Brian DeFiore began his career in publishing in 1981 as an editor at St. Martin's Press. In 1988 he moved to Dell Publishing as senior editor, quickly moving up to the position of Vice President and Editorial Director of Delacorte Press. In 1992 he joined The Walt Disney Company's start-up publishing operation, Hyperion, where he served for five years as Associate Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. In 1997, he took over the Villard Books division of Random House as Senior Vice President and Publisher.
Some of the authors Brian worked with as an editor and publisher include Ridley Pearson, T. Jefferson Parker, James Lee Burke, Ken Follett, Daniel Silva, Eve Ensler, Jon Krakauer, Jack Olsen, Leonard Nimoy, Jesse Green, Roger Kahn, M. Scott Peck, Linda Barnes and Bill Carter.
Brian started the agency in 1999, with a goal to create an editorially-driven agency that served the talents of its clients and its staff by bringing together creative, innovative, enterprising and dynamic agents to work collaboratively and boldly to help shape and market books with impact. And indeed, since its inception, DeFiore and Company has had the honor of representing dozens of bestselling, award winning, and culture-shaping writers and influencers. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Authors Representatives, as the Chair of the AAR Electronic Rights Committee, and on the faculty of The Center for Publishing at New York University.
Non-fiction Highlights:
- Brandon Stanton (HUMANS OF NEW YORK: STORIES, HUMANS OF NEW YORK, LITTLE HUMANS, HUMANS)
- Frank Warren (POST SECRET: Extraordinary Confessions From Ordinary Lives; MY SECRET; THE SECRET LIVES OF MEN AND WOMEN; A LIFETIME OF SECRETS)
- Bobby and Cheryl Love (THE REDEMPTION OF BOBBY LOVE)
- Joel Fuhrman (EAT FOR LIFE, THE END OF DIETING; THE EAT-TO-LIVE COOKBOOK)
- Dr. Neal Barnard (YOUR BODY IN BALANCE, THE CHEESE TRAP; POWER FOODS FOR THE BRAIN; THE 21 DAY WEIGHT LOSS KICKSTART; THE VEGAN STARTER KIT; YOUR BODY IN BALANCE, forthcoming)
- Jill Schlesinger (THE DUMB THINGS SMART PEOPLE DO WITH THEIR MONEY: Thirteen Ways to Right Your Financial Wrongs)
- Tom Ryan (FOLLOWING ATTICUS: Forty-Eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship)
- Louis Zamperini and David Rensin (DON'T GIVE UP, DON'T GIVE IN)
- David Rensin (ALL FOR A FEW PERFECT WAVES; THE MAILROOM)
- Bill Shapiro (OTHER PEOPLE'S LOVE LETTERS)
- Richard Yancey (CONFESSIONS OF A TAX COLLECTOR)
Fiction Highlights:
- Rick Yancey (THE 5TH WAVE, THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ALFRED KROPP; THE MONSTRUMOLOGIST, THE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE DETECTIVE)
- Benjamin Hale (THE FAT ARTISTS AND OTHER STORIES, THE EVOLUTION OF BRUNO LITTLEMORE)
- Adena Halpern (THE TEN BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE, "29")
What I'm looking for:
My tastes are eclectic, and I tend to respond favorably to projects of any sort if they demonstrate a real storytelling talent. And to me, that means a combination of strong narrative drive and mastery of voice which leads the reader seamlessly into the author's realm and won't let him leave without a fight. It's not easy to do, and not easy to describe. But when it's there, it's hard to miss. That said, the areas I tend to respond more favorably to in non-fiction are memoir, popular culture, pop science, sports, self/help and inspiration, cookbooks, humor and lifestyle. In fiction: not romance or western. But all other sorts of novels that meet the criteria for 'storytelling talent' for both adult and young adult readers.
How to submit to Brian:
Send a persuasive e-mail to Querybrian@defliterary.com. (Or, if you must, a snail mail letter.)
The note should clearly indicate:
- the kind of book you are writing
- a BRIEF description of the book's contents
- anything about your life experiences that will make readers take notice
- most importantly: a level of creativity, confidence, and precision in the prose that will make me want to read several hundred more pages written by you…
