We thank you for your interest!
As we continue to add agents to our team, a friendly reminder to follow submission guidelines for not only the agent but also for the agency. Additionally, if you have not received a rejection on a submission please follow up with that agent before submitting again to another agent.
Fiction:
Essie White, Founder/Literary Agent
Essie White is CLOSED to submissions at this time.
Victoria Selvaggio, Owner/Literary Agent
Victoria Selvaggio is CLOSED to submissions at this time.
Heather Cashman, Senior Literary Agent/Agent Mentor
Heather Cashman is CLOSED to submissions at this time.
Heather Cashman will consider PB, MG, YA, and Adult fiction and nonfiction.
SUBMISSION INFO:
The world is so vast, and there are so many facets to the lives of people from the past, present, and future. Heather would love to find books that explore currently untapped spaces and inspire us to seize the opportunities in our own lives, while teaching us about a new topic, place, or insight into someone else’s mind--or our own. She also loves alternative formats (like the movie Memento) and different approaches to storytelling.
For all writing, Heather's looking for a fascinating, compelling story with a mixture of warmth, humor, emotional bonds that she’ll remember forever, and a world and characters she wants to return to time and time again. The characters need to feel real with a distinct voice from the first line. Thematic elements and strong character arcs are a must. She loves commercial fiction that has a literary flair and inclusive books that bring us together as citizens of the world. She's most excited to find books that do things she never knew books could do.
PLEASE NO abuse stories or anything graphic or gratuitous. PLEASE NO body horror or gore.
Some of her favorite authors: Anne McCaffrey, Abby Jiminez, Terry Brooks, Judy Blume, Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, Gary Paulson, Roald Dahl, Lord Byron, Orson Scott Card, Beverly Cleary, Dean Koontz, Rainbow Rowell, Pierce Brown, Leigh Bardugo, Maggie Stiefvater, Holly Black, and so many more.
ADULT/NEW ADULT
Genres: upmarket fiction, commercial/literary fiction, book-club fiction, magical realism, romantic comedies/women’s fiction crossover, historical, mysteries that are fun and light with a genre blend, science fiction (whether five-minutes-in-the-future or epic), fantasy, and romantasy, dystopian or dystopian elements
excellent literature
layered hooks
commercial ideas with literary underpinnings
humor--we need this so much!
unique premise/high-concept hook
setting and characters and plot all speak to a theme
unique formats that are transportive
real and relatable characters
teach you something
moral dilemmas or impossible choices
clear, definitive voice
Nonfiction:
unique premise
robust platform
proposals accepted with at least two sample chapters
YOUNG ADULT
any genre except horror (unless it has a socio-political commentary)
leans upmarket
plots that create tension and surprise me with unexpected twists
settings that are vivid and atmospheric
strong thematic elements
heavier themes only if balanced with humor
thoughtful turns of phrase
books written for actual teens, not for adults who want to read YA
Nonfiction:
engaging, current, relevant
easily digestible
intriguing voice
narrative nonfiction
proposals accepted with at least two sample chapters
MIDDLE GRADE
any genre
commercial leaning
smart characters who make mistakes but learn from them
a little romance as the B plot is okay but not needed
Nonfiction:
engaging, current, relevant
easily digestible
intriguing voice
narrative nonfiction
proposals accepted with at least two sample chapters
ILLUSTRATORS or AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATORS:
strong sense of unique style
a story within the story
general mastery of the craft
illustrations that speak to the child
PICTURE BOOKS
Fiction:
timeless
lyrical
new format or approach
paper engineering or gift books
new perspectives
true-to-life characters
fun, quirky, funny
kid-facing
non-didactic
empowering
authentic
award-worthy
informational fiction that teaches children while also being fun and entertaining
rhyming ONLY if you're really good at it
Nonfiction:
STEM picture books
unexplored topics (holes in the market)
biographies with a different format or unknown person
narrative nonfiction
PLEASE NO:
anthropomorphic characters (exceptions for Flat Stanley)
clowns
circuses
zoos—unless the animals are breaking out of them
Lisa Amstutz is OPEN only to adult nonfiction and picture book author/illustrator submissions at this time.
Lisa only accepts queries through the link below and does not consider more than one project at a time.
She currently represents nonfiction for all ages (preschool–adult), picture book and middle grade fiction, and picture book author/illustrators. She loves books with heart; science, agricultural, and environmental topics; new insights on history, culture, or the arts; compelling characters and settings; humor; lyrical texts; and multicultural themes.
Lisa is not a good fit for dark or dystopian themes or graphic content. She is not acquiring YA or adult fiction at this time, but will consider books by existing clients.
Michelle Hauck, Literary Agent
Michelle Hauck is OPEN to submissions. She will be closing to on March 28, 2025.
Please use her Query Manager: https://QueryManager.com/MichelleHauck. Queries sent by email will not be considered.
This time, Michelle will be accepting contemporary romance, dystopian, romantasy, cozy fantasy, and horror in Young Adult. In Adult, she is looking for science fiction, horror, romantasy, and fantasy as well as mystery. She does not accept Adult romance, though she does love a romance subplot or romantasy.
In Adult mystery, she is not the best fit for true crime focused or police procedurals and legal mysteries. She prefers amateur sleuths and no PIs or police main characters.
Do not send queries for nonfiction, chapter books, early readers, short story collections, novellas, graphic novels, middle grade, or picture books at this time. Do not send queries for other genres of Young Adult beyond contemporary romance, romantasy, cozy fantasy, or horror.
Overall, Michelle likes positive, upbeat characters, quirky humor (or really any humor) and is always excited to see stories with diverse underrepresented voices (including and not limited to LGBTQA+, neurodiversity, BIPOC, Latinx, Indigenous People, and disability). Also she likes: Characters with deep character arcs, villains with complex motivations and layers, and stories set on secondary worlds or settings that are other than American or European.
She worked with neurodiverse students for many years and has a special place in her heart for stories in that area.
She tries to respond to requested material within three months, but you are welcome to nudge if she goes over four months.
You may submit to more than one agent at Storm, but only one at a time.
Michelle’s special wish list needs include:
-self-published creators of Adult fantasy, romantasy, or horror who want help exploiting their retained sub-rights.
-any speculative fiction with a murder mystery
-cozy fantasy or science fiction with romance
-Anything Queer and Trans in the genres she’s open to as well as any BIPOC
-romantasy with some spice, or that is more longing and angst than heat.
-YA sports romances
-horror with social commentary, rather than a slasher plot
-horror with romance
-Adult mystery set outside the U.S.
-Adult mystery with younger protagonists
Sheila Fernley, Associate Literary Agent
Sheila Fernley is closed to submissions at this time.
When Sheila opens, ONLY use QueryManager – https://querymanager.com/Sheila_Fernley for your submission. Queries sent by email or snail mail will not be read or considered. Only query one project at a time and please do not submit a query if the same project or a different project is currently submitted to another agent at Storm Literary Agency.
Currently, Sheila is seeking authors and author/illustrators—
· Picture books (fiction and nonfiction)
· MG (especially contemporary fiction, adventures, humor, fantasy – no dragons please)
· Diverse and underrepresented authors and author/illustrators
· Heartfelt or humorous stories
· Male protagonists
No rhyming picture books or YA at this time.
Sheila is not a good fit for adult fiction and adult nonfiction, horror, dark themes, violent content, dragons, or science fiction.
Please allow approximately two months for a query response and four months if a full-manuscript or more work is requested.
Jenna Satterthwaite, Associate Literary Agent
Jenna Satterthwaite is CLOSED to submissions at this time.
While Jenna is open to most genres, in particular, she would love to find the following.
In Adult Fiction, she’s especially looking for:
TOP OF WISHLIST: Upmarket and book club fiction - this is a huge focus for me right now! If you have a commercial plot + literary writing, PLEASE consider hitting send! I’d love to see books in this space that hit on current issues–the kind that book clubs would just HAVE to discuss.
Think: Lessons in Chemistry, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, Britt Marie Was Here, Great Kitchens of the Midwest, Taylor Jenkins Reid
TOP OF WISHLIST: Genre Blends - thriller + romance, horror + romance, horror + fantasy, etc. Twists on retellings are also very fun!
TOP OF WISHLIST: Horror - please and thank you!
TOP OF WISHLIST: Romantasy - this is still a huge focus for me. Right now, editors are looking for ‘differentiation’ in a category that is still selling incredibly well. I’d love to see new worlds, new magic systems, slightly different plot structures. I’d love to see non-Western-inspired settings, magic, and belief systems.
Psychological and domestic suspense full of twists
Think: Lucy Foley, Vera Kurian, Andrea Bartz, May Cobb, Eliza Jane Brazier, Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, Jeneva Rose, Jessica Strawser
Murder mystery, cozy or traditional, contemporary or historical, serious or humorous, hijinks welcome and big family drama very welcome
Think: Louise Penny, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, Lucy Foley, Tana French, Before She Disappeared, Dial A for Aunties, Rhys Bowen, Knives Out, Only Murders in the Building
Fantasy - cozy with low stakes, high/epic, portal and romantasy
Think: Legends & Lattes, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Every Heart a Doorway, Sarah J Maass, Leigh Bardugo
Rom-coms and romance - in particular I’m interested in POC voices in romance, body-positive romance, LGBTQ+ romance, and adventure romance (think The Lost City). If you can give me a strong hook, an ‘impossible’ situation, and real, quirky characters I can root for, I’m sold.
Think: Tia Williams, Emily Henry, Angie Hockman
Women’s fiction: give me that heartfelt beach read. Bonus points for sister relationships, complex family dynamics, intergenerational tensions, and upmarket writing.
Sci fi - I don’t want my sci-fi cold; give me human connection, make me cry, give me that high concept worldbuilding and heartache that lasts for a week.
Think: This Is How You Lose the Time War
Speculative - give me speculative twists on rom-coms, thrillers, mysteries, etc. Give me time loops, robots, parallel worlds, fantastical creatures, etc. Give me a story rooted in the present that has that one, addictive speculative twist.
Think: The Rehearsals, Groundhog’s Day, Bone Gap, Stranger Things
In Adult Non-Fiction, Jenna is very open:
If you are an expert in your field, send me your proposal! I’d love to fall in love with your topic of choice through your concept and writing. Again, expertise is a must! I’m open widely to almost any topic right now, but if you’re dealing with death, medical gaslighting, chronic illness, women’s health, menopause, or gender and sexuality, that will definitely catch my eye!
Please only send memoir if you have a significant platform (recognized expertise in your field, or 100k followers combined across platforms)
The next big ex-evangelical voice, and both feminist and LGBTQ+ voices in the Christian context
Think: Rachel Held Evans, Matthew Vines, or Beth Allison Barr’s The Making of Biblical Womanhood
Spiritual deconstruction / reconstruction
Think: Kate Bowler’s Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I’ve Loved
Self-help from an “expert” millennial or Gen Z voice on topics such as divorce, sexuality, pregnancy, parenting
Books highlighting alternative approaches to death (living funerals, death doulas, at-home body care, etc.)
In Young Adult, she’s especially looking for:
Fantasy, cozy or epic, contemporary or infused with sci-fi
Think: Iron Widow, Only a Monster, Where Dreams Descend, Caraval, Sarah J. Maass, Girl of Fire and Thorns, Leigh Bardugo, Brigid Kemmerer’s A Curse So Dark and Lonely
Sci-fi that makes me feel as much as it makes me think; bonus if you can make me cry
Think: The Ones We’re Meant to Find
Thriller/suspense and mystery
Think: One of Us Is Lying, Come Find Me
Speculative
Think: The Grace Year
Atmospheric horror or extravagantly satirical horror
Think: House of Hollow, Wilder Girls, Bodies Bodies Bodies
In Middle Grade, she’s looking for:
TOP OF WISHLIST: Graphic Novel - author-illustrators (or author/illustrator collabs–this can be 2 different people!); fantasy or contemporary, serious or humorous. If my ten-year-old would love it, we’re on to something!
Think: Amulet, Smile, Drama, Roller Girl
Fantasy with series potential
Think: Chris Colfer, The School for Good and Evil, Wings of Fire
Contemporary stories that explore the multicultural / multilingual experience
Horror
Jenna is currently closed to Picture Books.
She is not currently looking for:
Picture books
Chapter books
Short story collections
Erotica
Military Science Fiction
Anything with child abuse or gruesome child death described in detail on the page (okay to refer to it as part of a character’s backstory, but I can’t take it on the page; exceptions made if you are Tana French)
Poetry or screen plays
Jenna only accepts queries through the Query Manager system. Please be prepared to include a query letter and the first 30 pages of your manuscript, or if you write non fiction, instead of 30 pages, please include your full proposal.
Nonfiction:
Essie White, Founder/Literary Agent
Essie White is CLOSED to submissions at this time.
Victoria Selvaggio, Owner/Literary Agent
Victoria Selvaggio is CLOSED to submissions at this time.
Heather Cashman, Senior Literary Agent/Agent Mentor
Heather Cashman is CLOSED to submissions at this time.
Heather Cashman will consider PB, MG, YA, and Adult fiction and nonfiction.
The world is so vast, and there are so many facets to the lives of people from the past, present, and future, and I would love to find books that explore currently untapped spaces while also inspiring us to seize the opportunities in our own lives and teaching us something new.
PICTURE BOOKS
I tend toward STEM picture books but love anything that’s written well. I enjoy lyrical writing and also love informational fiction that teaches children while also being fun and entertaining.
MIDDLE GRADE & YOUNG ADULT
Engaging, current, relevant, today’s MG and YA NF needs to be layered with information that’s presented in a way that’s easily digestible with an intriguing voice.
Proposals accepted with at least two sample chapters.
ADULT
As with fiction, I always love a unique premise written by an author with a robust platform who is an authority on what they’re writing about.
A couple of nonfiction books I’ve loved recently: The Creative Act by Rick Rubin, Atomic Habits by James Clear)
Proposals accepted with at least two sample chapters.
Lisa Amstutz is OPEN only to adult nonfiction and picture book author/illustrator submissions at this time.
Lisa only accepts queries through the link below and does not consider more than one project at a time.
She currently represents nonfiction for all ages (preschool–adult), picture book and middle grade fiction, and picture book author/illustrators. She loves books with heart; science, agricultural, and environmental topics; new insights on history, culture, or the arts; compelling characters and settings; humor; lyrical texts; and multicultural themes.
Lisa is not a good fit for dark or dystopian themes or graphic content. She is not acquiring YA or adult fiction at this time, but will consider books by existing clients.
Michelle Hauck, Literary Agent
Michelle Hauck is OPEN to submissions. She will be closing on March 28, 2025.
Please use her Query Manager: https://QueryManager.com/MichelleHauck. Queries sent by email will not be considered.
This time, Michelle will be accepting contemporary romance, romantasy, cozy fantasy, and horror in Young Adult. In Adult, she is looking for science fiction, horror, romantasy, and fantasy as well as mystery. She does not accept Adult romance, though she does love a romance subplot or romantasy.
In Adult mystery, she is not the best fit for true crime focused or police procedurals and legal mysteries. She prefers amateur sleuths and no PIs or police main characters.
Do not send queries for nonfiction, chapter books, early readers, short story collections, novellas, graphic novels, middle grade, or picture books at this time. Do not send queries for other genres of Young Adult beyond contemporary romance, romantasy, cozy fantasy, or horror.
Overall, Michelle likes positive, upbeat characters, quirky humor (or really any humor) and is always excited to see stories with diverse underrepresented voices (including and not limited to LGBTQA+, neurodiversity, BIPOC, Latinx, Indigenous People, and disability). Also she likes: Characters with deep character arcs, villains with complex motivations and layers, and stories set on secondary worlds or settings that are other than American or European.
She worked with neurodiverse students for many years and has a special place in her heart for stories in that area.
She tries to respond to requested material within three months, but you are welcome to nudge if she goes over four months.
You may submit to more than one agent at Storm, but only one at a time.
Michelle’s special wish list needs include:
-self-published creators of Adult fantasy, romantasy, or horror who want help exploiting their retained sub-rights.
-any speculative fiction with a murder mystery
-cozy fantasy or science fiction with romance
-Anything Queer and Trans in the genres she’s open to as well as any BIPOC
-romantasy with some spice, or that is more longing and angst than heat.
-YA sports romances
-horror with social commentary, rather than a slasher plot
-horror with romance
-Adult mystery set outside the U.S.
-Adult mystery with younger protagonists
Sheila Fernley, Associate Literary Agent
Sheila Fernley is closed to submissions at this time.
When Sheila opens, ONLY use QueryManager – https://querymanager.com/Sheila_Fernley for your submission. Queries sent by email or snail mail will not be read or considered. Only query one project at a time and please do not submit a query if the same project or a different project is currently submitted to another agent at Storm Literary Agency.
Currently, Sheila is seeking authors and author/illustrators—
· Picture books (fiction and nonfiction)
· MG (especially contemporary fiction, adventures, humor, fantasy – no dragons please)
· Diverse and underrepresented authors and author/illustrators
· Heartfelt or humorous stories
· Male protagonists
No rhyming picture books or YA at this time.
Sheila is not a good fit for adult fiction and adult nonfiction, horror, dark themes, violent content, dragons, or science fiction.
Please allow approximately two months for a query response and four months if a full-manuscript or more work is requested.
Jenna Satterthwaite, Associate Literary Agent
Jenna Satterthwaite is CLOSED to submissions at this time.
While Jenna is open to most genres, in particular, she would love to find the following.
In Adult Fiction, she’s especially looking for:
TOP OF WISHLIST: Upmarket and book club fiction - this is a huge focus for me right now! If you have a commercial plot + literary writing, PLEASE consider hitting send! I’d love to see books in this space that hit on current issues–the kind that book clubs would just HAVE to discuss.
Think: Lessons in Chemistry, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, Britt Marie Was Here, Great Kitchens of the Midwest, Taylor Jenkins Reid
TOP OF WISHLIST: Genre Blends - thriller + romance, horror + romance, horror + fantasy, etc. Twists on retellings are also very fun!
TOP OF WISHLIST: Horror - please and thank you!
TOP OF WISHLIST: Romantasy - this is still a huge focus for me. Right now, editors are looking for ‘differentiation’ in a category that is still selling incredibly well. I’d love to see new worlds, new magic systems, slightly different plot structures. I’d love to see non-Western-inspired settings, magic, and belief systems.
Psychological and domestic suspense full of twists
Think: Lucy Foley, Vera Kurian, Andrea Bartz, May Cobb, Eliza Jane Brazier, Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, Jeneva Rose, Jessica Strawser
Murder mystery, cozy or traditional, contemporary or historical, serious or humorous, hijinks welcome and big family drama very welcome
Think: Louise Penny, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, Lucy Foley, Tana French, Before She Disappeared, Dial A for Aunties, Rhys Bowen, Knives Out, Only Murders in the Building
Fantasy - cozy with low stakes, high/epic, portal and romantasy
Think: Legends & Lattes, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Every Heart a Doorway, Sarah J Maass, Leigh Bardugo
Rom-coms and romance - in particular I’m interested in POC voices in romance, body-positive romance, LGBTQ+ romance, and adventure romance (think The Lost City). If you can give me a strong hook, an ‘impossible’ situation, and real, quirky characters I can root for, I’m sold.
Think: Tia Williams, Emily Henry, Angie Hockman
Women’s fiction: give me that heartfelt beach read. Bonus points for sister relationships, complex family dynamics, intergenerational tensions, and upmarket writing.
Sci fi - I don’t want my sci-fi cold; give me human connection, make me cry, give me that high concept worldbuilding and heartache that lasts for a week.
Think: This Is How You Lose the Time War
Speculative - give me speculative twists on rom-coms, thrillers, mysteries, etc. Give me time loops, robots, parallel worlds, fantastical creatures, etc. Give me a story rooted in the present that has that one, addictive speculative twist.
Think: The Rehearsals, Groundhog’s Day, Bone Gap, Stranger Things
In Adult Non-Fiction, Jenna is very open:
If you are an expert in your field, send me your proposal! I’d love to fall in love with your topic of choice through your concept and writing. Again, expertise is a must! I’m open widely to almost any topic right now, but if you’re dealing with death, medical gaslighting, chronic illness, women’s health, menopause, or gender and sexuality, that will definitely catch my eye!
Please only send memoir if you have a significant platform (recognized expertise in your field, or 100k followers combined across platforms)
The next big ex-evangelical voice, and both feminist and LGBTQ+ voices in the Christian context
Think: Rachel Held Evans, Matthew Vines, or Beth Allison Barr’s The Making of Biblical Womanhood
Spiritual deconstruction / reconstruction
Think: Kate Bowler’s Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I’ve Loved
Self-help from an “expert” millennial or Gen Z voice on topics such as divorce, sexuality, pregnancy, parenting
Books highlighting alternative approaches to death (living funerals, death doulas, at-home body care, etc.)
In Young Adult, she’s especially looking for:
Fantasy, cozy or epic, contemporary or infused with sci-fi
Think: Iron Widow, Only a Monster, Where Dreams Descend, Caraval, Sarah J. Maass, Girl of Fire and Thorns, Leigh Bardugo, Brigid Kemmerer’s A Curse So Dark and Lonely
Sci-fi that makes me feel as much as it makes me think; bonus if you can make me cry
Think: The Ones We’re Meant to Find
Thriller/suspense and mystery
Think: One of Us Is Lying, Come Find Me
Speculative
Think: The Grace Year
Atmospheric horror or extravagantly satirical horror
Think: House of Hollow, Wilder Girls, Bodies Bodies Bodies
In Middle Grade, she’s looking for:
TOP OF WISHLIST: Graphic Novel - author-illustrators (or author/illustrator collabs–this can be 2 different people!); fantasy or contemporary, serious or humorous. If my ten-year-old would love it, we’re on to something!
Think: Amulet, Smile, Drama, Roller Girl
Fantasy with series potential
Think: Chris Colfer, The School for Good and Evil, Wings of Fire
Contemporary stories that explore the multicultural / multilingual experience
Horror
Jenna is currently closed to Picture Books.
She is not currently looking for:
Picture books
Chapter books
Short story collections
Erotica
Military Science Fiction
Anything with child abuse or gruesome child death described in detail on the page (okay to refer to it as part of a character’s backstory, but I can’t take it on the page; exceptions made if you are Tana French)
Poetry or screen plays
Jenna only accepts queries through the Query Manager system. Please be prepared to include a query letter and the first 30 pages of your manuscript, or if you write non fiction, instead of 30 pages, please include your full proposal.
For all submissions:
Please send only ONE project/proposal or manuscript (if requested) at a time. If we desire to read more work, we will request it. If we want to read the full manuscript of any submitted piece, we will request that as well. Please do not send additional work to us if we have passed on your original submission, unless requested to do so and/or if agent’s guidelines note different instructions.
Please submit to ONE agent at a time. If one agent passes you are welcome to query another agent but please advise if you’ve received a rejection for the project you are submitting.
All material should include a query letter with appropriate contact information.
For Illustrators:
We love art, almost as much as we love literature. If you would like us to consider your work, please send us an appropriate query including information about yourself, and your work, as well as a link to an online portfolio. No attachments please, though, unless requested.
Opting for snail mail?
If opting to mail material, please never send an original of anything. Due to the amount of submissions we receive, we are unable to return material.
Make a note of our new PO Box:
Storm Literary Agency
PO Box 640
Twinsburg, OH 44087
USA
