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.
For adult fiction, he loves:
- Literary novels with genre elements (romance, fantasy, horror)
- Explorations of LGBTQIA+ relationships, chosen families, and communities
- Expansive, big-hearted family sagas
- Unputdownable thrillers and horror novels with social commentary
- Coming-of-age adventures with small town antics
- Novels that embrace the absurd
For adult nonfiction, he loves:
- Narrative nonfiction about the inequity faced by marginalized communities
- Savvy pop culture reporting
- 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.
How to Query Mason:
Mason accepts only email queries. Send a brief email describing yourself and your project to mason@defliterary.com with the word “QUERY” in the subject line and the first five pages of your manuscript or proposal pasted in the body of an email.
Attachments will not be opened unless requested.
Submissions do not need to be exclusive, and response time is generally no more than two weeks.
