Caryn Karmatz Rudy joined DeFiore and Company in the fall of 2010.

Prior to becoming a literary agent, Caryn spent seventeen years as an editor of both fiction and nonfiction for Warner Books/Grand Central Publishing. Her experience on the other side of the publishing desk has armed her with invaluable insight into the hurdles editors face throughout the entire publishing process from the book's initial acquisition to the marketing, publicity and sales vital to ensuring strong sales...and she believes falling shamelessly in love with a book is the ultimate weapon in any agent's arsenal.

Caryn graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and currently sits on the Board of Kelly Writers House.

Joshilyn Jackson’s MISSING SISTER, WITH MY LITTLE EYE, MOTHER MAY I, and NEVER HAVE I EVER (William Morrow)

KJ Dell’Antonia’s PLAYING THE WITCH CARD, IN HER BOOTS, and THE CHICKEN SISTERS (Putnam)

Sarah Callender's LUCY IN BETWEEN (Holiday House)

Kathleen Donohoe’s GHOSTS OF THE MISSING (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) and ASHES OF FIERY WEATHER (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Andy Abramowitz’s DARLING AT THE CAMPSITE, A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO FREE FALL (Lake Union) and THANK YOU, GOODNIGHT (Touchstone/S&S)

Lydia Netzer's SHINE, SHINE, SHINE (St. Martin's Press) and HOW TO TELL TOLEDO FROM THE NIGHT SKY (St. Martin's Press)

Bonnie J. Rough’s BEYOND BIRDS AND BEES: Bringing Home A New Message to Our Kids About Sex, Love, and Equality (Seal Press)

Amy Bloch’s THE POWER OF HEART: When and How to Get Out of Your Brain (St. Martin’s Press)

Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider's NOT YOUR MOTHER'S RULES: Dating Secrets for Texting, Booty Calls, and Everything Else! (Grand Central Publishing)

Dallas Shaw, THE WAY SHE WEARS IT (William Morrow)

David Siik's THE ULTIMATE TREADMILL WORKOUT (Adams Media)

Laura Williams' AVAILABLE (Borough Press/HarperCollins)

I gravitate towards fiction with memorable characters, captivating voices, and original plotting, and I relish a great page-turner as much as a literary masterpiece. I am intrigued by a wide range of nonfiction, from narrative to practical, especially focusing on lifestyle, parenting, women's issues, and memoirs that exhibit quirky perspectives. In both fiction and nonfiction, if you can make me laugh, you've won half the battle. I don't work with science fiction, horror, romance, or paranormal novels.

Please email at Caryn@defliterary.com, using the word "Query" and your book's title in the subject line. Please include a brief, compelling description of the book in the email, along with a short bio, and for fiction and memoir, please include the first five pages of the manuscript in the body of the email. Attachments will not be opened unless I have requested them.

Caryn Karmatz Rudy

Brian DeFiore began his career in publishing as an editor at St. Martin's Press, and spent several years on the editorial side of publishing, rising through jobs at Dell Publishing, Delacorte Press, William Morrow, as Editor-in-Chief of Hyperion and Publisher of the Villard Books division of Random House.

Some of the authors Brian worked with as an editor and publisher include Ridley Pearson, T. Jefferson Parker, James Lee Burke, Ken Follett, Daniel Silva, Eve Ensler, Jon Krakauer, Leonard Nimoy, Jesse Green, Roger Kahn, M. Scott Peck and Bill Carter.

He started the agency in 1999 and has worked with a select list of exceptional authors and creators, while carefully building the agency with the addition of brilliant and collaborative agents and staff.  He has served on the Board of Directors of the Association of American Literary Agents, as the Chair of their Media and Digital Innovations Committee, and on the faculty of The Center for Publishing at New York University.

Brandon Stanton (DEAR NEW YORK, HUMANS OF NEW YORK)

Frank Warren (POST SECRET, A LIFETIME OF SECRETS)

Dr. Neal Barnard (THE POWER FOODS DIET, YOUR BODY IN BALANCE)

Jay Heinrichs (ARISTOTLE’S GUIDE TO SELF-PERSUASION, THANK YOU FOR ARGUING)

Mihaela Noroc (THE ATLAS OF BEAUTY, THE POWER OF WOMEN)

Dr. Scott Sells (PARENTING YOUR OUT-OF-CONTROL TEENAGER)

Bobby and Cheryl Love (THE REDEMPTION OF BOBBY LOVE)

Joel Fuhrman (EAT FOR LIFE, THE END OF DIETING)

Jill Schlesinger (THE GREAT MONEY RESET, THE DUMB THINGS SMART PEOPLE DO WITH THEIR MONEY)

Tom Ryan (WILL’S RED COAT, FOLLOWING ATTICUS)

Louis Zamperini and David Rensin (DON'T GIVE UP, DON'T GIVE IN)

David Rensin (ALL FOR A FEW PERFECT WAVES; THE MAILROOM)

Bill Shapiro (OTHER PEOPLE'S LOVE LETTERS)

Richard Yancey (CONFESSIONS OF A TAX COLLECTOR)

Rick Yancey (THE 5TH WAVE, THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ALFRED KROPP; THE MONSTRUMOLOGIST, THE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE DETECTIVE)

Jake Wolff (THE STUTTERING KITCHENS, THE HISTORY OF LIVING FOREVER)

Benjamin Hale (THE FAT ARTIST AND OTHER STORIES, THE EVOLUTION OF BRUNO LITTLEMORE)

My tastes are eclectic, and I tend to respond favorably to projects of any sort if they demonstrate a real storytelling talent. And to me, that means a combination of strong narrative drive and mastery of voice which leads the reader seamlessly into the author's realm and won't let him leave without a fight. It's not easy to do, and not easy to describe. But when it's there, it's hard to miss. That said, the areas I tend to respond more favorably to in non-fiction are memoir, popular culture, pop science, sports, self/help and inspiration, cookbooks, humor and lifestyle. In fiction: not romance or western. But all other sorts of novels that meet the criteria for 'storytelling talent' for both adult and young adult readers.

Send a persuasive e-mail to Querybrian@defliterary.com.

a BRIEF description of the book's contents

anything about your life experiences that will make readers take notice

most importantly: a level of creativity, confidence, and precision in the prose that will make me want to read several hundred more pages written by you…

Brian DeFiore

Hannah Schwartz joined DeFiore & Company as the business manager in 2026, as part of the merger with the Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency. She was the business manager at SKLA for a decade and began her career at InkWell Management, where she worked for four years. A Long Island native, Hannah left New York to earn her degree in English Literature, Writing and Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. She moved to Brooklyn in 2011 and still lives there with her husband and son.

Hannah Schwartz

Business Manager

Mackenzie began her career in publishing in 2010 and spent 10 years at Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency before it merged with DeFiore & Co in 2026. Her clients have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List, and frequently win or are finalists for some of publishing’s highest honors, such as the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the NBCC Award, ALA Carnegie Medal, various PEN awards, and the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize.

She is actively looking for compelling, deeply researched narrative non-fiction that guides readers toward a better understanding of the societal forces and systems that shape their lives, whether it takes the form of "big idea" books, literary journalism, feminist history, science, or cultural criticism. 

On the fiction side, she is interested in stories that are deeply rooted in place (especially if that place is Maine), examine the formative relationships (romantic or platonic) of youth or the lives we could’ve led. She’s also hungry for literary mystery, a juicy love triangle, and anything that can make her laugh. 

In addition to being an agent, she is also a Founding Board Member of the 501(c)(3) non-profit INKLUDED, whose mission is to make the publishing industry more accessible and inclusive.

Please send your query letter and either your full proposal (for non-fiction) or 20 pages of your manuscript (for fiction/poetry) in the body of an email addressed to mbwquery@skagency.com. Please also disclose the nature of any AI use in your initial query. Mackenzie aims to read all queries within two weeks. If at any point you receive an offer of representation, please let Mackenzie know. Unfortunately, due to the volume of queries she receives, she will be in touch only if she’s interested in reading more material.

SEPARATE ACCOUNTS

I AM ENHEDUANNA

OPTIMIST ECONOMY

MEN TOO

THERE IS ENOUGH

Mackenzie Brady Watson

Matthew Elblonk joined DeFiore and Company in 2010. He currently represents writers in the world of music, pop culture, narrative non-fiction, food, young adult, literary fiction and humor. Interests also include science and any authors with great ideas and an equally strong platform. He tends to have a soft spot for all Beatle related projects. He is currently not considering any poetry or genre fiction.

Curtis Armstrong - REVENGE OF THE NERD: Or...The Singular Adventures Of The Man Who Would Be Booger (Thomas Dunne Books)

Paul Brannigan and Ian Winwood - BIRTH SCHOOL METALLICA DEATH (Da Capo)

Rex Brown - OFFICIAL TRUTH, 101 PROOF: The Inside Story of Pantera (Da Capo)

Leslie Bruce - YOU ARE A F*CKING AWESOME MOM (Seal Press)

Jason Feifer - BUILD FOR TOMORROW (Harmony)

Peter Hook - UNKNOWN PLEASURES: Inside Joy Division (It Books); THE HACIENDA (It Books); SUBSTANCE: Inside New Order (Dey Street Books)

Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair - MCCARTNEY LEGACY VOL. 1 (Dey Street Books)

Holly Madison - DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE (Dey Street Books); THE VEGAS DIARIES (Dey Street Books)

Ralph Macchio - WAXING ON: The Karate Kid and Me (Dutton)

Matthew McConaughey - GREENLIGHTS: Your Journal, Your Journey (Clarkson Potter)

John Pring and Rob Thomas - VISUALIZING THE BEATLES (Dey Street Books)

Paul Rees - ROBERT PLANT: A LIFE (It Books)

Rob Sheffield - HEARTBREAK IS THE NATIONAL ANTHEM (Dey Street Books)

Alison Sweeney - THE STAR ATTRACTION (Hachette Books); SCARED SCRIPTLESS (Hachette Books); OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS (Hachette Books)

Bryan & Michael Voltaggio, VOLT INK. (Olive Press) and HOME, by Brian Voltaggio (Little, Brown)

Kenneth Womack - MAL EVANS BIOGRAPHY (Dey Street Books); MAL EVANS ARCHIVE (Dey Street Books)

Katie Alender - BAD GIRLS DON’T DIE Series (Hyperion); MARIE ANTOINETTE, SERIAL KILLER (Scholastic); THE DEAD GIRLS OF HYSTERIA HALL (Scholastic); THE COMPANION (G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers)

Lauren Conrad - LA CANDY Series (HarperCollins); THE FAME GAME Series (HarperCollins); Lauren Conrad STYLE (HarperCollins); Lauren Conrad BEAUTY (HarperCollins); Lauren Conrad CELEBRATE (HarperCollins)

Hena Khan - AMINA’S VOICE (Salaam Reads); AMINA'S SONG (Salaam Reads); ZARA'S RULES FOR RECORD-BREAKING FUN (Salaam Reads); UNDER MY HIJAB (Lee & Low Books); THE MAIN EVENT (Little Brown Books for Young Readers)

Matthew McConaughey - JUST BECAUSE (Viking Books for Young Readers)

Jeffrey Michael Ruby - PENELOPE MARCH IS MELTING (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)

Lauren Shippen - THE INFINITE NOISE (Tor Teen); A NEON DARKNESS (Tor Teen); SOME FARAWAY PLACE (Tor Teen)

Bella Thorne - AUTUMN FALLS Series (Ember)

Kristina Webb - COLOR ME CREATIVE: Unlock Your Imagination (HarperCollins); COLOR ME INSPIRED (HarperCollins)

Matthew Elblonk

Elise represents writers and illustrators of fiction and non-fiction for young and adult readers, and is especially drawn to immersive storytelling, rich world-building, and illumination of landscapes known and unknown, including novels, graphic novels, and picture books. She’s also drawn to eye-opening narrative non-fiction, particularly stories of the natural world, and of people and events previously unknown, overlooked, or marginalized.

Prior to joining DeFiore and Company, Elise was a longtime editor and publisher. Books she edited have won the Newbery Medal twice, the Edgar Allen Poe Award for best juvenile novel twice, and many other awards and honors.

Elise is not looking for adult genre fiction. 

Please note that Elise is currently closed to queries apart from referrals.

Elise Howard

Miriam Altshuler began her career at Russell & Volkening, where she worked for twelve years with such writers as Anne Tyler, Eudora Welty, Joseph Campbell, Nadine Gordimer, and Bernard Malamud. In 1994 she established her own agency, which she ran for twenty-one years until she joined DeFiore and Company in 2016.

Miriam specializes in adult literary and book club fiction, narrative nonfiction, and books for children. She is particularly interested in finding emerging and underrepresented voices, and she loves reading and representing books that focus on diversity and explore the experiences of BIPOC people.

First and foremost, she responds to voice and stories that are character-driven. She searches for books that draw her in and give her a new perspective on a world she doesn’t know, or make her think more deeply about a world she does know. Miriam seeks books with a heart and writers with wonderful storytelling abilities.

In fiction, she is most interested in family sagas, historical novels, and stories that offer a new twist or retelling of some kind. She does not work with adult romance, sci fi, or fantasy.

In nonfiction, she loves memoir, narrative nonfiction, and self-help (as long as it is not highly prescriptive). She particularly responds to books that have an important cultural, social, or psychological focus.

For children’s books, she focuses primarily on YA and middle grade, and her tastes vary broadly in those areas. It always comes back to the voice and the heart of a story for her.

Leila Philip (BEAVERLAND: How One Weird Rodent Made America)

Elizabeth Rosner (SURVIVOR CAFÉ: The Legacy of Trauma and the Labyrinth of Memory; THIRD EAR: Reflections on the Art and Science of Listening)

Karleigh Frisbie Brogan (HOLDING: A Memoir About Mothers, Drugs, and Other Comforts)

Barbara Becker (HEARTWOOD: The Art of Living with the End in Mind)

Marja Mills (New York Times bestselling THE MOCKINGBIRD NEXT DOOR: Life With Harper Lee)

Wednesday Martin (New York Times bestselling PRIMATES OF PARK AVENUE: A Memoir)

Dr. Sue Johnson (HOLD ME TIGHT: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love; LOVE SENSE: The Revolutionary New Science of Romantic Relationships; CREATED FOR CONNECTION: The "Hold Me Tight" Guide for Christian Couples)

Harriet Brown (SHADOW DAUGHTER: A Memoir of Estrangement and Reckoning; BODY OF TRUTH: Change Your Life by Changing the Way You Think About Weight and Health; BRAVE GIRL EATING: A Family's Struggle With Anorexia)

Donna Freitas (CONSENT: A Memoir of Unwanted Attention; CONSENT ON CAMPUS: A Manifesto; THE HAPPINESS EFFECT: How Social Media is Driving a Generation to Appear Perfect at Any Cost; THE END OF SEX: How Hookup Culture is Leaving a Generation Unhappy, Sexually Unfulfilled, and Confused About Intimacy; SEX & THE SOUL: Juggling Sexuality, Spirituality, Romance, and Religion on America’s College Campuses)

Arlene Stein (UNBOUND: Transgender Men and the Remaking of Identity)

Dr. Molly Millwood (TO HAVE AND TO HOLD: Motherhood, Marriage, and the Modern Dilemma)

Andrew Carroll (MY FELLOW SOLDIERS: General John Pershing and the Americans Who Helped Win the Great War; New York Times bestselling WAR LETTERS: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars; HERE IS WHERE: Discovering America's Great Forgotten History; OPERATION HOMECOMING; BEHIND THE LINES)

Dr. Craig Malkin (RETHINKING NARCISSISM: The Bad--and Surprising Good--About Feeling Special)

Adina Hoffman (BEN HECHT: Fighting Words, Moving Pictures; TILL WE HAVE BUILT JERUSALEM: Architects of a New City; SACRED TRASH: The Lost and Found World of the Cairo Geniza; MY HAPPINESS BEARS NO RELATION TO HAPPINESS: A Poet's Life in the Palestinian Century)

Phil Zuckerman (WHAT IT MEANS TO BE MORAL; LIVING THE SECULAR LIFE: New Answers to Old Questions)

Maya Shanbhag Lang (WHAT WE CARRY: A Memoir)

Jill Santopolo (New York Times bestselling and Reese's Book Club pick THE LIGHT WE LOST; MORE THAN WORDS; EVERYTHING AFTER; THE LOVE WE FOUND; STARS IN AN ITALIAN SKY)

B.S. Shapiro (THE LOST MASTERPIECE; THE ART FORGER)

Jennifer Murphy (SCARLET IN BLUE; THE GHOST WOMEN)

Donna Freitas (THE NINE LIVES OF ROSE NAPOLITANO)

Robb Forman Dew (National Book Award winner DALE LOVES SOPHIE TO DEATH; THE EVIDENCE AGAINST HER; THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER; BEING POLITE TO HITLER)

Maya Shanbhag Lang (THE SIXTEENTH OF JUNE)

Walter Dean Myers, former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature (MONSTER; FALLEN ANGELS; SUNRISE OVER FALLUJAH; ON A CLEAR DAY; DARIUS & TWIG; BAD BOY; HANDBOOK FOR BOYS; GAME; WE ARE AMERICA; FREDERICK DOUGLASS)

Leslie Connor (THE TRUTH AS TOLD BY MASON BUTTLE; A HOME FOR GODDESSES AND DOGS; ANYBODY HERE SEEN FRENCHIE?)

Ted Sanders (The Keepers series: THE BOX AND THE DRAGONFLY, THE HARP AND THE RAVENVINE, THE PORTAL AND THE VEIL, THE STARLIT FORGE)

Donna Freitas (THE HEALER; UNPLUGGED; THE BODY MARKET; THE MIND VIRUS; THE TENDERNESS OF THIEVES; THE SURVIVAL KIT; THE POSSIBILITIES OF SAINTHOOD; THIS GORGEOUS GAME; GOLD MEDAL SUMMER; GOLD MEDAL WINTER)

Tod Olson (LOST series: LOST IN THE PACIFIC, LOST IN OUTER SPACE, LOST IN THE AMAZON; LOST IN THE ANTARCTIC; INTO THE CLOUDS: The Race to Climb the World's Most Dangerous Mountain)

Alex Sanchez (YOU BROUGHT ME THE OCEAN; THE GREATEST SUPERPOWER; RAINBOW BOYS, RAINBOW HIGH, and RAINBOW ROAD; GIRLFRIENDS WITH BOYFRIENDS; BAIT; THE GOD BOX; SO HARD TO SAY)

Charles R. Smith (28 DAYS: Moments in Black History That Changed the World; BRICK BY BRICK; I AM THE WORLD)

Jill Santopolo (SPARKLE SPA series; CAN YOU GROW A STRIPED BANANA?)

Christine Kendall (RIDING CHANCE; THE TRUE DEFINITION OF NEVA BEANE)

PLEASE NOTE: For all subsidiary rights and permission inquiries, please contact Miriam at miriam@defliterary.com

For all manuscript queries, please send an email to her at querymiriam@defliterary.com. Miriam only accepts email queries. Include the following:

The first chapter pasted in the body of your email. Attachments will not be opened.

I also really want to know what you feel the heart of your book is, in one or two sentences.

Miriam Altshuler

Tanusri represents writers in the children’s and adult spaces across fiction and nonfiction. In the YA and middle-grade spaces, she’s drawn to contemporary coming-of-age stories, charming and relatable romances, ambitious world-building fantasies, and well-plotted, voice-driven suspense. She’s a fan of stories set in schools or interesting neighborhoods, told from fresh viewpoints. For picture books, Tanusri’s list includes meaningful and lyrical stories as well as books that bring alive the wonder and complexity of our world with humor and heart. She’s also interested in select nonfiction that excites the imagination and curiosity of young readers. In adult fiction, she’s drawn to literary suspense and multi-generational family sagas. Diverse perspectives, contexts, and storytelling styles are always welcome. She also looks for select accessible and wide-reaching nonfiction that helps make sense of our times. Originally from India, Tanusri lived in London for a few years before putting down roots in NYC. She is a graduate of the National Law School of India, holds an LLM from Harvard Law School and a PhD from Oxford University.

Huda Al-Marashi - HAIL MARIAM (Kokila, Penguin)

Deepa Iyer - WE ARE THE BUILDERS (S&S BFYR)

Natasha Khan Kazi - MOON’S RAMADAN, SUN’S EID (forthcoming Versify, Harper); BELA AND LILY (Kokila, Penguin)

Hope Lim - MOMMY’S HOMETOWN, I AM A BIRD, AT THE WINDOW (Candlewick); SOURGRASS (Beachlane, S&S)

Qasim Rashid - HANNAH AND THE RAMADAN GIFT (Viking, Penguin)

Anitha Rao-Robinson- SARI SISTERS, illustrated by Anoosha Syed, MUSIC OF THE BELLS, illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat (Viking, Penguin)

Simran Jeet Singh - FAUJA SINGH KEEPS GOING, A VAISAKHI TO REMEMBER, WE BELONG TO THE WORLD (forthcoming) (Viking, Penguin)

Kevin Christopher Snipes - MILO AND MARCOS AT THE END OF THE WORLD, DON’T LET ME GO (Harper Teen)

Deepa Iyer – SOCIAL CHANGE NOW (Skinner Press)

Meghana Mysore – LET ALL OUR GHOSTS DEPART (Forthcoming WVU Press)

Simran Jeet Singh -THE LIGHT WE GIVE: The Power of Sikh Wisdom to Transform our Life (Riverhead, Penguin); DAILY WONDERS: Finding Grace, Solace, and Joy in Everyday Moments (forthcoming Riverhead, Penguin); SIKHS AND SIKHISM (forthcoming OUP); REMEMBERING GURU NANAK (forthcoming Princeton Univ. Press)

You can query Tanusri at tpsubmissions@defliterary.com. For adult fiction and YA/MG projects, please provide a concise pitch, bio, and short synopsis, and include the first 5 pages of the manuscript in the body of the email. For picture books, please include the entire text in the body of your email, and for an illustrated project, please attach sample illustrations in pdf format and links to your portfolio.  

Tanusri Prasanna

Barbara Jones worked as an editor for more than thirty years, first in magazines (Harper’s Magazine, Vogue, More Magazine) then in books (as editorial director at Hyperion Books and executive editor at Henry Holt). Some of the writers she worked in magazines include Jennifer Egan, Elizabeth Gilbert, Christopher Hitchens, Jean Korelitz, Lorrie Moore, Ann Patchett and Francine Prose. As a book editor, she edited and published national and New York Times bestsellers as well as national and international prizewinning titles by authors such as Luvvie Ajayi, Paul Auster, Dan Chaon, Susan Choi, Kelly Corrigan, Chitra Divakaruni, Sebastian Faulks, Lauren Groff, Janice Hadlow, Lillian Li, Julie Lythcott-Haims, Rick Moody, Rachel Khong, Lauren Francis-Sharma and many others.

As an agent, she represents an eclectic list of literary and upmarket fiction and nonfiction titles, with a special interest in voices from underrepresented communities. In 2021, she joined the Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency, which merged with Defiore and Company in 2026. Her clients include Mohammed Naseehu Ali, Kate Axelrod, Charles Bock, J.J. Duncan, Elizabeth Ferris, Rafael Frumkin, Tali Gumbiner, Tiffany Hanssen, Julia Harrell, Danielle Lazarin, Lisa Lindsay, Isaac Oliver, The Swans of Harlem and Anastasia Taylor-Lind among others. For more than thirty years, Barbara has also led writing workshops—at New York University, Queens University of Charlotte, Yale University and elsewhere.

CHARLOTTE: A Novel of Jane Eyre, Elizabeth Ferris (Forthcoming -- William Morrow)

THE SWANS OF HARLEM: Five Black Ballerinas Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and the Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History Karen Valby (Pantheon)

MY NAME WAS GERRY SASS, Tiffany Hanssen (Atlantic Crime)

I WILL DO BETTER, A Memoir, Charles Bock (Abrams Books)

CONFIDENCE and BUGSY: And Other Stories, Raf Frumkin (Simon & Schuster)

HOW TO GET ALONG WITHOUT ME, Kate Axelrod (Clash Books)

I have eclectic taste but always appreciate books written with respect for and generosity toward readers, books that reward rereading, and books that hum with a sense that the writer has something urgent—be it marvelous, terrifying or both—to show the reader for the reader's sake. (Even memoirs are not about the memoirist but are for and about the reader.)

Please note: Except for those with whom I have previously spoken about querying, I am closed to queries from August 17-November 15, 2026. 

Please send a query letter that includes, a brief bit of info about your project; a brief, relevant bio, and the first ten pages of your manuscript or proposal (dropped into the body of an email, not as an attachment). If you have used AI in any way to prepare your writing for submission, please disclose that with your query. If you don’t hear anything at all from me within two months, you can assume that I have passed up the opportunity to engage with your work as an agent.

Barbara Jones

Stuart Krichevsky began his career as a part-time mail clerk at The Sterling Lord Agency (later, Sterling Lord Literistic) where he eventually became an agent. In 1995, he founded the Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency, and served as its President until 2026, when he and his colleagues at SKLA joined forces with DeFiore and Company.  His list reflects a love of literary non-fiction and narrative journalism, and includes works of history, books about the natural world, adventure narrative, and literary memoir.  He also represents authors of commercial fiction. He has represented dozens of New York Times Bestsellers, and his clients have been recipients of many literary awards, including the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize, among others.  He is married with two adult children, is an avid road cyclist, and enjoys working with debut authors as well as his long-term clients.

ROAD TRIP by Mary Kay Andrews, a New York Times Bestseller

THE LOST CITIES OF EL NORTE by Peter Stark

THE ART THIEF by Michael Finkel, a New York Times Bestseller

FIRE WEATHER by John Vaillant, Winner of the Baillie-Gifford Prize, Finalist for the National Book Award, Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize

IN MY TIME OF DYING by Sebastian Junger, a New York Times Bestseller

TRIBE by Sebastian Junger, a New York Times Bestseller

SUMMERS AT THE SAINT by Mary Kay Andrews, a New York Times Bestseller

THE PERFECT STORM

IN THE HEART OF THE SEA

MAYFLOWER

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

ALONE ON THE WALL

THE STRANGER IN THE WOODS

THE GUN

THE FUTURE OF THE MIND

QUANTUM SUPREMACY

SO WE READ ON

TRIBE

Stuart Krichevsky

Laura Usselman represents narrative and idea-driven nonfiction and select literary fiction. Her clients include national bestsellers, Pulitzer finalists, and winners of the Whiting, Gerald Loeb and National Magazine Awards. 

Laura’s favorite novels are written in distinctive prose and have memorable characters at their heart. She is forever on the hunt for fiction that broadens or deepens her understanding of what it means to be a person, and she relishes a place or a character that will remain real to her for a long time. Some of her favorite novelists working today include Kate Atkinson, Hernan Diaz, Rachel Kushner, Chang-Rae Lee, Marilynne Robinson, Junot Diaz, and Jesmyn Ward. 

In nonfiction, she is particularly on the hunt for striking and original literary nonfiction; deeply reported journalism, especially from the worlds of tech and business; immersive narrative history that illuminates our present moment; and smart cultural criticism that provides a new perspective on film, music, art, or sports. She is always drawn to writers who have an obsession with their subject and a love of language. 

Before becoming an agent, Laura earned her MFA in Fiction at Virginia Tech and worked at Cambridge University Press. She enjoys native plant gardening, cooking, and being outdoors. A native of Atlanta and an alum of the University of Georgia, she lives with her spouse and her three daughters in Decatur, Georgia.

Please send a query letter and the first ten pages of your manuscript or proposal, pasted into the body of the email, to laura.query@defliterary.com. No attachments please. I generally read all queries within two weeks of receipt. I regret that due to the volume of queries received, I will respond only if I am interested in seeing more material.

Please let me know if you’ve used any AI tools in the research or organization of your manuscript or proposal. If you use AI for writing or editing, I respectfully ask that you query another agent.

THE HOUSEWIVES UNDERGROUND: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the JFK Assassination Our Most Enduring Mystery

THE SERPENT AND THE SOUTH

YOU CAN’T SEE ME

THE IMMORTAL WOMB

SHELTER

Laura Usselman

Aemilia Phillips is a literary agent representing a range of fiction and non-fiction writers, including a National Book Award nominee, PEN America finalist, Pulitzer winning journalist, and more.

She’s excited to work with writers who push boundaries to address social justice issues. A dual Mexican American citizen with interests in narrative non-fiction, hybrid memoir, commercial and literary fiction, and select poetry and self-help, she looks for diverse writing with an impactful story to tell.

For non-fiction, Aemilia is looking for obsessed writers who challenge the way we think about the world. She loves character driven projects that at first glance appear to be commercial, but that are also smart cultural critiques. She’s fascinated by complex fictional characters who upend preconceptions, and stories with just a touch of magic, magical realism, and speculative elements.

Aemila began her publishing career at Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency in 2016, and joined DeFiore & Co a decade later in 2026. In addition to her work as an agent, Aemilia is a board member and the Communications Director of La Unidad Latina Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of Latinx education. She graduated from Harvard University with honors, and completed the Columbia University Publishing Course. She lives in Manhattan, and is an avid New York sports fan.

Ruben Reyes Jr. (THERE IS A RIO GRANDE IN HEAVEN, Mariner. ARCHIVE OF UNKNOWN UNIVERSES, Mariner.) 

Lizz Huerta (THE LOST DREAMER, FSG Children's)

Sarah Weinman (WITHOUT CONSENT, Ecco. EVIDENCE OF THINGS SEEN, Ecco. 

Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez (FOR BROWN GIRLS WITH SHARP EDGES AND TENDER HEARTS Seal Press. TIAS AND PRIMAS, Seal Press) 

Christina Wilcox (TAKE CARE OF YOUR TYPE Tiller. TAKE CARE OF YOUR FRIENDS, Andrews McMeel)

Gabriel Dozal (THE BORDER SIMULATOR, One World)

Please send a query letter and the first ten to fifteen pages of your manuscript or proposal, pasted into the body of an email, to aemilia.query@defliterary.com. No attachments will be opened. Please let her know if you’ve used any AI tools in the research or organization of your manuscript. If you use AI for writing or editing, she respectfully asks that you query elsewhere. Due to the number of submissions she receives, Aemilia will be in touch only if she’s interest in reading more material.