Mason Rowlee joined DeFiore & Company in 2023. He previously worked as an assistant literary scout at Jenny La Plante, Inc., where he developed an eye for the type of books that appeal to international publishers and film production companies. He also interned at Farrar, Straus & Giroux, CBS Television Production, McIntosh & Otis Literary Agency and Gotham Writers Workshop. Originally from rural Upstate New York, he is a graduate of Fordham College at Rose Hill.

Mason only represents adult books. He is seeking innovative, boundary-pushing literary fiction, engrossing upmarket and commercial fiction, and nonfiction that amplifies traditionally underrepresented voices in publishing. He is particularly interested in working with queer authors.

Literary novels with genre elements (romance, fantasy, horror)

Explorations of LGBTQIA+ relationships, chosen families, and communities

Unputdownable thrillers and horror novels with social commentary

Coming-of-age adventures with small town antics

Narrative nonfiction about the inequity faced by marginalized communities

Biographies of obscure or underappreciated historical figures

Well-researched, paradigm-shifting journalism

Memoirs with strong, voice-driven writing

Disruptive self-help with a social justice component

Mason is not looking for children’s books (including YA, middle grade, early reader or picture books). He also does not represent traditional SFF or romance.

Please submit your query here: https://QueryTracker.net/query/mrowlee

Please note: Mason will be closed to queries November 15, 2026 – January 4, 2027. 

Mason Rowlee

Melissa represents a wide-range of Adult fiction and non-fiction titles. In fiction, she gravitates towards high-concept novels with a fresh perspective, energetic writing, deep emotional connection, and an immersive sense of place. Favorite categories include contemporary book club fiction, mystery, crime, psychological thrillers, speculative fiction, horror, and historical novels. She also represents history, science, memoir and idea-driven non-fiction books that are rigorous, emotionally compelling and have something big to say about our world. Across all categories, she is looking for a diversity of voices and projects that are both entertaining and enlightening, the types of books that you can get lost in and then when you finally resurface, want to discuss with others.

THE DEVIL TAKES YOU HOME, Gabino Iglesias (Mulholland/Little Brown)

YOU’RE INVITED, Amanda Jayatissa (Berkley)

GLITTER AND CONCRETE, Elyssa Maxx Goodman (Hanover Square Press)

OLD SCHOOL INDIAN, Aaron John Curtis (Tin House/Zando)

KILLER VIBES, Jack Friday (Minotaur/St. Martin’s Press)

SLIP, Mallary Tenore Tarpley (Simon Element)

To query Melissa, please send an email to Melissa.Query@defliterary.com with the following:

A query letter stating the Word Count and including 10-15 sample pages from the opening of your manuscript or proposal. This must be pasted in the body of the email, and all queries with attachments will automatically be deleted.  

If you have used AI to write any part of your manuscript, I respectfully ask that you don’t submit your project to me. You must disclose the nature of any other AI use in the initial query.

Due to the volume of queries, I am unable to provide feedback, and I will only be in touch if I’m interested in reading more material.

If I have not responded within 6 weeks, you are welcome to submit to another agent.

Melissa Danaczko

Barbara Jones worked as an editor for more than thirty years, first in magazines (Harper’s Magazine, Vogue, More Magazine) then in books (as editorial director at Hyperion Books and executive editor at Henry Holt). Some of the writers she worked in magazines include Jennifer Egan, Elizabeth Gilbert, Christopher Hitchens, Jean Korelitz, Lorrie Moore, Ann Patchett and Francine Prose. As a book editor, she edited and published national and New York Times bestsellers as well as national and international prizewinning titles by authors such as Luvvie Ajayi, Paul Auster, Dan Chaon, Susan Choi, Kelly Corrigan, Chitra Divakaruni, Sebastian Faulks, Lauren Groff, Janice Hadlow, Lillian Li, Julie Lythcott-Haims, Rick Moody, Rachel Khong, Lauren Francis-Sharma and many others.

As an agent, she represents an eclectic list of literary and upmarket fiction and nonfiction titles, with a special interest in voices from underrepresented communities. In 2021, she joined the Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency, which merged with Defiore and Company in 2026. Her clients include Mohammed Naseehu Ali, Kate Axelrod, Charles Bock, J.J. Duncan, Elizabeth Ferris, Rafael Frumkin, Tali Gumbiner, Tiffany Hanssen, Julia Harrell, Danielle Lazarin, Lisa Lindsay, Isaac Oliver, The Swans of Harlem and Anastasia Taylor-Lind among others. For more than thirty years, Barbara has also led writing workshops—at New York University, Queens University of Charlotte, Yale University and elsewhere.

CHARLOTTE: A Novel of Jane Eyre, Elizabeth Ferris (Forthcoming -- William Morrow)

THE SWANS OF HARLEM: Five Black Ballerinas Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and the Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History Karen Valby (Pantheon)

MY NAME WAS GERRY SASS, Tiffany Hanssen (Atlantic Crime)

I WILL DO BETTER, A Memoir, Charles Bock (Abrams Books)

CONFIDENCE and BUGSY: And Other Stories, Raf Frumkin (Simon & Schuster)

HOW TO GET ALONG WITHOUT ME, Kate Axelrod (Clash Books)

I have eclectic taste but always appreciate books written with respect for and generosity toward readers, books that reward rereading, and books that hum with a sense that the writer has something urgent—be it marvelous, terrifying or both—to show the reader for the reader's sake. (Even memoirs are not about the memoirist but are for and about the reader.)

Please note: Except for those with whom I have previously spoken about querying, I am closed to queries from August 17-November 15, 2026. 

Please send a query letter that includes, a brief bit of info about your project; a brief, relevant bio, and the first ten pages of your manuscript or proposal (dropped into the body of an email, not as an attachment). If you have used AI in any way to prepare your writing for submission, please disclose that with your query. If you don’t hear anything at all from me within two months, you can assume that I have passed up the opportunity to engage with your work as an agent.

Barbara Jones

Mackenzie began her career in publishing in 2010 and spent 10 years at Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency before it merged with DeFiore & Co in 2026. Her clients have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List, and frequently win or are finalists for some of publishing’s highest honors, such as the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the NBCC Award, ALA Carnegie Medal, various PEN awards, and the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize.

She is actively looking for compelling, deeply researched narrative non-fiction that guides readers toward a better understanding of the societal forces and systems that shape their lives, whether it takes the form of "big idea" books, literary journalism, feminist history, science, or cultural criticism. 

On the fiction side, she is interested in stories that are deeply rooted in place (especially if that place is Maine), examine the formative relationships (romantic or platonic) of youth or the lives we could’ve led. She’s also hungry for literary mystery, a juicy love triangle, and anything that can make her laugh. 

In addition to being an agent, she is also a Founding Board Member of the 501(c)(3) non-profit INKLUDED, whose mission is to make the publishing industry more accessible and inclusive.

Please send your query letter and either your full proposal (for non-fiction) or 20 pages of your manuscript (for fiction/poetry) in the body of an email addressed to mbwquery@skagency.com. Please also disclose the nature of any AI use in your initial query. Mackenzie aims to read all queries within two weeks. If at any point you receive an offer of representation, please let Mackenzie know. Unfortunately, due to the volume of queries she receives, she will be in touch only if she’s interested in reading more material.

SEPARATE ACCOUNTS

I AM ENHEDUANNA

OPTIMIST ECONOMY

MEN TOO

THERE IS ENOUGH

Mackenzie Brady Watson

Chris represents books across a broad spectrum of nonfiction—memoirs, narrative, prescriptive, Christian, and sports—and works with her authors to develop books that are appealing and accessible to a broad audience.

She is passionate about stories that must be told: of an achievement-oriented mother who learns the true worth of every life when her daughter is born with Down syndrome, a medical missionary who puts his life on the line treating patients during the Ebola epidemic, a couple who makes the stunning choice to forgive their daughter’s killer.

Chris is drawn in particular to authors whose faith engages the wider world, such as  American Psychological Association president Dr. Thema Bryant, Bread for the World president and CEO Eugene Cho, The Center for Justice + Renewal founder Christena Cleveland, and the Cave of Adullam Transformational Training Academy (CATTA) director Jason Wilson. 

Her bestselling authors in the sports category include sportscaster Ernie Johnson Jr., Big Ten Network lead studio host Dave Revsine, and New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton. Publishing a book by NFL legend Brett Favre fulfilled Chris’s wedding vows – in which she pledged allegiance to the Green Bay Packers, for better or worse.

Prior to becoming an agent, Chris worked as an editor for several New York publishing houses, including Hachette Book Group and Random House, and helped launch an independent publishing company. Chris has a degree in English from Harvard University.

Amy Julia Becker - TO BE MADE WELL: An Invitation to Wholeness, Healing, and Hope; WHITE PICKET FENCES: Turning Toward Love in a World Divided by Privilege; SMALL TALK: Learning From My Children About What Matters Most; A GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT: Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny

Kent and Amber Brantly - CALLED FOR LIFE: How Loving Our Neighbor Led Us into the Heart of the Ebola Epidemic

Dr. Thema Bryant - MATTERS OF THE HEART: Healing Your Relationship with Yourself and Those You Love; HOMECOMING: Overcome Fear and Trauma to Reclaim Your Whole, Authentic Self; RECLAIM YOURSELF: Take Back Your Life from Stress and Trauma

Curtis Chang - THE AFTER PARTY; THE ANXIETY OPPORTUNITY: How Worry is the Doorway to Your Best Self

Eugene Cho - THOU SHALT NOT BE A JERK; OVERRATED: Are We More in Love with the Idea of Changing the World Than Actually Changing the World? 

Chanel Dokun - LIFE STARTS NOW: How to Create the Life You’ve Been Waiting For

Christena Cleveland - GOD IS A BLACK WOMAN; OUR LADY OF LIBERATION

Audrey Elledge and Elizabeth Moore - LITURGIES FOR WHOLENESS: Sixty Prayers to Encounter the Depth, Creativity, and Friendship of God in Ordinary Moments; LITURGIES FOR HOPE: Sixty Prayers for the Highs, Lows, and Everything in Between

Kate Grosmaire - FORGIVING MY DAUGHTER’S KILLER: A True Story of Loss, Faith, and Unexpected Grace

Sara Harberson - SOUNDBITE: The Admissions Secret that Gets You Into College and Beyond

Sister Lisa Hezmalhalch - A ROME FOR RESTLESS HEARTS: Finding a Spiritual Home in Catholicism

Ernie Johnson, Jr. - UNSCRIPTED: The Unpredictable Moments that Make Life Extraordinary 

Stephanie Landsem - THE FAULT BETWEEN US; CODE NAME EDELWEISS; IN A FAR-OFF LAND

Helen Lee - THE RACE-WISE FAMILY: Ten Postures of Becoming Households of Healing and Hope

Dave Revsine - THE OPENING KICKOFF: The Tumultuous Birth of a Football Nation

Ekemini Uwan, Christina Edmondson, and Michelle Higgins - TRUTH’S TABLE: Black Women’s Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation 

Jason Wilson - THE MAN THE MOMENT DEMANDS: Master the 10 Characteristics of the Comprehensive Man; BATTLE CRY: Waging and Winning the War Within 

Justin Wren - FIGHT FOR THE FORGOTTEN: How a Mixed Martial Artist Stopped Fighting for Himself and Started Fighting for Others

Jocelyn Chung - WHEN LOVE IS MORE THAN WORDS; THE RIVER OF CAREGIVING

Sarah Shin and Shin Maeng - THE GREAT WAKING UP; THE DELIVERER HAS COME

Chris Park

David Patterson represents a wide variety of narrative and idea-driven nonfiction and literary fiction, with an emphasis on journalists, public figures, scholars, and performers. His clients include Pulitzer Prize winners and finalists, winners of the Polk, Livingston, Whiting and Lukas Awards, and contributors and writers on the staff of The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Texas Monthly, The Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, Slate, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, Oxford American, and other publications.

David has been involved in publishing since his graduation from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with a degree in English, Highest Honors, in 1996. After completing an internship at Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, David worked for several years at Politics and Prose Bookstore in Washington, DC, and then worked for over a decade as an editor at PublicAffairs and then Henry Holt and Company. 

He is married, with two children, and lives in Brooklyn. His children's interests have informed his own over the last several years, which has led to an increased or renewed interest in soccer (you can call it football, or fútbol, or calcio, if you want), graphic arts, music, and theatre. He grew up in the North Carolina Piedmont with a mother from and deep family roots in Puerto Rico, and his list represents and aspires to represent the most perceptive authors and books about Americana and Latinidad.

David Patterson

Matthew Elblonk joined DeFiore and Company in 2010. He currently represents writers in the world of music, pop culture, narrative non-fiction, food, young adult, literary fiction and humor. Interests also include science and any authors with great ideas and an equally strong platform. He tends to have a soft spot for all Beatle related projects. He is currently not considering any poetry or genre fiction.

Curtis Armstrong - REVENGE OF THE NERD: Or...The Singular Adventures Of The Man Who Would Be Booger (Thomas Dunne Books)

Paul Brannigan and Ian Winwood - BIRTH SCHOOL METALLICA DEATH (Da Capo)

Rex Brown - OFFICIAL TRUTH, 101 PROOF: The Inside Story of Pantera (Da Capo)

Leslie Bruce - YOU ARE A F*CKING AWESOME MOM (Seal Press)

Jason Feifer - BUILD FOR TOMORROW (Harmony)

Peter Hook - UNKNOWN PLEASURES: Inside Joy Division (It Books); THE HACIENDA (It Books); SUBSTANCE: Inside New Order (Dey Street Books)

Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair - MCCARTNEY LEGACY VOL. 1 (Dey Street Books)

Holly Madison - DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE (Dey Street Books); THE VEGAS DIARIES (Dey Street Books)

Ralph Macchio - WAXING ON: The Karate Kid and Me (Dutton)

Matthew McConaughey - GREENLIGHTS: Your Journal, Your Journey (Clarkson Potter)

John Pring and Rob Thomas - VISUALIZING THE BEATLES (Dey Street Books)

Paul Rees - ROBERT PLANT: A LIFE (It Books)

Rob Sheffield - HEARTBREAK IS THE NATIONAL ANTHEM (Dey Street Books)

Alison Sweeney - THE STAR ATTRACTION (Hachette Books); SCARED SCRIPTLESS (Hachette Books); OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS (Hachette Books)

Bryan & Michael Voltaggio, VOLT INK. (Olive Press) and HOME, by Brian Voltaggio (Little, Brown)

Kenneth Womack - MAL EVANS BIOGRAPHY (Dey Street Books); MAL EVANS ARCHIVE (Dey Street Books)

Katie Alender - BAD GIRLS DON’T DIE Series (Hyperion); MARIE ANTOINETTE, SERIAL KILLER (Scholastic); THE DEAD GIRLS OF HYSTERIA HALL (Scholastic); THE COMPANION (G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers)

Lauren Conrad - LA CANDY Series (HarperCollins); THE FAME GAME Series (HarperCollins); Lauren Conrad STYLE (HarperCollins); Lauren Conrad BEAUTY (HarperCollins); Lauren Conrad CELEBRATE (HarperCollins)

Hena Khan - AMINA’S VOICE (Salaam Reads); AMINA'S SONG (Salaam Reads); ZARA'S RULES FOR RECORD-BREAKING FUN (Salaam Reads); UNDER MY HIJAB (Lee & Low Books); THE MAIN EVENT (Little Brown Books for Young Readers)

Matthew McConaughey - JUST BECAUSE (Viking Books for Young Readers)

Jeffrey Michael Ruby - PENELOPE MARCH IS MELTING (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)

Lauren Shippen - THE INFINITE NOISE (Tor Teen); A NEON DARKNESS (Tor Teen); SOME FARAWAY PLACE (Tor Teen)

Bella Thorne - AUTUMN FALLS Series (Ember)

Kristina Webb - COLOR ME CREATIVE: Unlock Your Imagination (HarperCollins); COLOR ME INSPIRED (HarperCollins)

Matthew Elblonk

Tamara joined DeFiore and Company in 2022. She started her career with internships at Macmillan and Writers House, then worked at ICM for five years. Tamara represents writer and illustrator clients in both the children’s and adult markets, with a particular focus on talented LGBTQ+ and BIPOC storytellers. She holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature from Princeton University and an M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from Columbia University. She is a member of the Association of American Literary Agents, and serves on the board of the nonprofit organization Literary Agents of Change, where she co-directs a mentorship program for early career agents from underrepresented backgrounds.

Tamara is actively seeking graphic novels for all ages and across genres; science fiction, fantasy, horror, and speculative fiction for middle grade, YA, and adult readers; upmarket and book club fiction, especially genre-bending stories, and those with an international bent; and adult & YA rom-coms and romance featuring LGBTQ+ characters. She also represents select nonfiction, including illustrated projects. Across all categories, she is passionate about championing marginalized voices and perspectives.

Please submit your query here: querymanager.com/tkawar

Tamara Kawar

Aemilia Phillips is a literary agent representing a range of fiction and non-fiction writers, including a National Book Award nominee, PEN America finalist, Pulitzer winning journalist, and more.

She’s excited to work with writers who push boundaries to address social justice issues. A dual Mexican American citizen with interests in narrative non-fiction, hybrid memoir, commercial and literary fiction, and select poetry and self-help, she looks for diverse writing with an impactful story to tell.

For non-fiction, Aemilia is looking for obsessed writers who challenge the way we think about the world. She loves character driven projects that at first glance appear to be commercial, but that are also smart cultural critiques. She’s fascinated by complex fictional characters who upend preconceptions, and stories with just a touch of magic, magical realism, and speculative elements.

Aemila began her publishing career at Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency in 2016, and joined DeFiore & Co a decade later in 2026. In addition to her work as an agent, Aemilia is a board member and the Communications Director of La Unidad Latina Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of Latinx education. She graduated from Harvard University with honors, and completed the Columbia University Publishing Course. She lives in Manhattan, and is an avid New York sports fan.

Ruben Reyes Jr. (THERE IS A RIO GRANDE IN HEAVEN, Mariner. ARCHIVE OF UNKNOWN UNIVERSES, Mariner.) 

Lizz Huerta (THE LOST DREAMER, FSG Children's)

Sarah Weinman (WITHOUT CONSENT, Ecco. EVIDENCE OF THINGS SEEN, Ecco. 

Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez (FOR BROWN GIRLS WITH SHARP EDGES AND TENDER HEARTS Seal Press. TIAS AND PRIMAS, Seal Press) 

Christina Wilcox (TAKE CARE OF YOUR TYPE Tiller. TAKE CARE OF YOUR FRIENDS, Andrews McMeel)

Gabriel Dozal (THE BORDER SIMULATOR, One World)

Please send a query letter and the first ten to fifteen pages of your manuscript or proposal, pasted into the body of an email, to aemilia.query@defliterary.com. No attachments will be opened. Please let her know if you’ve used any AI tools in the research or organization of your manuscript. If you use AI for writing or editing, she respectfully asks that you query elsewhere. Due to the number of submissions she receives, Aemilia will be in touch only if she’s interest in reading more material.

Aemilia Phillips

Hannah Schwartz joined DeFiore & Company as the business manager in 2026, as part of the merger with the Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency. She was the business manager at SKLA for a decade and began her career at InkWell Management, where she worked for four years. A Long Island native, Hannah left New York to earn her degree in English Literature, Writing and Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. She moved to Brooklyn in 2011 and still lives there with her husband and son.

Hannah Schwartz

Business Manager

Elise represents writers and illustrators of fiction and non-fiction for young and adult readers, and is especially drawn to immersive storytelling, rich world-building, and illumination of landscapes known and unknown, including novels, graphic novels, and picture books. She’s also drawn to eye-opening narrative non-fiction, particularly stories of the natural world, and of people and events previously unknown, overlooked, or marginalized.

Prior to joining DeFiore and Company, Elise was a longtime editor and publisher. Books she edited have won the Newbery Medal twice, the Edgar Allen Poe Award for best juvenile novel twice, and many other awards and honors.

Elise is not looking for adult genre fiction. 

Please note that Elise is currently closed to queries apart from referrals.

Elise Howard

Stuart Krichevsky began his career as a part-time mail clerk at The Sterling Lord Agency (later, Sterling Lord Literistic) where he eventually became an agent. In 1995, he founded the Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency, and served as its President until 2026, when he and his colleagues at SKLA joined forces with DeFiore and Company.  His list reflects a love of literary non-fiction and narrative journalism, and includes works of history, books about the natural world, adventure narrative, and literary memoir.  He also represents authors of commercial fiction. He has represented dozens of New York Times Bestsellers, and his clients have been recipients of many literary awards, including the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize, among others.  He is married with two adult children, is an avid road cyclist, and enjoys working with debut authors as well as his long-term clients.

ROAD TRIP by Mary Kay Andrews, a New York Times Bestseller

THE LOST CITIES OF EL NORTE by Peter Stark

THE ART THIEF by Michael Finkel, a New York Times Bestseller

FIRE WEATHER by John Vaillant, Winner of the Baillie-Gifford Prize, Finalist for the National Book Award, Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize

IN MY TIME OF DYING by Sebastian Junger, a New York Times Bestseller

TRIBE by Sebastian Junger, a New York Times Bestseller

SUMMERS AT THE SAINT by Mary Kay Andrews, a New York Times Bestseller

Stuart is currently closed to queries. Submissions by referral only.

THE PERFECT STORM

IN THE HEART OF THE SEA

MAYFLOWER

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

ALONE ON THE WALL

THE STRANGER IN THE WOODS

THE GUN

THE FUTURE OF THE MIND

QUANTUM SUPREMACY

SO WE READ ON

TRIBE

Stuart Krichevsky

Born in Iraq to Assyrian and Armenian parents, Parik was raised in Florida. She received her BA in English, with a concentration in Creative Writing, from the University of Central Florida. While attending UCF, she was an Editorial Assistant at The Florida Review. She joined DeFiore and Company as an intern in 2017 and became an assistant in early 2018.

Parik is interested in both fiction and nonfiction, and craves stories that center BIPOC and underrepresented voices. She is particularly drawn to immigrant narratives, specifically Middle Eastern stories, as well as the intersection of political and social justice, pop culture and current events, and cookbooks that inspire you to get into the kitchen and try new things, even if you are are still learning (as she is).

Parik Kostan

Tanusri represents writers in the children’s and adult spaces across fiction and nonfiction. In the YA and middle-grade spaces, she’s drawn to contemporary coming-of-age stories, charming and relatable romances, ambitious world-building fantasies, and well-plotted, voice-driven suspense. She’s a fan of stories set in schools or interesting neighborhoods, told from fresh viewpoints. For picture books, Tanusri’s list includes meaningful and lyrical stories as well as books that bring alive the wonder and complexity of our world with humor and heart. She’s also interested in select nonfiction that excites the imagination and curiosity of young readers. In adult fiction, she’s drawn to literary suspense and multi-generational family sagas. Diverse perspectives, contexts, and storytelling styles are always welcome. She also looks for select accessible and wide-reaching nonfiction that helps make sense of our times. Originally from India, Tanusri lived in London for a few years before putting down roots in NYC. She is a graduate of the National Law School of India, holds an LLM from Harvard Law School and a PhD from Oxford University.

Huda Al-Marashi - HAIL MARIAM (Kokila, Penguin)

Deepa Iyer - WE ARE THE BUILDERS (S&S BFYR)

Natasha Khan Kazi - MOON’S RAMADAN, SUN’S EID (forthcoming Versify, Harper); BELA AND LILY (Kokila, Penguin)

Hope Lim - MOMMY’S HOMETOWN, I AM A BIRD, AT THE WINDOW (Candlewick); SOURGRASS (Beachlane, S&S)

Qasim Rashid - HANNAH AND THE RAMADAN GIFT (Viking, Penguin)

Anitha Rao-Robinson- SARI SISTERS, illustrated by Anoosha Syed, MUSIC OF THE BELLS, illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat (Viking, Penguin)

Simran Jeet Singh - FAUJA SINGH KEEPS GOING, A VAISAKHI TO REMEMBER, WE BELONG TO THE WORLD (forthcoming) (Viking, Penguin)

Kevin Christopher Snipes - MILO AND MARCOS AT THE END OF THE WORLD, DON’T LET ME GO (Harper Teen)

Deepa Iyer – SOCIAL CHANGE NOW (Skinner Press)

Meghana Mysore – LET ALL OUR GHOSTS DEPART (Forthcoming WVU Press)

Simran Jeet Singh -THE LIGHT WE GIVE: The Power of Sikh Wisdom to Transform our Life (Riverhead, Penguin); DAILY WONDERS: Finding Grace, Solace, and Joy in Everyday Moments (forthcoming Riverhead, Penguin); SIKHS AND SIKHISM (forthcoming OUP); REMEMBERING GURU NANAK (forthcoming Princeton Univ. Press)

You can query Tanusri at tpsubmissions@defliterary.com. For adult fiction and YA/MG projects, please provide a concise pitch, bio, and short synopsis, and include the first 5 pages of the manuscript in the body of the email. For picture books, please include the entire text in the body of your email, and for an illustrated project, please attach sample illustrations in pdf format and links to your portfolio.  

Tanusri Prasanna

Miriam Altshuler began her career at Russell & Volkening, where she worked for twelve years with such writers as Anne Tyler, Eudora Welty, Joseph Campbell, Nadine Gordimer, and Bernard Malamud. In 1994 she established her own agency, which she ran for twenty-one years until she joined DeFiore and Company in 2016.

Miriam specializes in adult literary and book club fiction, narrative nonfiction, and books for children. She is particularly interested in finding emerging and underrepresented voices, and she loves reading and representing books that focus on diversity and explore the experiences of BIPOC people.

First and foremost, she responds to voice and stories that are character-driven. She searches for books that draw her in and give her a new perspective on a world she doesn’t know, or make her think more deeply about a world she does know. Miriam seeks books with a heart and writers with wonderful storytelling abilities.

In fiction, she is most interested in family sagas, historical novels, and stories that offer a new twist or retelling of some kind. She does not work with adult romance, sci fi, or fantasy.

In nonfiction, she loves memoir, narrative nonfiction, and self-help (as long as it is not highly prescriptive). She particularly responds to books that have an important cultural, social, or psychological focus.

For children’s books, she focuses primarily on YA and middle grade, and her tastes vary broadly in those areas. It always comes back to the voice and the heart of a story for her.

Leila Philip (BEAVERLAND: How One Weird Rodent Made America)

Elizabeth Rosner (SURVIVOR CAFÉ: The Legacy of Trauma and the Labyrinth of Memory; THIRD EAR: Reflections on the Art and Science of Listening)

Karleigh Frisbie Brogan (HOLDING: A Memoir About Mothers, Drugs, and Other Comforts)

Barbara Becker (HEARTWOOD: The Art of Living with the End in Mind)

Marja Mills (New York Times bestselling THE MOCKINGBIRD NEXT DOOR: Life With Harper Lee)

Wednesday Martin (New York Times bestselling PRIMATES OF PARK AVENUE: A Memoir)

Dr. Sue Johnson (HOLD ME TIGHT: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love; LOVE SENSE: The Revolutionary New Science of Romantic Relationships; CREATED FOR CONNECTION: The "Hold Me Tight" Guide for Christian Couples)

Harriet Brown (SHADOW DAUGHTER: A Memoir of Estrangement and Reckoning; BODY OF TRUTH: Change Your Life by Changing the Way You Think About Weight and Health; BRAVE GIRL EATING: A Family's Struggle With Anorexia)

Donna Freitas (CONSENT: A Memoir of Unwanted Attention; CONSENT ON CAMPUS: A Manifesto; THE HAPPINESS EFFECT: How Social Media is Driving a Generation to Appear Perfect at Any Cost; THE END OF SEX: How Hookup Culture is Leaving a Generation Unhappy, Sexually Unfulfilled, and Confused About Intimacy; SEX & THE SOUL: Juggling Sexuality, Spirituality, Romance, and Religion on America’s College Campuses)

Arlene Stein (UNBOUND: Transgender Men and the Remaking of Identity)

Dr. Molly Millwood (TO HAVE AND TO HOLD: Motherhood, Marriage, and the Modern Dilemma)

Andrew Carroll (MY FELLOW SOLDIERS: General John Pershing and the Americans Who Helped Win the Great War; New York Times bestselling WAR LETTERS: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars; HERE IS WHERE: Discovering America's Great Forgotten History; OPERATION HOMECOMING; BEHIND THE LINES)

Dr. Craig Malkin (RETHINKING NARCISSISM: The Bad--and Surprising Good--About Feeling Special)

Adina Hoffman (BEN HECHT: Fighting Words, Moving Pictures; TILL WE HAVE BUILT JERUSALEM: Architects of a New City; SACRED TRASH: The Lost and Found World of the Cairo Geniza; MY HAPPINESS BEARS NO RELATION TO HAPPINESS: A Poet's Life in the Palestinian Century)

Phil Zuckerman (WHAT IT MEANS TO BE MORAL; LIVING THE SECULAR LIFE: New Answers to Old Questions)

Maya Shanbhag Lang (WHAT WE CARRY: A Memoir)

Jill Santopolo (New York Times bestselling and Reese's Book Club pick THE LIGHT WE LOST; MORE THAN WORDS; EVERYTHING AFTER; THE LOVE WE FOUND; STARS IN AN ITALIAN SKY)

B.S. Shapiro (THE LOST MASTERPIECE; THE ART FORGER)

Jennifer Murphy (SCARLET IN BLUE; THE GHOST WOMEN)

Donna Freitas (THE NINE LIVES OF ROSE NAPOLITANO)

Robb Forman Dew (National Book Award winner DALE LOVES SOPHIE TO DEATH; THE EVIDENCE AGAINST HER; THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER; BEING POLITE TO HITLER)

Maya Shanbhag Lang (THE SIXTEENTH OF JUNE)

Walter Dean Myers, former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature (MONSTER; FALLEN ANGELS; SUNRISE OVER FALLUJAH; ON A CLEAR DAY; DARIUS & TWIG; BAD BOY; HANDBOOK FOR BOYS; GAME; WE ARE AMERICA; FREDERICK DOUGLASS)

Leslie Connor (THE TRUTH AS TOLD BY MASON BUTTLE; A HOME FOR GODDESSES AND DOGS; ANYBODY HERE SEEN FRENCHIE?)

Ted Sanders (The Keepers series: THE BOX AND THE DRAGONFLY, THE HARP AND THE RAVENVINE, THE PORTAL AND THE VEIL, THE STARLIT FORGE)

Donna Freitas (THE HEALER; UNPLUGGED; THE BODY MARKET; THE MIND VIRUS; THE TENDERNESS OF THIEVES; THE SURVIVAL KIT; THE POSSIBILITIES OF SAINTHOOD; THIS GORGEOUS GAME; GOLD MEDAL SUMMER; GOLD MEDAL WINTER)

Tod Olson (LOST series: LOST IN THE PACIFIC, LOST IN OUTER SPACE, LOST IN THE AMAZON; LOST IN THE ANTARCTIC; INTO THE CLOUDS: The Race to Climb the World's Most Dangerous Mountain)

Alex Sanchez (YOU BROUGHT ME THE OCEAN; THE GREATEST SUPERPOWER; RAINBOW BOYS, RAINBOW HIGH, and RAINBOW ROAD; GIRLFRIENDS WITH BOYFRIENDS; BAIT; THE GOD BOX; SO HARD TO SAY)