“I’m Hungry To Build My List”: A Roundtable with Five Rising Star Agents

“If I can’t name at least ten editors who might realistically be looking for something similar, then I might not be the right person to represent it.”

In this week’s newsletter, we hear from five younger agents whose lists I really admire. Real talk: it can be harder to get the attention of an agent who has been in the business for a decade or more as the bulk of our time is spent servicing the clients we already have, not scouting for new ones. But how does one find out about emerging agents? I've done some of the legwork for you right here! This is a long one, but I’m giving you a lot of bang for your non-buck. While we eventually get to Manuscript Wish Lists and lots of advice for emerging writers, I wanted to begin with how these folks became agents so you have a sense of the (considerable) experience even a younger agent brings to the table.

Read on if you interested in:

• Learning more about these agents, including what they are looking to represent

• And finding out where they scout talent (it’s not only the slush pile)

• Knowing how one becomes an agent

• Or exploring this career path yourself

On Preorders (and Accepting What You Can’t Control)

In my last post, I revealed my gorgeous book jacket and shared my first preorder link. We waited on the jacket reveal until we had preorder links ready, but as we quickly discovered from your many kind emails, some of those links did not work! With the exception of Powell's, the links should be up and running.

If you do preorder, remember to save your proof of purchase. We have some great giveaways and sweepstakes coming up.

Debut Novel 101 at McNally on Wednesday, April 16th

My client Laura McGrath and Friends of the Stack Randy Winston, Kate Dwyer and Isaac Fitzgerald will be at McNally tonight to discuss all things "debut novel" — from building your byline and securing a publisher to promoting your book and "breaking out." RSVP here.

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Sarah Khalil is a literary agent and editorial manager at Calligraph, a New York- and Boston-based literary agency.

Originally from New York City, Nora Gonzalez joined The Gernert Company in 2020, where she represents adult fiction and nonfiction.

Eloy Bleifuss Prados is an agent at Neon Literary where he represents both fiction and nonfiction authors.

Mina Hamedi is a literary agent at Janklow & Nesbit and represents adult literary fiction and nonfiction.

Haley Heidemann is an agent at WME, where she represents commercial and literary adult fiction, along with narrative nonfiction, pop-culture, and lifestyle.

Let’s start with your beginnings. How did you come to work in publishing in general and agenting in particular?

Sarah K: I’m a first-generation college student and the eldest daughter of immigrants, so unlike your typical publishing professional I had little sense of the larger ecosystem of arts and media production until relatively recently. Although I’d grown up a voracious reader (thanks mom!), I actually had no idea that literary agents existed at all until I applied to my first US publishing job at a literary agency, which coincided with starting a master’s in Publishing & Writing at Emerson College.

In my undergraduate years I’d been on the ed board of my college paper and had interned at a teeny tiny Beirut-based (I’m half-Lebanese and lived in Lebanon for 12 years) English-language publishing house; I knew I liked working with writers, but hadn’t seriously considered pursuing a career in publishing until I applied to Emerson College’s MA program. My previous bid to apply to law school hadn’t panned out; all I’d had was a couple of years of admin work at a law firm under my belt. My thinking at the time was that this master’s would be an interim step before I continued on my path to the legal profession (a path I did not, in my heart of hearts, want to be on).

In the lead-up to the start of the program I saw a Facebook job posting (!) for a part-time legal/admin assistant position at the Boston-based agency Kneerim & Williams and its sister IP law firm Sennott, Williams & Rogers. After Googling “literary agent,” still unsure of what agenting entailed, I applied and got the job. I started the same week I started my master’s. Over the next couple of years I became familiar with—and came to like—my colleagues and the job of agenting. In 2020, as I wrapped up my degree, I was offered a full-time position as editorial assistant to the late, tremendous Jill Kneerim, and the rest is history: K&W became Calligraph when it merged with the Zoë Pagnamenta Agency in 2023, so I’m still here with the same team (now Brady-Bunched into a bigger one).

Nora: Like so many people who work in publishing, I was an avid reader growing up. In college I kept this up as an English major, reading books and writing essays for the majority of my coursework. However, it wasn’t until I was about to graduate that I truly thought about the possibility of working in publishing and with books. I applied to every entry level job I could find the spring before I graduate, but I almost never got a response back. A turning point for me was when I had an informational interview with an editor, who told me that I needed to do a few internships to have a chance at a full-time job.

After I graduated, I moved back home with my parents in New York City, and I interned at a number of places including New Directions, New York Review Books, and Aragi Inc. In the midst of my time interning, the pandemic hit, and most publishers took a pause from hiring; luckily Nicole Aragi referred me for an interim job as an assistant book scout for Del Commune Enterprises. I credit this job and my boss Lauri del Commune for my crash course on the industry. I started to get a handle on how a manuscript on submission turns into a book, both in the US and internationally. I learned in depth about the different publishers, from the Big 5 to the Indies, editors and their taste, the role of agents, and, above all, how to trust my editorial instincts and taste. When that job came to an end, I then joined The Gernert Company as a foreign rights and agency assistant.

Before I started working at an agency, and eventually as an agent myself, I had a very idealized perception of what agenting is, based on the macro duties the job entails. I certainly didn’t expect all the administrative work, i.e. the contract reviewing, the payment chasing, etc. On the other hand, I also didn’t realize how much the publishing industry and agenting was a relationship based business, and I’ve loved meeting fellow books lovers and cultivating relationships with people across the industry, some that have flourished beyond the job itself.

Eloy: My first job in publishing wasn’t at an agency, actually. It was on the editorial side.

Originally, I wanted to be a journalist, but after repeatedly failing to land a journalism internship in college, I ended up securing an internship with Simon & Schuster the summer before my senior year. I got paid around $9 an hour and survived mostly on peanut butter sandwiches. Still, that internship got my foot in the door and made me love the industry. The following summer I managed to land a full-time job at Simon & Schuster.

I started at S&S Books as the assistant to then-publisher Jon Karp and now-current publisher Sean Manning. Back then, my understanding of what a literary agent actually did was… vague. I knew they submitted projects to editors. I knew they came into the office for meetings. They wore nice camel-hair coats and carried umbrellas that didn’t look like they were bought at CVS. But beyond that? Twenty-one-year-old Eloy couldn’t have told you much more.

When I eventually got an assistant job at the agency Janklow & Nesbit, I assumed much of what I did in-house would carry over. I was pretty much correct. Like editors, agents need to manage multiple projects and authors at once. There’s a lot of emails during the day and a lot of reading manuscripts at night. Editors, however, are part of larger teams that include publicists, marketers, managing editors, and others. Agents, by comparison, tend to work in more siloed units. You have to be comfortable working alone and holding yourself accountable. While there are stylish parts to the job (lunches with editors at Odeon, the occasional party with an open bar), a lot of agenting is unflashy, head-down, nose-to-the-grindstone work.

Mina: I moved to New York City when I was 18 years old from Istanbul, Turkey. I studied creative nonfiction in college, at NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, forming my own major that linked writing with exploring questions of global identity. Afraid of entering the “real world,” I applied to New York City-based nonfiction MFA programs. I attended the Nonfiction MFA program at Columbia University, learning from incredible authors and professors (a few of whom I ended up working for at J&N). The program was very focused on craft, but I wanted to learn more about the “business” side of publishing: how to secure representation (which I knew was a must, but had no idea what it entailed), how to interpret a contract, how royalties worked, etc. Through a friend of a friend in the MFA program, I began to work as a part-time intern for two agents, Gary Morris and Heather Jackson, at David Black Literary Agency based in Brooklyn while finishing up my classes. I spent three days either in the conference room or in Gary and Heather’s offices, sorting through query letters, reading manuscripts for existing clients while simultaneously reviewing contracts and filing royalty statements. Heather had just switched from a lifetime on the editorial side, so it felt like we were learning what agenting was together.

Between my two bosses, I consumed and worked on a wide range of books from self-help and practical nonfiction, literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, and cookbooks. It feels like such a whirlwind time, because I was also completing my thesis. After about a year as a part-time intern, I became a part-time assistant for one more year, and took on further responsibilities. Heather decided to establish her own literary agency, so I also decided it was time to move on. I was still at a sort of crossroads: pursue writing, or pursue a career in publishing?

My dear friend, Melissa Larsen, recommended the Writers House Internship Program, rightly predicting that perhaps it would help me decide how I wanted my future to look. I was accepted into the program and met many fellow publishing people who I’ve grown up with since. The sage creator of the program, Michael Mejias, encouraged me to apply to an open position at Janklow & Nesbit Associates, stating I would be a fool to not at least get my foot in the door with the institution that represented every writer I loved. That open position ended up being the assistant to co-founder Lynn Nesbit. To say she opened up an even bigger world for me is an understatement. As a writer, getting to work with writers from the very beginning of an idea and all the way through to a tangible result was completely exhilarating. I chase that feeling every day.

Haley: While studying theater and creative writing in college in San Francisco, I was working as a barista at a French bakery when I learned that the owner’s wife was a literary agent. I asked if she might consider taking on an intern, and—serendipitously—her assistant had just left. So I went from making lattes to assisting a literary agent almost overnight. I worked with her for two years during college, and she ultimately encouraged me to apply to the Columbia Publishing Course (she had attended back when it was Radcliffe). I was accepted and headed to New York immediately following graduation.

At CPC, I met two young agents from WME and shared my resume with them. Initially, I was applying mostly to editorial and publicity roles because I knew I thrived in collaborative environments—I’d come from working for a one-woman team and was looking for a team dynamic. But then I got a call to interview for Margaret Riley King's desk at WME and was lucky enough to land the job. I spent over four years working closely with Margaret, as well as for Eve Attermann, learning the ins and outs of the agenting business. I was promoted in March 2020 and have been building my own list ever since.

Throughout those formative years as an assistant and agent trainee, I discovered that agenting was truly the right fit for me. I love the editorial process, particularly the big-picture developmental work, but most of all, I love advocating fiercely for my writers—fighting for them and helping them grow their careers has been the most fulfilling part of this work.

Most agents start as assistants on a more established agent’s desk. How did you develop your own tastes while working for someone else? And how did reading and editing for your colleagues shape how you agent now?

Sarah K.: I hadn’t actually read much nonfiction before doing so for K&W; as I familiarized myself with the genre I came to love it (and to love working on the nonfiction proposal itself, actually) and it’s now my bread and butter. Although I read more or less an equal amount of fiction and nonfiction in my free time I have yet to represent any fiction (and am in no particular rush to! It’s daunting and I admire fiction agents so much.).

The agency as a whole specializes in serious nonfiction by credentialled authors. While reading and editing primarily for Jill, but also occasionally for the rest of my colleagues, it was only natural for me to think about how I’d want my list to stand out within the agency’s list, which over time I realized would be a good home for my sensibilities. I feel like as agents the lists that we choose to curate are made up of parts of us; what I choose to consider for my list and the kinds of clients I chase have everything to do with my convictions and lived experiences.

Nora: When I first joined The Gernert Company, I assisted Nicole Tourtelot, who primarily works on non-fiction books, specializing in cookbooks. Until that point, working on cookbooks didn’t cross my mind, but I was excited by the space (though I’m a pretty dreadful cook myself). Nicole was very supportive of me taking the leap to agenting, even co-representing a cookbook with me, one of the first projects I ever sold. I was later moved to Meredith Kaffel Simonoff’s desk, who represents literary fiction and non-fiction. Meredith and I have very similar taste when it comes to books, and assisting her on her projects is not only gratifying professionally, but it’s also fun and exciting as a reader. I’ve learned so much on her desk, but what I’m most grateful for is to see first-hand how she edits and prepares a manuscript for submission, and the multiple rounds of edits required to do so. I love to go through her actual markups, to see what she looks out for, the questions she asks to drive a client closer towards their intention on the page, and her overall editorial feedback—this has made me a sharper reader and a more rigorous editor myself. The apprenticeship model within agenting and the opportunity to learn from more experienced agents is something I never take for granted.

As for myself, working for other agents so closely made me more open to the type of books I wanted to work on. When I first started in publishing, I imagined I would work on translated literary novels, since that’s where my working experience was, but I’m glad I was able to work for two agents with entirely different lists, which helped me refine my own taste across genres and to become more of a generalist.

Eloy: Working on another agent’s desk was essential to my development, and the value of that apprenticeship can’t be overstated. I was fortunate to assist two agents at Janklow & Nesbit, Paul Lucas and Kirby Kim, both of whom taught me a tremendous amount. Their respective lists are impressively varied, and reading for others helped me sharpen my own editorial instincts. Learning how to be an agent meant learning how to read like one: understanding what draws you in, and being able to articulate why a piece of writing works.

As important as personal taste is in this line of work, I do my best not to make a fetish of it. Everyone has their likes and dislikes. But being an agent also means zooming out and asking bigger questions. Who is the book for? How will it get attention? Where does it fit in the market? Loving a writer’s voice is important, but it’s not always enough on its own. If I can’t name at least ten editors who might realistically be looking for something similar, then I might not be the right person to represent it. My time as an assistant was a crash course in learning to think about books from all these different perspectives.

Mina: I’ve worked for many agents over the years, but the longest for Lynn Nesbit. One thing that she has taught me given her own list of writers is that you need to be open-minded and willing to read all kinds of writing from all kinds of genres. The proof of her range is in her list of clients: from Michael Crichton to Anne Rice to Ronan Farrow to Andrew Sean Greer and many more. The writing needs to be strong, and you need to fall in love with it, but you also need to think of the “big picture.” Who is the audience? Will it still be something readers pick up in the next 10 or 15 years? Is this a writer who will continue to deliver books and build a career with you?

I love literary fiction and translation, but I don’t shy away from commercial fiction, electric plots and genre-bending novels. I try to consider a writer’s goals and the future books they want to write rather than just the one that ends up being written first. I was lucky that so many of my favorite writers were Lynn’s clients, and getting to work with them meant not only peeking behind the curtain to see how that final product came into existence but playing a crucial role in that process. I was part of every conversation, every email chain negotiating deals, phone calls, and meetings, and as a bonus: all the book launches and events.

I’ve learned what to emulate from Lynn but also where we differ. I am more hands on editorially with my clients and have a greater knowledge of the indie publishing scene and “online” publications. But this is also out of necessity. Things have shifted so much in publishing and I think ultimately, Lynn has taught me to be flexible, and to always put my writers and their needs first.

Haley: Like many in the publishing world, I grew up devouring fiction and still reach for novels in my free time. But through this job, I developed a deep and unexpected love for nonfiction. Working with agents like Margaret and Eve—who are true and mightily impressive generalists—gave me exposure to a wide range of genres: breathtaking fiction, delicious cookbooks, celebrity memoirs, investigative journalism, inspirational self-help, and more. Some categories immediately resonated with me, while others helped clarify where my own strengths and interests lay.

I was fortunate to work for Margaret and Eve during a time when their businesses were skyrocketing, which gave me a front-row seat to what it takes to build a successful client list from the ground up. I’m also endlessly grateful to have a stellar group of colleagues—every single agent I work with has become a mentor in some way. We have an open-door culture, and I feel so supported in being able to ask questions, brainstorm strategy, or talk through submissions.

Working at WME also has granted access to some amazing talent, which has resulted in me being able to turn my natural passion for pop-culture into a real book business. I’m chronically online and have found that I can use that to my advantage. In the end, it’s all about storytelling—in both fiction and nonfiction, I’m looking for a story that has me tearing through the pages and that moves me deeply. The list that I’m building has a little something for everyone and I like it that way.

What did you learn from your first couple of book sales, and what do you wish writers better understood about the process?

Sarah K.: My first couple of sales were a crash course in the reality of what a negotiation feels like—not just the obvious stuff, like being friendly but firm, but also really basic lizard-brain stuff like not hyperventilating on the phone with the editor.

I think the only thing I’ve found I need to consistently explain about book sales is that when we take a project on, we have an idea—an educated guess—a hope!—of what kind of sale we may make, but ultimately we can’t actually know and the market—to a certain extent—sets the price. We might think a project is a sure six-figure sale, and then it may only sell for five or even four figures, if at all. Setting authors’ expectations with whatever numbers we may have swirling in our heads isn’t really a productive line of thinking. So, on the occasion that I’m asked about how much I think our project will sell for (a very reasonable question, I should say), I decline to answer, with an explanation much like this one.

Eloy: I learned very early on that selling a book is different every time. Some projects take months and multiple submission rounds before ending up selling in an auction. Others generate immediate interest quickly, but by the time offers are due, that early interest has proven fickle and you’re left with only one dance partner. It’s very fluid and very unpredictable. A big part of the job is being a steady hand on the helm, kindly but diligently following up with editors, telegraphing calm to your client, and letting them know what they can expect. Writers find the submission process maddening. Agents do too. We’ve just had more practice hiding it.

Nora: Similar to Eloy, my most salient takeaway from my first few deals is that there are so many different ways to sell a book and each submission is unique—this was driven home when I would tap into Gernert’s Brain Trust, made up of my stellar colleagues, and each would have their own spin on how to approach a situation and to think through problems that might arise.

Mina: Echoing my friends above: no submission process is alike. Every book and author has their own journey, their own roster of editors who would be the best fit, and their own timeline. Also: publishing changes, a lot. Editors move around; the world is … as it is. I feel just as frustrated as my clients when waiting on responses or getting feedback that does not necessarily help us game plan. I’ve definitely learned how to be patient yet forceful, and reassure my clients that they are not alone and I am right there with them. I will not give up and if a book doesn’t sell, onto the next! I sign with my clients, not just their books.

Happily, a lot of my clients have met each other and become friends and are able to share their experiences which feels less isolating. When faced with a dilemma whether it is negotiating rights, pushing for special allowances in a contract, or raising royalty rates, I do consult my mentor and boss Lynn Nesbit, as well as the incredible agents at J&N.

Where do you look for talent and where have you found some of your most recent clients?

Sarah K.: I like to trawl university press lists and professional society conference programs (OAH, ASA, etc) for unagented academics, and like most agents I also read lit mags—some of my tried-and-trues are names we all recognize, The Baffler, n+1, the LA Review of Books, The Drift. The heavyweights like the New Yorker and the big newspapers too, but they’re not the best place for a newer agent to look for up-and-coming talent. And—I’d be surprised if I were the only agent who says this—I’m still on Twitter/X, a rat clinging to a sinking ship, because smart, important conversations are still happening at scale over there in the academic/journalistic sphere in a way they aren’t anywhere else. Also, referrals! From editors who want to connect an author they like to an agent, and from other agents, too.

I’ve found clients in all of those ways. My most recent book sale was a slush submission, and the most recent client I signed was someone an editor put on my radar after hearing about her at a conference.

Nora: Beyond the usual suspects, which Sarah mentioned, I regularly read Cleveland Review of Books, Sewanee Review, Kenyon Review, Joyland, and ZYZZYVA to name a few. I’m also excited to see more from Zona Motel, which launched just last week on Substack, and highlights small press books. My most recent clients I signed via referrals from editors and queries from my own slush pile, not to mention writers who may have initially queried someone else from my company.

Eloy: One of the downstream effects of the collapse of print and digital media over the last twenty years is the disappearance of small publications. Indie newspapers, magazines, and blogs used to be vital spaces where writers could get paid to write and develop their voice. They functioned both as crèches for emerging writers and as scouting grounds for agents. A lot of that is gone now. So while I would kill to have a site like The Awl back, agents have learned to adapt.

There are brilliant writers out there, even if it takes a bit more patience and digging to find them. For nonfiction, I read periodicals like New York Magazine, The Baffler, Harper’s, Bloomberg, New York Review of Books, Aeon Magazine, Atavist. For fiction, I look at journals like Joyland, Gulf Coast, Evergreen Review, Foglifter, Strange Horizon, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and many others.

I also second what Sarah says about Twitter/X. While the site is a shell of what it once was, there are still a lot of writers and conversations on there that I like to keep tabs on.

Finally, many of my clients have also come in through the transom; I always keep a close eye on my submissions inbox.

Mina: I agree with my fellow agents above. I dig through literary magazines, periodicals, websites, and Substacks, but I also try to be open-minded and see what generates excitement and interest over various social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and *shudder* Twitter. I try not to limit what kinds of topics could make great books and consider the people populating our screens and whether they have something important to say.

I also get referrals from colleagues at J&N, agent friends at other agencies, editors, existing clients, past professors, and friends. I’ve signed writers I have met through panels and conferences, at times, through the social scene in New York. Ultimately, I also do my best to keep up with my submissions inbox and have found many gems as a result!

Haley: I genuinely look everywhere. Most of my fiction clients have come in through the query inbox or via referrals from other clients or colleagues. I also attend writers’ conferences, which have led to some fantastic author relationships.

For nonfiction, as I said above, I’m chronically online—reading articles, scrolling through Substacks, listening to podcasts, and keeping an eye on social media. I look for people who already have an interesting voice or a clear point of view and then think about how their work might translate into the book space. And being at WME has connected me with talent across film, TV, comedy, and media, which has led to exciting book projects.

What kind of books are you looking to represent now, and what do you wish you were seeing more of?

Sarah K.: I’m always seeking propulsive, engaging writing specifically with a radical, leftist political bent, by principled writers; that’s my north star, regardless of the genre or style of the project, though it’s basically always serious nonfiction–history/politics/current affairs/criticism/reportage of some kind. I like to say that I’m trying to dismantle the dad shelf.

I wish I was seeing more deeply reported exposés of things—any things—by marginalized writers, particularly writers of color. I feel like that still very much remains the purview of cis white men—the Carreyrous and the Radden Keefes of the world.

Nora: At the top of this year, I was promoted and I now split my time 50/50 working on Meredith’s desk and on my own work, so I’m definitely hungry to build my list.

I’m looking to represent literary and upmarket fiction—books with prose that is confident and full of verve, sharply written and beautifully observed, from writers who are comfortable mining the complexities and ambiguities inherent in life. I also want to work selectively with poets, especially those who are also writing prose, as I admire the attention to language they so often bring. I’d love to start reading more romance books, those that subvert the genre in exciting ways, and I’m always a sucker for a coming of age (at any age, as they say) tale. For non-fiction, I’m interested in character and voice-driven narratives, essay collections, criticism, reportage, photography, and biographies. For cookbooks, I want to focus on more personal ones, where the writer has a clear story that they want to share through their recipes, highlighting new cuisines that haven’t gotten their due. What ties everything together across these genres, is that I want to represent books that are fundamentally emphatic and curious about the world, and projects that ultimately surprise me.

Eloy: I represent mainly literary and commercial adult fiction, with a side of thoughtful nonfiction. As with most young agents, the majority of my authors are debuts. My novels often have a speculative or high-concept element, and also tend to be pretty influenced by genre storytelling.

Right now, my list is more fiction-heavy, but I’d love to get closer to a 50/50 split. I’m especially eager to work with more journalists, historians, and experts. I like to laugh (ground-breaking, I know), so I’m on the lookout for someone who’s developed a distinct comedic voice in some strange little corner of the internet.

And as for what I wish I were seeing more of…I want more novels about love and relationships. Not rom-coms or traditional romance novels. I get plenty of those, and there are other agents who are probably better fit for them anyway. Instead, I want books that deeply explore the dynamics of romantic relationships in all their ambivalent dimensions. We know love can be funny and erotic, but I want a novel that also shows me how complicated, messy, and pathetic it can be. One of my favorite books HORSE CRAZY by the late, great Gary Indiana is a love story (though that doesn’t mean it’s exactly a fun ride for the characters or the readers.)

Mina: My list is pretty 50/50 currently, with literary and upmarket fiction and narrative nonfiction. I want more novels with genre elements whether horror, magical realism, or a touch of mystery. Stories that will linger with me after I turn the last page. Writing that really “goes there,” and takes things to the extreme whether emotionally or stylistically. Give me the weird stories too—I just read SKY DADDY by Kate Folk, and wow.

This also carries over to nonfiction. I represent Myriam Gurba who imbues that sort of creative boldness within her essays and longform works and would love to find more writers in that vein. In terms of fiction, I want horror with new twists, perhaps in settings around the world—since I am passionate about international writers and writing. I also love translation and have so much respect for translators and want to do my part in bringing those stories into mainstream publishing.

Haley: In fiction, I’m always seeking novels with complex female leads, dark and twisty female friendships, queer love stories, smart romcoms, select romantasy, and multigenerational family sagas.

On the nonfiction side, I’m drawn to cultural criticism, sex and dating, thought leaders, essay collections, and lifestyle projects. Across the board, I’m looking for stories that feel urgent, subversive, and emotionally resonant.

This year, I’d especially love to find some elevated romcoms and high-stakes, propulsive thrillers. I’m also on the hunt for a big, ambitious novel—something with a wide scope, unforgettable characters, and a hook that makes it stand out from the pack.

If you were an author looking to query an emerging agent or one newer to publishing (and thus with a smaller list of clients), how might you go about finding, and vetting, one?

Sarah K.: I’d still follow the oft-repeated advice of looking for the agent in the Acknowledgements sections of a book I like that’s comparable to mine, but I would click around the agency websites and seek out the emerging agents. For a newer agent, being a part of a reputable literary agency is the largest feather in your cap because even if you don’t have the same level of experience individually, you have the institutional backing and accountability.

I’d also definitely use any resources I have in terms of e.g. writer friends, colleagues, etc who are represented, their experiences with their agents, and again do that research on the agency as a whole. Agents’ and agencies’ reputations are some of their strongest assets, so ultimately as long as the agency itself is a solid foundation, an author’s decision about whether to work with a more junior agent is not that different from one regarding a more senior agent: it’s about whether you get along, whether you have a shared vision for the project, and whether your expectations for how developing and selling the project will play out are compatible.

Eloy: I’d suggest checking out agency websites and reading the bios of junior staff. Many agencies now list associate agents and assistants, and those bios will often mention how long someone has been at the company and whether they’re open to queries.

The timeline varies, but assistants typically spend two or three years on a senior agent’s desk before they start building their own list. That’s something to look for. Even if someone hasn’t sold any books yet, you want to see that they’ve spent real time apprenticing under a more seasoned agent.

Mina: Definitely check out the agency website. More and more agencies are starting to list their junior staff and you can find assistants who are starting to build their lists and are hungry. Look on Manuscript Wish List to find some of those emerging agents too. Dig for their personal websites where they may give more details about what they are looking for.

As for vetting, ask around! Generally people in publishing love to answer questions and help out, but need to be asked. Also, if there is a debut writer or rising star whose work you love, ask them how they found their agent, and how they feel about them. Agent and agency reputations are what differentiate them and provide a sort of track record of their sales and client care. Asking people you trust whether it is a professor, mentor, or author, will go a long way. Also: a bad agent is worse than no agent!

Finally, what are some books repped by other agents that you particularly loved?

Sarah K.: One book that strongly influenced my conception of what serious trade nonfiction could be at a crucial point in my trajectory was Rax King’s Tacky, which was represented by the great Sarah Bolling who is no longer in the business. I wrote her a fan letter once to tell her as much years ago.

My favorite recent fiction read is Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar, and in nonfiction it’s Mohammed El-Kurd’s Perfect Victims. Both repped by agents whose lists I admire very much.

Nora: My all-time favorite novels include Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli, which completely changed the way I understood what fiction could and should do, and Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au, a slim book where you savor every single word. On a more personal note, my father passed away recently, so I’ve been thinking a lot about We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas, one of the few books that I not only loved, but both of my parents did too—we all found something emotionally and biographically resonant in the book. On the non-fiction side two standouts for me are Georgia O'Keeffe: A Life by Roxana Robinson, easily my favorite biography of an artist and a book I literally think about daily, and Recognizing the Stranger by Isabella Hammad, one of the most brilliant books of criticism I’ve read.

Eloy: So many to choose. Damn. Here’s a selection of books which I finished recently and I absolutely loved.

THE BORROWED HILLS by Scott Preston, REJECTION by Tonty Tulathimutte, PARTING THE WATERS by Taylor Branch, TELL ME I’M WORTHLESS by Alison Rumfitt, HOW TO HIDE AN EMPIRE by Daniel Immerwahr, and A STRANGER IN OLANDRIA by Sofia Samatar.

Mina: In the interest of not taking up a crazy amount of space, I’ll list recent favorites: THE LOST HOUSE by Melissa Larsen, MARTYR! by Kaveh Akbar, THE ANTHROPOLOGISTS by Ayşegül Savaş, BIBLIOPHOBIA by Sarah Chihaya, ONE DAY, EVERYONE WILL HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AGAINST THIS by Omar El Akkad

Haley: I’m obsessed with anything by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Emily Henry, and Celeste Ng. I read every book they write the week they come out. Some other books that are all time favorites of mine: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, I’m Glad my Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy, The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin, Marlena by Julie Buntin, The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz, Old Enough by Haley Jakobson, Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler, and I Could Live Here Forever by Hanna Halperin.