Books Alive 2014 Agent Listing
Books Alive! 2014 conference attendees will have the chance to meet with three literary agents throughout the day. Here is a list of the agents that will be in attendance. When you register, please select your 4 top choices of agents you would like to speak with.
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Agents in Attendance:
Helen Zimmermann
Sorche Fairbank
Paul S. Levine
Roger Williams
Regina Ryan
Gerrie Sturman
Shannon O’Neill
Diana Finch
Rita Rosenkranz
Kaylee Davis
Kimiko Nakamura
Emily Gref
Deborah Grosvenor
Monika Verma
BJ Robbins
Claire Anderson-Wheeler
Gina Maccoby
Kathleen Zakhar
Helen Zimmermann
I started my publishing career over twenty years ago in the marketing department of Random House, where I soon became the Director of Advertising and Promotion for one of their divisions, The Crown Publishing Group. After twelve years I moved to New York’s Hudson Valley, where I worked as the Author Events Director at a successful independent bookstore. I founded my literary agency in 2003 and enjoyed early success with the New York Times bestseller Chosen by A Horse. My experience working at a large publishing house and an independent bookseller gives me unique and invaluable insight into the entire industry. I launched Project Publish in 2013 to foster writers through the intricate process of book publishing.
Sorche Fairbank
Since establishing Fairbank Literary Representation in 2002, Sorche Elizabeth Fairbank has had the pleasure of working with a dynamic and varied list, representing best-selling authors, Edgar recipients, award-winning journalists, and of course one of her favorite kinds of client - the debut author. Tastes in novels tend toward literary fiction, international voices, and women’s voices. On the nonfiction side, books that tackle current events and topical and societal issues with a narrative treatment. She has a strong interest in women’s voices and class and race issues, quality lifestyle books (food, wine, design), memoir that goes beyond the memoir, and humor, gift books, and pop culture.
Subjects and genres not of interest by Sorche and Fairbank Literary include: sci-fi and fantasy, children’s and YA, self-help, romance, sports fiction, or anything that opens with a dream scene and/or exhaustive descriptions of weather. Unless, of course, it’s really really REALLY good.
Authors and books represented by Fairbank Literary include: O. Henry Prize winner Charlotte Forbes; Pulitzer nominee and LA Times Cairo Bureau Chief Jeffrey Fleishman; Edgar winner Rex Burns, Matthew Frederick and his best-selling 101 Things I Learned series; Eudora Welty prize winner Miroslav Penkov (East of the West), Travis Bradford, CEO of Richard Branson’s Carbon War Room (Solar Revolution); Darci Klein (To Full Term:A Mother’s Triumph Over Miscarriage); Jonathan McCullough’s A Tale Of Two Subs: An Untold Story Of World War II, Two Sister Ships, And Extraordinary Heroism; Robert McKinnon, (Legacy: Keeping Our Promise for a Better World, essays by such luminaries as Jimmy Carter, Bill McKibben, Mia Hamm, Dave Eggers, etc.); Essayist Jessica Handler. Humor and gift book clients include Chuck Sambuchino (How To Survive a Garden Gnome Attack; Red Dog,Blue Dog), Terry Border (Bent Objects empire), and Carl Warner (Carl Warner’s Food Landscapes).
For updated information on Sorche Fairbank and Fairbank Literary, their clients, and recent deals: www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/SorcheFairbank
Paul S. Levine
Born in New York City and raised and educated in Montreal on full academic scholarships, Levine received a Bachelor of Commerce (Magna Cum Laude) from Concordia University in Montreal and went on to earn a Master of Business Administration from York University in Toronto. In the late 1970s, he came to Los Angeles to attend University of Southern California law school (also on full academic scholarship), leaving tobogganing in the cold Canadian winters for Santa Anas blowing through the palm trees of Southern California.
Levine began his career as an associate attorney at the Law Office of Stephen F. Rohde, where he specialized in business transactions and civil litigation, with an emphasis on trademark, copyright, unfair competition, trade secrets, book publishing, and the rights of privacy and publicity for some six years. Then, answering a “blind” advertisement in the Hollywood Reporter, he went to work for over three years for the Business and Legal Affairs Departments of Warner Bros. Television, where he negotiated and drafted agreements for all above-the-line personnel (writers, directors, actors, and producers) for network and cable television programming. He was then recruited to the now-defunct Hearst Entertainment Productions, where he spent two years as Resident Counsel, negotiating and drafting agreements for all above-the-line personnel in production and distribution of made-for-television movies, first-run development, television series, and documentary programming .
In 1992, Levine established his solo entertainment law practice, first in Santa Monica, then in Venice, California. Seeing an underserved niche on the West Coast, he decided early on to focus on serving book authors. This naturally evolved into his work as a literary agent and the establishment of his agency. Seeking to expand the range of services he could offer his clients to include the representation of books, Levine opened The Paul S. Levine Literary Agency in 1996, which he has recently expanded. Whether he is considering fiction or non-fiction, Levine will not take on a project unless he feels certain he can sell it. With a preference for politically and socially important works, he represents more than 100 clients, the vast majority of whom are new, unpublished, or self-published writers. For Levine, the most rewarding moment is holding his client’s published book in his hands at a well-attended book-signing and seeing the smile on his client’s face.
Roger Williams
New England Publishing Associates (NEPA) was founded in 1983 as a full-service literary agency specializing in non-fiction books for the adult market. Since then we have placed more than 600 of our clients’ titles with some 100 U.S. and overseas publishers. In 2009, Roger S. Williams became NEPA’s Managing Director. Roger has worked in publishing for over thirty years as a bookseller and sales director at Bantam Doubleday Dell and Simon and Schuster. His background has spanned a broad range of successful positions from many publishing industry perspectives. He has been involved in sales, marketing, merchandising, editorial, and product development. He has run, and owned successful bookstores (both corporate and independent) and he has sold to traditional and special sales accounts, national retail, wholesale, mass market, and independent channels. Our mission is to provide personalized service to all of our authors. We work closely with our clients to shape and perfect each proposal so that it can be sold to the right editor at the right publisher, giving personal and expert attention to placing each project entrusted to us. Roger is a member of the Association of Author’s Representatives.
Regina Ryan
I founded this independent literary agency company 35 years ago. Prior to that I was editor-in-chief of Macmillan Adult Books, the first woman ever to hold that position in a major hardcover publishing house. Before that I was an editor at Alfred A. Knopf. My strong editorial background—first as an editor and later as a book packager—is very useful in helping my authors develop their projects in the most salable way. My years of experience in the business and my extensive contacts help me to place their books with the best houses for their projects. I am a member of the Women’s Media Group, PEN, the Authors Guild, the Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR), and the Agents’ Roundtable. I am a past president and former board member of the American Book Producers Association. I am also a member of the New York Academy of Science, the New York Audubon Society, the Linnaean Society of New York and the New York Mycological Society.
My areas of special interest include well-written narrative nonfiction, architecture, history, politics, natural history (especially birds), science (especially dealing with the brain), the environment, women’s issues, parenting, cooking, psychology, health, wellness, diet, fitness, lifestyle, sustainability, popular reference, and leisure activities including sports, travel, and gardening. I am interested in projects that have something new to say and that will, if possible, make the world a better place.
Gerrie Sturman
Goldfarb and Associates has been representing authors since 1966. Its principal attorney is Ronald Goldfarb, an author of 11 books himself and literary agent for hundreds of authors. With offices in DC and Miami, Goldfarb’s clients are prize winning writers, mostly of non-fiction. He is in Who’s Who in America and in Law and other prestigious organizations. He was long time general counsel to WIW and remains counsel to AWP. Goldfarb and Associates specializes in serious non-fiction and in unusual and limited cases, special fiction. Associates Robbie Anna Hare and Gerrie Sturman also handle a select list of clients. No children’s literature. No science fiction.
Shannon O’Neill
Shannon O’Neill is an agent with Lippincott Massie McQuilkin. She graduated with honors from Dartmouth College and earned a Masters in Writing from Johns Hopkins. A native Washingtonian, Shannon still calls the capital home. One of her favorite haunts growing up was Politics and Prose, so it was little surprise when she found herself working as a bookseller and marketing manager for the landmark independent bookstore. She spent six years at The Sagalyn Agency as agent and editorial director working with leading thinkers, journalists, and bestselling writers. She is on the lookout for writing that informs, intrigues, or inspires: special interests include narrative nonfiction, popular science, current affairs, the history of ideas, and literary and upmarket fiction.
Diana Finch
Diana Finch handles primarily nonfiction and most of her clients are journalists - several of whom write memoir - and also represents literary fiction and YA. In YA and adult fiction she looks for strong story-telling and distinctive voices. In nonfiction, she’s excited about environmental issues, business (both narrative and how-to), politics - especially the progressive kind - sports and science.
Notable backlist and recent titles include Azadeh Moaveni’s memoirs of life in Iran, Eric Simons’ The Secret Lives of Sports Fans, Keya Chatterjee’s Zero Footprint Baby, NYU professors Shenefelt and White’s If A, Then B: How The World Discovered Logic, the story collection ENCHANTMENT by novelist(Heidegger’s Glasses) Thaisa Frank and SEX TIPS FOR STRAIGHT WOMEN FROM A GAY MAN, adapted as a play opening in New York in February. Recently she sold Christoper Leonard’s first book THE MEAT RACKET to Simon & Schuster and Mark Schapiro’s second book THE CARBON HUNTERto Chelsea Green. Diana is the Chair of the AAR’s International Committee and goes to the Frankfurt and London Book Fairs regularly. Before starting her own firm 11 years ago, she handled her own clients and foreign rights for authors including Russell Banks, Michael Ondaatje and Garrison Keillor at the Ellen Levine Literary Agency, and her first job in publishing was on the editorial side, at St. Martin’s Press.
Rita Rosenkranz
Rita Rosenkranz specializes in adult non-fiction projects. Her wide-ranging list stretches from the decorative—FLOWERS, WHITE HOUSE STYLE: More Than 125 Arrangements by the Former White House Chief Floral Decorator by Dottie Temple and Stan Finegold (Simon & Schuster) to the dark—SAVING BEAUTY FROM THE BEAST: How to Protect Your Daughter from an Unhealthy Relationship by Vicki Crompton and Ellen Zelda Kessner (Little, Brown; Books for a Better Life Award). Other titles include FORBIDDEN FRUIT: Love Stories from the Underground Railroad by Betty DeRamus (Atria Books, essence.com bestseller); OLIVE TREES AND HONEY: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World by Gil Marks (Wiley, James Beard Award winner); TWENTY STRENGTHS ADOPTIVE PARENTS MUST DISCOVER by Sherrie Eldridge (Bantam Dell) and the forthcoming A MIND FOR NUMBERS: How to Excel at Math Even if You Flunked Algebra by Barbara Oakley (Tarcher) and BACK FROM THE BRINK: True Stories & Practical Help for Overcoming Depression & Bipolar Disorder by Graeme Cowan (New Harbinger). She represents health, history, parenting, music, how-to, popular science, business, biography, popular reference, cooking, spirituality, sports and general interest titles. Rita works with major publishing houses, as well as regional publishers that handle niche markets. She looks for projects that present familiar subjects freshly or lesser-known subjects presented commercially.
Kaylee Davis
Growing up in The Middle of Nowhere, Ohio, Kaylee’s lifeline to sanity was the local library where she nurtured her love of all things literary. Kaylee received a B.A. in English Literature and a B.A. in Sociology from Miami University, and she is certified in Copyediting from Emerson College. As an Associate Literary Agent with Dee Mura Literary, Kaylee is particularly interested in science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, young adult, and new adult. She also specializes in steampunk, espionage, coming-of-age, and social commentary. You can find her at deemuraliterary.com and on twitter at @Kaylee_Davis_.
Kimiko Nakamura
Kimiko Nakamura joined Dee Mura Literary in 2010. Prior to becoming a literary agent she worked in production at Shambhala Publications and in sales at Harvard Common Press. She is a graduate of Boston University’s Publishing Program and has a B.A. in Art History and Women’s Studies from Skidmore College. Kimiko represents both fiction and nonfiction titles, and looks for writers with unique voices and inspiring stories. She is seeking contemporary fiction, upmarket literary, young adult, women’s lit, romance, mystery, urban fantasy, cookbooks, health, mind & body, memoir, and narrative nonfiction.
Emily Gref
Emily Gref is an Agent at Lowenstein Associates, as well as the contracts and royalties manager. She also handles foreign and subrights. Her interests are wide and varied. In Young Adult and Middle Grade she is looking for all genres, but has a weak spot for fairy tale, folklore, and mythology retellings. Emily is also interested in fantasy and science fiction, as well as literary and commercial women’s fiction. You can find her online at www.lowensteinassociates.com and on twitter at @skycornerless.
Deborah Grosvenor
Deborah Grosvenor has more than 25 years’ experience in the book publishing business as an agent and editor. During her career, she has edited or represented several hundred nonfiction books. As an editor, she acquired Tom Clancy’s first novel, The Hunt for Red October.
Her distinguished client list includes nationally prominent writers, New York Times bestselling authors, and prize-winning historians and journalists. Among them are Stephen Coonts, Eleanor Clift, Morton Kondracke, Thomas Oliphant, Henry Allen, Aaron Miller, Scott Wallace, Curtis Wilkie, Nina Burleigh, Thomas Fleming, John Sexton, Jay Rubenstein, Willard Randall, Mark Geragos, Peter Cozzens, Meg Noonan, Barbara Dreyfuss and
Elizabeth Pryor.
Deborah is interested in narrative nonfiction in the categories of history, biography, politics, current and foreign affairs, memoir, food, health, the environment and travel. For fiction, she is simply interested in great storytelling, especially in an historical context.
Monika Verma
Prior to joining Levine Greenberg, Monika served as the administrative director for L.A. Youth Newspaper, a nonprofit teen-written publication distributed to schools throughout Los Angeles County. Monika attended Wellesley College, where she received a B.A. in English, and studied abroad at Oxford University. Monika joined Levine Greenberg in 2006, and represents a wide range of nonfiction book projects. She specializes in humor, pop culture, memoir, narrative nonfiction and style and fashion titles. She loves to work with authors to develop their writing careers, whether that means helping them make the jump from blogger to published author, brainstorming the perfect funny gift book topic, or working with a debut author to showcase a strong narrative voice. Her clients include humorist and actor Nick Offerman; costume designer Janie Bryant (AMC’s “Mad Men”); style and celebrity bloggers Tom & Lorenzo; and writer, illustrator, and blogger Allie Brosh (Hyperbole and a Half.) Though her list is primarily nonfiction, she also enjoys working on Young Adult fiction, whether it’s paranormal, historical or contemporary.
BJ Robbins
BJ Robbins opened her Los Angeles-based literary agency in 1992 after a multifaceted career in book publishing, first in publicity at Simon & Schuster and later as Marketing Director and Senior Editor at Harcourt. Her agency represents fiction writers such as James D. Houston, John Hough, Jr., Nafisa Haji, CBS TV Late Late Show host Craig Ferguson, Eduardo Santiago, Kathryn Jordan, Laura Catherine Brown, Max Byrd, and Renee Swindle. In nonfiction, she has a particular interest in memoir, biography, history, pop culture, sports, travel/adventure, medicine, and health. Nonfiction clients include J. Maarten Troost, James Donovan, Dave Davies, Tim Madigan, Dr. Lisa Masterson, Chris Erskine, Roger Love, and Dr. Pamela Nagami. She is a member of AAR.
What we are looking for: fresh, original voices, especially in nonfiction. Marketable authors, new ideas, spectacular writing.
Claire Anderson-Wheeler
Claire is the newest agent to join Regal Literary Management, a New York-based full-service literary agency. Prior to that, she worked at Anderson Literary Management in New York, and at Christine Green Authors’ Agent in London, UK. She holds an LLB from Trinity College, Dublin, and a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia, UK. Claire is Irish, was born in DC, and grew up in Dublin, Geneva, and Brussels. She’s interested in a wide range of fiction and nonfiction: If it’s a well-crafted narrative thoughtfully written, genre is less important. Soft spots, however, include: well-informed popular psychology/pop science; middle-grade fantasy and issue-driven Young Adult narrative; historical fiction that turns the spotlight on history’s “footnote characters”; and topical, contemporary women’s fiction.
Gina Maccoby
Gina Maccoby is looking for high-quality fiction and nonfiction for adults and children. In nonfiction, her interests are history, biography, memoir, and popular science. In fiction: mysteries and thrillers, domestic drama, and literary fiction. In children’s books, she is primarily interested in young adult and middle grade. Across all forms, she is looking for strong storytelling, distinctive narrative voices, and a fresh take on a well-trodden subject. New and notable backlist titles include SUPREME CITY: How Jazz Age Manhattan Gave Birth to Modern America by historian Donald L. Miller (forthcoming May 2014); The Perfect Ghost and the Carlotta Carlyle series by Linda Barnes, Edgar finalist and winner of the Anthony and American Mystery Awards; the Tres Navarre series by Rick Riordan, winner of the Edgar, Anthony, and Shamus awards; Middle Son, a debut novel by Deborah Iida; Afternoon of the Elves, a Newbery Honor Book, and The Art of Keeping Cool, winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, by Janet Taylor Lisle; and You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You: Very Short Tall Tales to Read Together by Mary Ann Hoberman, former Children’s Poet Laureate and winner of the National Book Award (forthcoming, April 2014). Gina is serving her third term on the Board of the AAR. She is a member of the Contracts Committee, the Royalties Committee, and the Ethics Committee. Before founding her agency in 1986, Gina represented her own clients and handled foreign, first serial, and motion picture rights at Russell & Volkening, where she worked with authors Barbara Tuchman, Eudora Welty, Anne Tyler, and Bernard Malamud.
Kathleen Zakhar
An associate agent at Harold Ober Associates, Kathleen Zakhar is actively building her client list. She graduated from the University of Arizona with a dual-degree in Creative Writing and Finance, and dabbled in journalism, real estate, and missile engineering before coming to Harold Ober Associates. She put in her time as an intern at Jill Grinberg Literary Management, Foundry Literary + Media, and McIntosh & Otis. Having grown up in the deserts of Tucson, she now lives in Brooklyn with her med school husband and a tiny potted cactus. You’ll find Kathleen on Twitter at @kzakhar and Harold Ober Associates at @harold_ober.
Kathleen
loves all things YA, from fantasy to contemporary fiction. She’s also
looking for middle grade with adventurous plots and quirky protagonists.
For adult literature, Kathleen is drawn to science fiction, fantasy
(high, low, and everything in between), historical fiction, and horror
novels. Kathleen has a special place in her heart for sweeping love
stories, magical realism, inventive world-building, re-purposed folklore,
dark comedy, and genre-bending novels. She
is not interested in non-fiction, poetry, short story collections,
memoir, erotica, inspirational fiction, or picture books at this time.