Two Agent Opportunities

Jennifer Mattson comes to Andrea Brown Literary Agency after  nearly five years of reviewing children’s literature as part of the Books for Youth staff of Booklist magazine. That adds up to close readings of around 1,000 books, lending Jennifer a wide-angle view of the tastes of individual houses.

Prior to Booklist, Jennifer was an Associate Editor at Dutton Children’s Books, where she acquired and edited titles that included CHICO, by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor; and THE HEROIC ADVENTURES OF HERCULES AMSTERDAM, by Melissa Glenn Haber.

In the picture-book arena, Jennifer is interested in authors and author-illustrators who bring a distinctive, well-developed point of view to their work; at this time, she is not acquiring illustration-only clients. She loves picture books that are story time-ready stories (no one-joke tales or mood pieces) that resonate with universal childhood experiences and concerns; fables and folktales aren’t for her.

For the older set, she is drawn to richly imagined fantasies that depart from old-hat heroic quests (alternate realities, magical realism, and steam-punk are all styles/premises to have recently caught her notice). She has a special interest in dystopian fiction for middle graders and in sprawling, atmospheric tales with Dickensian twists and satisfying puzzles. But as much as high-concept novels pique her interest, the most mind-blowing premise can’t hide a flat narrative that rarely reaches for unexpected descriptions, fully fleshed characterizations, or a zinging narrative voice.

Jennifer Mattson
Associate Agent
jmatt@andreabrownlit.com
Representative Deals

Marie Lamba is now an assistant literary agent for the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency in New York.

As an agent, Marie is currently 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. She is NOT interested in picture books, science fiction or high fantasy (though she is open to paranormal elements), category romance  (though romantic elements are welcomed), non-fiction, or in books that  feature graphic violence.

Some recently favorite titles on her shelf include Searching for Caleb by Anne Tyler, Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, Paper Towns by John Green, The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffeneger, Twenties Girl by Sophia Kinsella, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gayman, Shug by Jenny Han, and Doing It by Melvin Burgess.  She also admits to watching many many chick flicks.

To contact her, send query letters only to marie.jdlit@gmail.com .

…So Marie says, “if you have something that you think I’d be interested in, please do  send your query letter to the above email.  I ask that you use only this email to contact me in my agent capacity. To keep things sane, I will  not respond to unsolicited manuscripts or to queries that come to me via other avenues, including other email addresses, social media venues,  etc.”

Strike while the iron is hot.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy