Agents for MG Writers - Part 3

(Read Part 1 and Part 2 here.)


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5 agents I decided to query:

Jill Corcoran
Agency:  Herman Agency
Agent's blog:  Jill Corcoran Books
Twitter account:  @JillCorcoran

What caught my attention:  Looking for "MG ADVENTURE that is not episodic and where the main character is as imperative to the story as the action. A character who readers will want to follow into the clutches of death and back again."

Submit:  Query + 10 pages. Per her tweet, "For every query sent to queryjillcorcoran@gmail.com u will receive an auto-response that I received it and a pass or please send full email." Love that! I truly respect agents that still take the time to respond even when not interested.

Interviews & Information:
Casey McCormick
Hunger Mountain
SCBWI

Some of the authors she represents:
(see a list of her recent deals here)
Angela Ackerman (The Emotion Thesaurus) - MG
Jessica Love
Brent Watson
Beck McDowell
Lori Ann Stephens
Angela Townsend - MG
Bart King - MG
Robin Mellom - MG
Sherry Shahan - MG
Ralph Fletcher - MG
Anastasia Suen - MG
Erin Fry - MG
Kelly Milner Halls - MG

Anna Webman
Agency: Curtis Brown
Agent's page: Anna Webman
Twitter account:  @awebman

What caught my attention:  Anna represents a range of young adult, middle-grade, and picture-book authors and illustrators, published and new, working to help them build successful publishing careers.

Submit:  a synopsis and the first ten pages

Interviews & Information:
Casey McCormick
QueryTracker
A View from the Top

Some of the authors she represents:
Jenny Goebel
Karen Johnston - MG
Natalie Whipple
Erin Eitter Kono
Mary Jane Auch - MG (I love her books!)
Rebecca Barnhouse - MG
Liz Conrad
Liz Goulet Dubois
Dandi Daley Mackall - MG
Leslie Muirs
Kim Thacker - MG

Jennifer Rofé
Agency:  Andrea Brown Lit
Agent's website:  Piggies in the Pumpkin Patch (her picture book)
Twitter account: @jenrofe

What caught my attention:  Middle grade is Jennifer's soft spot and she's open to all genres in this category, especially the tender or hilarious. She is always looking for fresh and distinct voices; stories that simultaneously tug at her heartstrings and make her laugh out loud; and "adorkable" heroes.

Submit:  query letter and first ten pages

Interviews & Information:
Casey McCormick
The Brown Bookshelf
Middle Grade Ninja
Shannon Messenger

Some of the authors she represents:
Kathryn Fitzmaurice - MG Writer
Barry Wolverton - MG Writer
Nick James
Samantha Vamos
Meg Medina
Crystal Allen - MG Writer
Lauren Strasnick
Mike Boldt

Natalie Lakosil 
(previously Natalie Fischer)
Agency: Bradford Literary
Agent's blog: Adventures in Agent Land
Twitter account: @Natalie_Lakosil

What caught my attention:  I remember Natalie from WriteOnCon 2010. She was very friendly and helpful. So is her blog! Gold mine of information. I'm adding it to the resource list on my blog.

Submit: query letter, first chapter, and synopsis. Approximate response time: 2 to 4 weeks.

Interviews & Information:
Casey McCormick
Middle Grade Ninja
Mother. Write. (Repeat.)
Let the Words Flow

Some of the authors she represents:
(See complete list on her blog)

Amy Alexander 
Julie Eshbaugh
Jessica Souders
Rachel Mercaldo
Sarah Olutola
Natalie Zaman
Charlotte Bennardo
Sarah Page
Laura Preble
Stephanie Faris - MG
Justin Matott - MG
Roseanne Greenfield Thong
Kitty Griffin
Tamara Hughes
Liz Kreger
Cathy Pegau
Monique Domovitch
Heather Wigton

Lauren MacLeod
Agency:  The Strothman Agency
Agent's blog:  Strothman Agency Blog
Twitter account:  @BostonBookGirl

What caught my attention:  She is currently especially drawn to YA and MG projects with humorous situations,  funny characters, a lovely romance or a great voice.

Drawback: All emails received will be responded to with an auto-reply. If we have not replied to your query within six weeks, we do not feel that it is right for us. [I hate that! I would take a form rejection any time over a no-reply.]

Submit:  query letter, synopsis, 2-10 pages

Interviews & Information:
Casey McCormick
GalleyCat
Mother. Write. (Repeat.)

Some of the authors she represents:
Bria Quinlan
Jodi Meadows
Valerie Cole
Robert Lettrick
Monica B.W.
Sashi Kaufman
Hélène Boudreau - MG
Helaine Becker - MG
Kathryn Miles
Christopher White
Lizzie Friend

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2 agents I can't query:

Ginger Clark
Agency: Curtis Brown
Twitter account:  @Ginger_Clark

Drawback:  Swears on twitter. Ugh! Not a good match for me. I could overlook that, but there are two other agents I'm considering from the same agency, so it makes it easier to decide.

Laura Blake Peterson
Agency: Curtis Brown
Agent's page: Laura Blake Peterson
Twitter account:  (not on twitter)

What caught my attention:  She lives in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. A Jersey girl, like me!

Drawback: Not on twitter, no website, and no blog. How can I learn more about her?

Submit:  query letter, synopsis, sample chapter, and brief resume

Interviews & Information:
Writer's Digest
Hooked on Romance

Some of the authors she represents:

Jim Black
Jane Isenberg
Wendy Markham (Wendy Corsi Staub)
D.R. Schanker
Barbara Jaye Wilson

My Method to Search for Agents

I've been looking for an agent this year, and I've developed a little method that works well for me.  Finding an agent is hard work, but it can also be very rewarding in many ways.

1. I follow any agents I can find on twitter and save them in a list called Agents and Publishers. I also have other resources I could use if I ever run out of agents to look up, such as Jay Eckert's MG & YA Agent List, Casey McCormick's blog, AgentQuery, and SCBWI's Agent Directory (if you're a member).

2. When I'm ready to start another round of queries, I look up their agencies, one by one, and note which agents represent MG novels. I create a new twitter list for potential agents and another one for the authors they represent. I do that until I find five potential agencies for my book. I save all the information on a new blog post. I have two so far: Agents for MG Writers Part 1 and Part 2.

3. Once I have the basic information for agents from five potential agencies, I dig deeper. I search for interviews, read their blogs, find out what authors they represent, look them up on QueryTracker, and follow their tweets. I look agents I'm not familiar with on Preditors and Editors, just to verify they are legit.

4. I decide on which agent to query from each agency (if more than one represent MG), based on what I think would be the best match for my book and for my personality as a writer.

5. I research how to make my query better, and I revise it. At the same time, I continue researching the five agents I decided to query, reading their blogs and interacting with them if the opportunity arises. I won't do anything crazy, like comment on every single blog post they publish or retweet everything they say just to hope being noticed, but if I find something interesting to retweet or if one of their blog posts is useful to me, I'll use the opportunity. I customize my query based on their individual preferences or what they're currently looking for.

6. I send all five queries and record them on  QueryTracker. I publish my blog post to share the information I've accumulated during my search.

7. Then I go back to working on my new book and forget all about querying for a month or two. I record their responses on QueryTracker.

At this point, I'm not so concerned about the replies I'm getting. If I find an agent this year, great! If not, that means I need to work on my writing skills a little more. I'll keep working on my craft and become a better writer, then start all over again. I'm gaining experience, and when I'm ready to either revise my first book and re-submit or publish my second book, I'll have all this knowledge and experience already accumulated, and it will be easier the second time around. It's a learning experience.

My favorite part in this process? Discovering awesome authors that are just one step ahead of me. They are represented by an agent I'm considering for my book. It gives me hope.

Agents for MG Writers - Part 2

I'm searching for an agent for my MG novel, and instead of just gathering information in a notebook or a messy spreadsheet, I decided to save it in blog posts so it can also be useful to other MG writers looking for agents. Here is the information I collected about five agents I decided to query this month, and some others I've eliminated for one reason or another.

(Read part one here)

*** BREAKING NEWS! ***

Agent Mary Kole from Andrea Brown Lit agency just made a big announcement on her blog.  She is now officially a Senior Literary Manager at Movable Type Management She'll be the only one seeing the children’s queries, focusing on picture books, middle grade, and young adult. Please read her announcement for details about her new e-mail and submission guidelines.

I had a hard time choosing between her and Jennifer Rofé among all the wonderful Andrea Brown agents representing MG. That makes it easier for me now, I can query both! Good timing, I haven't sent my queries yet.

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5 agents I decided to query:

Lauren Ruth
Agency:  BookEnds
Agent's blog:  Slush Pile Tales
Twitter account:  @LiteraryLauren

What caught my attention:  "I live in New Jersey with my family and my personal interests include watching movies, reading (for fun, still) traveling and making my two-year-old son, Henry, laugh." [A New Jersey girl, like me!]

Note: Her bio says: "middle-grade—all subgenres" but the main site's submissions guidelines state: "BookEnds does not represent children's books, science fiction, short fiction, poetry, screenplays, techno-thrillers, or military fiction." After further research, I found out she does represent MG.

Submit:  Send the query in the body of the e-mail; response time for queries: 4-6 weeks

Interviews & Information:
Monica B.W.
Mother. Write. (Repeat.)
Casey McCormick
Rachel McClellan
Strategy Magazine
All the Write Stuff

Some of the authors she represents:
Cathryn Pritchard
Stacey Kennedy
Gina Danna

Mary Kole
Agency:  Andrea Brown Lit
Agent's website: Mary Kole
Agent's blog:  kidlit.com
Twitter account:  @Kid_Lit

What caught my attention:  At this time, Mary is only considering young adult and middle grade novels and truly exceptional character-driven picture books (she especially loves working with author/illustrators). Favorite themes include: family, home, unlikely heroes, discovering one's voice, and finding one's equilibrium after a big life event. [I remember her from WriteOnCon conference in 2010. I still have notes about voice from a live panel with her and several other agents. That, and her blog, makes me think she wants to help writers succeed. Now that's my kind of agent!]

Submit:  Query letter and first 10 pages

Interviews & Information:
Casey McCormick
Mother. Write. (Repeat.)
SCBWI

Some of the authors she represents:
Emily Hainsworth
Laura Sassi
Dianna Winget - MG Writer
Karsten Knight
Lisa Albert
Bethanie Murguia
Lindsay Ward
Jamie Harrington

Sara Crowe
Agency:  Harvey Klinger
Agent's blog:  A Crowe's Nest
Agent's website: www.saracrowe.com
Twitter account:  @saraagent

What caught my attention:  "For adult and children’s fiction, my taste tends to be for the more literary, often quirky, sometimes funny, always with a strong, original voice. While my list is mostly contemporary realistic fiction, I also like horror, mystery, urban fantasy and historical fiction." [My book is MG contemporary.]

Drawback:  Only responds if interested. I hate that, but I could live with it. [Actually, she did reply, one day after I sent my query. I'm impressed! A lot better than the "no reply means no" policy I thought she had.]

Submit:  Query only, by e-mail or form on the website. Responds within 2-4 weeks, only if interested.

Interviews & Information:
Casey McCormick
Laurie Thompson
Middle Grade Ninja
Cynthia Leitich Smith

Some of the authors she represents:
Lisa Schroeder - MG Writer
Varian Johnson
Dan Wells
Holly Nicole Hoxter
Bruce Eschler - MG Writer
Veera Hiranandani - MG Writer
Jenny Martin
Evan James Roskos
Erin Bowman
Rachel Wilson
Dianne Salerni
Heather Zenzen
Peggy Eddleman - MG Writer
K.A. Barson
Sarah Johnson
Rachel Tafoya
Nikki
Varian Johnson
Dan Wells

Kate McKean
Agency:  Howard Morhaim Literary Agency
Agent's website: Kate McKean
Twitter account:  @kate_mckean

What caught my attention (from an interview): "I'm really looking for more YA and MG contemporary (i.e., not-fantasy) novels." [My novel is MG Contemporary/Adventure.]

Submit:  Cover letter and first 3 chapters - attachment OK

Interviews & Information:
Casey McCormick
Mother. Write. (Repeat.)
Megan Burke
Writer's Digest

Some of the authors she represents:
Jessica Verdi
Noah Scalin
Richelle Mead
Deborah Grabien
Alison Lewis
Patricia Zapata
Josh Wilker
Ellen Luckett Baker

Sara Megibow

Agency:  Nelson Literary Agency
Agent's page:  Publishers Marketplace
Twitter account:  @SaraMegibow

What caught my attention:  "I seem to be drawn to contemporary YA and MG novels - stories set in the real world, preferably with a multicultural or historical aspect." [My MG novel would fit this description!]

Submit:  Send a one-page query by e-mail. Response time: 5-10 days, occasionally longer.

Interviews & Information:
Casey McCormick
YA Highway
Mother. Write. (Repeat.)
Jairus Reddy

Some of the authors she represents:
Michael Martinez
Miranda Kenneally
Natalie Bahm - MG Writer
Stefan Bachmann
Elysia Whisler
Steve Vera
Michael Haspil
Sarah Skilton
Allison Rushby
L.J. Boldyrev
Jennifer Wolf
Ashlyn Macnamara
Jane Kindred
Kat Brauer


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8 more agents from same agencies:

It was SO hard to choose an agent from Andrea Brown Lit. I went by elimination and I ended up with four possible agents.  How do you choose when there are so many awesome agents from one same agency?

Caryn Wiseman
Agency:  Andrea Brown Lit
Agent's page:  Andrea Brown Lit Agents
Twitter account:  @CarynWiseman

What caught my attention:  She handles children's books only. She would be thrilled to see more contemporary multicultural middle grade or YA—books that deeply explore another culture, as well as books in which the ethnicity of the character is not the issue. She adores a sweet, funny or poignant middle-grade novel, with a great hook that makes it stand out from the crowd.

Drawback:  Senior agent.  Since this is my first time querying, I should probably start with a newer agent looking for new authors.   Caryn is very drawn to speculative middle grade or YA fiction. [My book is MG Adventure/Contemporary]

Interviews & Information:
Casey McCormick

Some of the authors she represents:
Sarah Albee
Terry Lynn Johnson
Bree Dayley
Tom Angleberger - MG Writer
Tara Sullivan - MG writer

Jennifer Rofé
Agency:  Andrea Brown Lit
Agent's website:  Piggies in the Pumpkin Patch (her picture book)
Twitter account: @jenrofe

What caught my attention:  Middle grade is Jennifer's soft spot and she's open to all genres in this category, especially the tender or hilarious. She is always looking for fresh and distinct voices; stories that simultaneously tug at her heartstrings and make her laugh out loud; and "adorkable" heroes.

Interviews & Information:
Casey McCormick

Some of the authors she represents:
Kathryn Fitzmaurice - MG Writer
Barry Wolverton - MG Writer
Nick James
Samantha Vamos
Meg Medina
Crystal Allen - MG Writer
Lauren Strasnick
Mike Boldt

Kelly Sonnack
Agency:  Andrea Brown Lit
Agent's page: Andrea Brown Lit Agents
Twitter account:  @KSonnack

What caught my attention:  In picture books and middle grade fiction, Kelly looks for clever writing, a good sense of humor, stories that stretch a young reader's imagination, and an authentic voice, and fresh ideas.

Interviews & Information:
Casey McCormick

Some of the authors she represents:
Carol Riggs
Bridget Heos
Kathe Anchel
Carolyn Marsden - MG Writer

Andrea Brown
Agency:  Andrea Brown Lit
Drawback:  President. Too big for me.

Laura Rennert
Agency:  Andrea Brown Lit
Agent's website:  http://www.laurajoyrennert.com/

Drawback:  Senior Agent. Too big for me. Represents many genres, including adult and non fiction. Also an author (picture books, chapter books). Not on twitter.

Interviews & Information:
Casey McCormick

Some of the authors she represents:
PJ Hoover - MG Writer
Tammi Sauer
Lia Keyes
Frankie Diane Mallis
Shannon Messenger - MG Writer
Mitali Perkins - MG Writer



Jennifer Laughran
Agency:  Andrea Brown Lit
Agent's blog:  Literaticat
Twitter account:  @literaticat

Drawback: Uses swear words on twitter. *cringe* And judging by her personality, I don't think it's a good match with mine.

Interviews & Information:
Casey McCormick

Some of the authors she represents:
Becky Wallace
Ward Jenkins


David Dunton
Agency:  Harvey Klinger
Twitter account:  @DavidDunton

Drawback:  He specializes in music-related books and is looking for the following types of projects: pop culture, narrative nonfiction, memoir, food, literary fiction, middle grade fiction, and young adult fiction. [my book is not music-related and I don't think it would be a good fit for him.]

Kristin Nelson
Agency:  Nelson Literary Agency
Agent's blog:   Pub Rants We can also subscribe to her newsletter
Drawback:  Senior Agent; too big for me. I'll go with the Associate Agent.

Some of the authors she represents:
Megan Crewe


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3 agents I couldn't query:

Jamie Weiss Chilton
Agency:  Andrea Brown Lit
Drawback: Only represents YA and picture books


Jennifer Mattson
Agency:  Andrea Brown Lit
Drawback: According to QueryTracker, does not accept unsolicited queries (as of January 2012)


Amy Boggs
Agency:  Donald Maass Literary Agency
Twitter account:  @notjustanyboggs
Drawback:  She is looking for fantasy and science fiction, especially urban fantasy, paranormal romance, steampunk, YA/children's, and alternate history.

Agents for MG Writers - Part 1

I'm looking for an agent for my middle grade novel. I was planning to start a spreadsheet to keep track of the agents I looked up and to save their information, but I figured many other writers might benefit from this information if I post it here instead.

So here it is, a scrapbook of all my agent research.  My goal is to query five agents at a time, then wait for replies while I work on my new novel before sending the next batch.

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5 agents I decided to query:

Kathleen Rushall
Agency website:  Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC
Agent's page:  Kathleen Rushall
Twitter account: @katrushall

What caught my attention: "Kathleen is open to unique, quirky picture books and all genres of character driven middle grade fiction as well (especially multi-cultural or boy-driven MG)." [Multi-cultural and boy-driven. That's what my book is!]

Submit:  Query only, by e-mail; responds within 1-4 weeks

Interviews & Information:
YA Fusion
Monica B.W.
Mother. Write. (Repeat.)
Casey McCormick
Deana Barnhart
J.R. Johansson

Some of the authors she represents:
Anjea Sandro
Ruth Donnelli - MG Writer
Jenn Johansson
Sandy Grubb - MG Writer
Karri Thompson
Pam Calvert - MG Writer
Jess Keating - MG Writer

Kristin Miller
Agency website:  D4EO Literary Agency
Agent's page:  Kristin Miller
Twitter account:  @AgentKristin

What caught my attention: (seeking:) "Middle Grade: Authentic voice is most important. Fun, adventure, mystery and big, big characters. A timeless middle grade with siblings learning about themselves, each other and the world. Lovely but accessible prose. Something classic, the next The Penderwicks or Anne of Green Gables." [My book is a MG Adventure, might be a good fit!]

Submit: Query and first 10 pages in the body of the e-mail.

Interviews & Information:
Mother. Write. (Repeat.)
YA Highway

Some of the authors she represents:
Carey Farrell
Alison Kemper
Vonna Carter - MG Writer
Priscilla Mizell
Gail Shepherd - MG Writer

Linda Epstein
Agency website:  Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency
Agent's blog:  lindapepstein.wordpress.com
Twitter account:  @LindaEpstein

What caught my attention:  (looking for:) "For middle-grade, it should be particularly character driven and quirky, with excellent pacing and rhythm." [She also has a blog full of useful information for writers.]

Submit: Query and first 20 pages in the body of the e-mail. [now closed to queries until June 15th. Luckily, I had already sent my query before she announced it.]

Interviews & Information:
Casey McCormick
Women's National Book Association

Some of the authors she represents:
Stacy Mozer - MG Writer
Bill Konigsberg
Emily Saso
Rhonda Saunders - MG Writer
Katherine Sparrow

Sarah Davies
Agency website:  Greenhouse Literary
Agent's blog:  Sarah's Blog
Twitter account:  @SarahGreenhouse

What caught my attention:  "Greenhouse exclusively represents and manages the careers of authors writing fiction for children, from young chapter-book series through middle grade novels to sophisticated teen fiction."  [The whole agency is specializing in children's fiction!]

Submit: Query and first chapter or first five pages (whichever is shorter) in the body of the e-mail.

Interviews & Information:
SCBWI
Cynthia Leitich Smith
YA Highway
Casey McCormick
Middle Grade Ninja

Some of the authors she represents:
Sarah Aronson
Sarwat Chadda
Sue Cowing - MG Writer
Alexandra Diaz
Jill Hathaway
Elissa Hoole
Lindsey Leavitt
Megan Miranda
Tricia Springstubb - MG Writer
Shawn Stout - MG Writer
Brenna Yovanoff

Jessica Regel
Agency website:  Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency Inc.
Agent's blog:  Happy Birthday, Book!
Twitter account:  @jessregel

What caught my attention (from an interview):  "I also handle a lot of young adult and middle grade writers. For my children's books I like reality based fantasy and science fiction with big themes or contemporary novels with a lot of heart."

Drawback:  "Due to the volume of email we receive, we typically only respond to queries we would like to see more of. Because of time constraints, we cannot reply to requests for reasons on a pass." [I much prefer agents who reply when they are not interested.]

Submit: Query in a form on the website; only replies if interested.

Interviews & Information:
Editors, Agents and Blogs, Oh My!
Galleycat
GumboWriters.com
Writer's Digest

Some of the authors she represents:
Kristi Helvig
Shea Ernshaw
Emily Danforth
Cecilia Galante - MG Writer
Lesley Livingston
Jillian Cantor
Adrienne Kress
Whitney Holcombe
Katia Raina
Victoria Strauss


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6 more agents from same agencies:


Alice Tasman

Agency website:  Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency Inc.
Agent's page:  Alice Tasman
Twitter account:  @AliceTasman

What caught my attention:  "She is especially interested in novels—whether adult, young adult, or middle grade—that combine excellent writing, voice, and characters with a great plot."

Drawback:  No blog? No website? No interviews?  Same agency as Jessica Regel, which I'm querying. I cannot query two agents from the same agency.

Interviews & Information:
I couldn't find any!

Some of the authors she represents:
Ellen Potter
Stephen Wetta
Emily Gray Tedrowe
Timothy Schaffert

Jennifer De Chiara
Agency website:  Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency
Agent's site: (same - agency's owner)
Twitter account:  @4writers

What caught my attention:  "For middle-grade and YA fiction, I'm looking for beautiful, distinctive voices, above all, and character-driven stories.  I'm open to every genre under the sun, but I'm not a huge science fiction fan."

Drawback:  This agent may be too "big" for my little book.   Same agency as Linda Epstein, which I'm querying. I cannot query two agents from the same agency.

Interviews & Information:
Casey McCormick
WOW
Fiction Factor

Some of the authors she represents:
Stephanie Brown
and many, many others

Stephen Fraser
Agency website:  Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency
Agent's blog:  None
Twitter account:  None

What caught my attention:  (looking for:) "Dazzle me with lyrical writing in all categories: one-of-a-kind picture books; strong chapter book series; whimsical, dramatic, or humorous middle grade; dramatic or high-concept young adult; powerful and unusual nonfiction.  Do you have the first book in a mystery series?  A novel about the world of music or theater?"

Drawback:  No blog? No twitter account?  Same agency as Linda Epstein, which I'm querying. I cannot query two agents from the same agency.

Interviews & Information:
Casey McCormick
First Novels Club
Throwing Up Words
Humor Me
Mother. Write. (Repeat.)

Some of the authors he represents:
Ally Cowee
Brent Hartinger
Christine Brodien-Jones
Bev Katz Rosenbaum
Rosanne Parry
Matthew Kirby
Carol Lynch Williams
Cat Woods
Michael G.G.

Marie Lamba
Agency website:   Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency
Agent's blog:  marielamba.wordpress.com
Twitter account:  @marielamba

What caught my attention:  (looking for:) "Young adult and middle-grade fiction, along with general and women's fiction and some memoir.  Books that are moving and/or hilarious are especially welcome."

Drawback:  She's also an author, so most links I've found were about her books, not about her as an agent.  Same agency as Linda Epstein, which I'm querying. I cannot query two agents from the same agency.

Interviews & Information:
Casey McCormick
All the Write Stuff

Some of the authors she represents:
Stephanie Winkelhake
Carmella Van Vleet

Mandy Hubbard
Agency website:  D4EO Literary Agency
Agent's website:  www.mandyhubbard.com
Agent's blog:  mandyhubbard.livejournal.com
Twitter account:  @MandyHubbard

What caught my attention:  "As an agent at D4EO Literary, I  represent a broad range of books for Young Adult and Middle Grade audiences.  I have diverse tastes, so if it’s YA or MG, bring it on!"

Drawback: (seeking:) "MG with a fantastical or magical realism twist" [my book is a MG Adventure (very realistic) novel]  Same agency as Kristin Miller, which I'm querying. I cannot query two agents from the same agency.

Interviews & Information:
Casey McCormick
Jessica Martinez
Mother. Write. (Repeat.)
Amanda J.
The Punching Bag Fights Back
Day by Day Writer
Examiner.com
Cynsations

Some of the authors she represents:
Lee Bross
Sacha Whalen
Lynn Heitkamp
Jessica Martinez
Nancy Herman
Emily Murdoch
Lindsey Scheibe

Bree Ogden
Agency website:  D4EO Literary Agency
Agent's blog:  agentbree.wordpress.com
Twitter account:  @breeogden

What caught my attention (from an interview): “And of course, I love quirky boy-centric middle grade, always! I am always and forever looking for great middle grade. It is my favorite genre to represent.”

Drawback:  “She is especially interested in darker plots (think Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay) and loves dystopian, unique and fresh supernatural elements. Science fiction graphic novels and graphic novels that challenge the reader to think as well as have a great visual hook, stories that are very visual in nature, and books with a philosophical hook are equally of interest. “ [my stories are far from being dark...]  Same agency as Kristin Miller, which I'm querying. I cannot query two agents from the same agency.

Interviews & Information:
Day by Day Writer
Casey McCormick
D.M. Cunningham

Some of the authors she represents:
D.M. Cunningham
Kelsey Ketch
Kate Grace

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3 agents I couldn't query:

Elana Roth
Agency website:  Red Tree Literary
Agent's blog:  www.elanaroth.com
Twitter account: @ElanaRoth

What caught my attention:  "How she fell in love with children's content is a long story that begins by sheer dumb luck with an internship at Nickelodeon Magazine. Books followed when she began working as an editor at Parachute Publishing, where she spent 5 years learning the publishing ropes on series for kids of all ages (and that includes some adults). She switched to agenting in 2008." [specializes in kid books - that's always a good thing!]

Drawback:  *** Not accepting submissions at this time *** [awww... *cross out - for now*]

Interviews & Information:
Casey McCormick
Joelle Anthony
First Novels Club
Mother. Write. (Repeat.)

Some of the authors she represents:
Andy Marino
Darren Farrell
Kaleb Nation

Lauren Ruth
Agency website:  BookEnds, LLC
Agent's blog:  slushpiletales.wordpress.com
Twitter account:  @LiteraryLauren

What caught my attention:  "I live in New Jersey with my family and my personal interests include watching movies, reading (for fun, still) traveling and making my two-year-old son, Henry, laugh." [A New Jersey girl, like me! :)]

Drawback:  Her bio says: "middle-grade—all subgenres" but the main site's submissions guidelines state: "BookEnds does not represent children's books, science fiction, short fiction, poetry, screenplays, techno-thrillers, or military fiction." [Hmm... I need to find out whether she represents MG or not. But for now, I won't query.]


Marlene Stringer
Agency website:  Stringer Literary Agency LLC

Drawback:  *** 02/20/2012 - Effective Immediately, The Stringer Literary Agency LLC is Closed to New Middle Grade Projects *** [Well, that's a major drawback!]

Some of the authors she represents:
Too many to name:  http://www.stringerlit.com/authors/

How to Find Agents that Represent MG

In my search for an agent for my middle grade novel, I came across some very useful sites that are loaded with information about literary agents.  I hope you find them useful too.

The first list is specifically about agents that represent MG.  The second list is more general and includes all agents.


Blogs by MG/YA Writers
(all have agent information and/or interviews)

Casey McCormick - Casey's blog hosts agent info pages organized by who they represent: PB, MG and YA.  She updates the pages regularly to keep them current. Most useful resource I found so far.  Each page includes a short bio, what the agent is looking for, what author they represent, links to interviews, and other useful information.

Jay Eckert - I've known Jay from my online critique group, and I knew he had a list of agents that represent MG and YA on his blog. I didn't need an agent yet back then, but now I do and I'm glad I know about his blog!  He updates his list regularly and adds new agents as they come up.  Each name is a link to the agent's website.

Mother. Write. (Repeat.) - Every time I searched for interviews for a particular agent, this site showed up in the top results.  Over 60 agents were interviewed, and they are listed alphabetically by last name, making it easy to find one particular agent.

Middle Grade Ninja - Robert Kent interviewed over 30 agents, asking them each 7 questions.  They are also listed alphabetically by last name.  Sadly, he is no longer updating his blog, but the reviews that are there can still be useful.


General Information
(sites you really should visit before querying any agent)

Absolute Write - This is a very popular discussion board for writers, free to join. It may be useful to find out other people's experience with an agent before querying.

Predators and Editors - This site is a must if you're querying an agent that is new or not well-known. It verifies that agents are legit and trustworthy, and flags those that charge fees or that are not recommended, for one reason or another.

QueryTracker - This site holds general information about each agent and links to success stories (interviews with writers that often include the winning query). It also lets you keep track of what agent you queried, record what the response was, and save a copy of your query. In addition to all that, there is a discussion board where members talk about their querying experience with each agent.

AgentQuery - Similar to QueryTracker. I still have to look into that site.

Chuck Sambuchino's Guide to Literary Agents - This site is very useful to find out the latest news in the literary agent world, including new agent announcements and what they are seeking.