicted and active characters; and potent language that is vivid but not self-indulgent. She does not represent MG fiction and rarely takes on YA projects unless they can effectively cross over to a broader audience.

She only represents novels (no story collections, poetry, memoir, non-fiction, etc.) that are ready for publication—do not send a book proposal, part of a half-finished manuscript, or unpolished pages.

To submit, send a one-page query and the first eight–ten pages of your novel to Katherine Scrattle c/o D. Street Agency, 738 W. Chelsea St., New Haven, CT 06520.

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