Agent Shannon Hassan – Marsal Lyon Literary

Shannon Hassan is an agent at Marsal Lyon Literary representing authors of accessible literary and commercial fiction, young adult and middle grade fiction, and narrative nonfiction.  In general I look for fresh voices, compelling characters, and crisp prose.

Currently on my wish list:

For kids:

On the kid-lit side, I represent MG and YA and am open to a range of stories as long as they have authentic, memorable characters:

• Contemporary stories with humor and heart.
• Graphic novels in the vein of El Deafo or This One Summer.
• Diverse and #ownvoices stories.
• Adventures, thrillers and mysteries.
• STEM/STEAM tie-ins.
• Magical realism or “light” fantasy (with one foot grounded in reality).
• Page-turning historicals.

For adults:

• “Book Club” reads that hit the sweet spot between literary and commercial and stimulate discussion.
• Upmarket women’s fiction with a big hook, especially suspense, issue-driven, or humorous.
• Multicultural stories. Immigrant stories.
• Historical fiction of all stripes, especially if offering a new perspective, or even a genre twist.
• Literary and upmarket thrillers that are not espionage-based.
• Exceptional non-fiction narratives from authors with strong platforms.
• Stories of the American West.

Submission Guidelines

Submissions should be emailed to shannon@marsallyonliteraryagency.com

Query letter + up to 10 pages, by email only please.

More about Shannon:

Shannon Hassan brings a depth of business and editorial experience to her role as agent, having worked in publishing and law for more than a decade.  She represents authors of literary and commercial fiction, young adult and middle grade fiction, and select nonfiction.  With respect to fiction, she is drawn to fresh voices, compelling characters, and crisp prose, and enjoys both contemporary and historical settings.  For nonfiction, she is interested in exceptional narratives from authors with strong platforms. Based in Boulder, Colorado, she is also eager to hear from authors with a unique perspective on the West.

A sample of books Shannon has represented: THE MASK COLLECTORS, a literary thriller by Iowa Short Fiction Award-winner Ruvanee Vilhauer (Little A), INSIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF A CACTUS, an award-winning middle grade series by Dusti Bowling (Sterling), DIE YOUNG WITH ME, an ALA award-winning memoir by Rob Rufus (Simon & Schuster), THE MOON IN THE PALACE, a RITA-award winning historical series by Weina Dai Randel (Sourcebooks), THE WORLD’S GREATEST ADVENTURE MACHINE, a middle grade adventure by Frank L. Cole (Penguin Random House), GIRLS ON THE LINE, a multicultural young adult novel by Jennie Liu (Lerner), THE SILENCE BETWEEN US, a young adult contemporary by Alison Gervais (HarperCollins), and FRÄULEIN M., a historical novel by Caroline Woods (Simon & Schuster).

Before becoming an agent, she was the Acquisitions Editor at Fulcrum Publishing, and prior to that, a corporate attorney at Arnold & Porter in New York. She received her JD from Harvard and her BA from George Washington University, and she serves on the board of The Dairy Arts Center.

Follow Shannon on Twitter: @ShannonHassan.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy