The Agents of Query Kombat 2015!

For a more complete list of Query Kombat agents, please visit Michelle and SC's blog.

Before we dive into the list, I'd like to remind you of the Query Kombat submission info. It can all be found here. Read, reread, and rereread that post before you hit send on your submission. There are NO take-backsies!

--Agents of Query Kombat--

 

Mark Gottlieb

THE NEXT GENERATION

Mark Gottlieb’s focus on publishing began at Emerson College, where he was a founding member of the Publishing Club, later its President, overseeing its first publication and establishing the Wilde Press.

After graduating with a degree in writing, literature and publishing, Mark began his career with the Vice President of Berkley Books (Penguin), working with leading editors.

His first position at the Trident Media Group literary agency was in foreign rights, selling the books of clients around the world. Mark later worked as Executive Assistant to Robert Gottlieb, Chairman of Trident, with responsibility for organizing/managing diverse authors and their complex business transactions. He next assumed the position of audio rights agent. Since Mark has managed the audio rights business, the annual sales volume has more than doubled. Mark showed great initiative and insight in identifying talented writers.

In passing the Audio Department's torch, Mark is building his own client list of writers. He is excited to work directly with authors, helping to manage and grow their careers with all of the unique resources that are available to Trident.

Read more about Mark and Trident Media Group here.

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Melissa Jeglinski

A graduate of Clarion University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in English with a writing concentration, Melissa began her career as an editor with Harlequin Enterprises. Looking to work with a variety of authors and genres, she joined The Knight Agency in 2008. With over two decades experience in the publishing industry, Melissa has fostered her clients to National prominence including a recent Newbery Honor. She is a member of RWA and AAR. Melissa is currently seeking projects in the following areas: Romance (contemporary, category, historical, inspirational) Young Adult, Middle Grade, Women’s Fiction and Mystery.

Read more about Melissa and The Knight Agency here.

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Victoria Lowes

 

I was born and raised in Queens, New York and graduated from the City University of New York, Queens College. Before joining the Bent Agency, I completed internships at Serendipity Literary and the Carol Mann Agency. I now live on Long Island and in my spare time I can be found teaching dance classes for young students or watching re-runs of The Office.

I’m looking for both commercial and literary fiction as well as young adult titles. My favorite genres are historical fiction, suspense, mysteries, upmarket women’s fiction, and romance.

Read more about Victoria & The Bent Agency here.

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Laura Zats

Laura Zats graduated from Grinnell College with degrees in English and anthropology. While completing her studies, she took advantage of her love of Young Adult (YA) literature and wrote a thesis on identity formation in YA. She’s been working as an editor since 2011 and has held positions at companies in both the US and the UK. In 2013, Laura joined Team Red Sofa as an intern but quickly became more of an apprentice, leveling up to Associate Agent in the same year.

Even though she loved YA books first, titles that are Middle Grade, romance, and Sci-fi/Fantasy have been slowly taking hold. Picking a favorite genre now would be like choosing between puppies and kittens. In her free time, Laura likes to craft, swing dance, bake, and binge on Netflix marathons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Doctor Who.

Read more about Laura and Red Sofa Literary here.

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Michelle Richter

 

Michelle Richter is an Associate Agent at Fuse Literary. She came to Fuse after eight years at St. Martin’s Press, where she edited Melissa Joan Hart’s MELISSA EXPLAINS IT ALL, among others, and worked on a variety of fiction and nonfiction. She has a Masters of Science in Publishing from Pace University.

Michelle is seeking fiction including book club reads, literary fiction, magical realism, well-crafted women’s commercial fiction, thrillers, and mysteries (particularly amateur sleuth, traditional, and police procedurals). In nonfiction, she’s seeking pop culture, fashion, film, television, science, medicine, sociology/social trends, and economics. She has a soft spot for stories set in Boston, Ireland, and Russia.

Read more about Michelle and Fuse Literary here.

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Sara Sciuto

Sara Sciuto is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, and also completed literature coursework at NYU. Her first industry experience was working on film and foreign rights with Taryn Fagerness Agency. From there she joined Full Circle Literary where she specialized in children’s literature and was there for over threeyears before joining Fuse Literary. 

Sara is actively building her list with a focus on middle grade and young adult fiction; in particular, contemporary, historical, gothic/thriller/horror, sci-fi, mystery/suspense, fantasy and other speculative fiction. For YA she’s especially drawn to literary voices with commercial appeal (i.e. no chick-lit, please). For MG, her tastes are broader and she seeks everything from provoking historical to fun/silly adventure projects. She has a particular soft spot for gritty narratives, anything with international or regional locales, period settings, and anything with artistic themes.

Sara is also looking for standout picture books, especially those with a quirky or humorous narrative; and welcomes author/illustrators, as well as conceptual or art-driven projects. She’s also considering select adult nonfiction in the areas of craft, design, how-to, lifestyle, and pop culture. For children’s nonfiction, she’s open to a wider range of both narrative and prescriptive projects. Currently, she is NOT considering any adult fiction (all genres).

Read more about Sara and Fuse Literary here.

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Clelia Gore

Clelia Gore runs the kid lit division of the Seattle-based agency, Martin Literary Management. Clelia acquires just about everything under the children's book umbrella -- picture books, middle grade and YA, with a particular interest in nonfiction across all genres. Clelia's most recently published client is teen scientist Jack Andraka, author of the YA memoir BREAKTHROUGH: HOW ONE TEEN INNOVATOR IS CHANGING THE WORLD (HarperCollins).

Read more about Clelia and Martin Literary Management here.

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 Amy Jameson

 

Amy began her career in New York with esteemed literary agency Janklow & Nesbit Associates, where she launched Shannon Hale’s career. She currently represents New York Times bestselling author Jessica Day George and a select crop of new authors. Amy loves children’s literature, and is actively seeking Middle Grade and Young Adult projects.

Read more about Amy and A+B Works here.