Status: Open to submissions.
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Photo by Ali Smith |
About the Agency:
"We champion authors throughout their entire, varied careers.
"Jill Grinberg Literary Management is a hands-on, full service agency whose mission is helping authors to launch, develop and sustain successful careers.
"Founded by industry veteran Jill Grinberg, the agency's tastes are wide ranging—born out of deep curiosity and a passion for great writing in all its forms and for all readerships. Our clients win major awards—including the National Book Award, the Pulitzer Prize, the Printz Award and Newbery Honor—and regularly appear on U.S. and international bestseller lists. Our select client list features 46 New York Times bestsellers.
"Our authors include novelists and memoirists; historians and scientists; illustrators and musicians; cultural critics and humanitarians; entrepreneurs and innovators- united by the high quality of their writing, original and authentic voices, passion for their work, and brilliant storytelling.
"We represent nonfiction and fiction across the entire age and audience spectrum: adult, children’s, teen, and books that cross audiences. We also represent and are personally drawn to a variety of formats—straight text, text with visuals, graphic fiction and nonfiction. Whichever direction our authors move in, we are able to effectively represent their work and support them in the ways they require.
"Our relationship with our authors transcends any one book. It is about the way they write, the way their mind works, their particular passions and perspectives. We enter into partnerships with our authors from this place of deep connection and with the conviction that we can expertly champion
their work over the course of their career." (Link)
Web Presence:
Jill Grinberg Literary website.
Publisher's Marketplace page.
Twitter @JillGrinbergLit.
AAR Profile.
AgentQuery.
QueryTracker.
What She's Looking For:
Genres / Specialties:
Fiction: General, literary, romance, fantasy/science fiction, historical
Non-Fiction: Biography, memoir, history, travel, lifestyle, science, feminism, pop culture, current events
Young adult: Fantasy/science fiction, contemporary, historical, nonfiction
Children's: Contemporary, historical, fantasy/science fiction, nonfictionWhat She Isn’t Looking For:
Screenplays.
Editorial Agent?
Yes. See this post in the SCBWI Western Washington Newsletter
Clients:
Tyler Anbinder, Susanne Antonetta, Laurie Berkner, Estate of Ludwig Bemelmans, Barbara Dee, Rachel DeWoskin, Sara Donati, Henry Gee, Andy Griffiths, Christopher Healy, Jennifer L. Holm, Matthew Holm, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Melanie Katzman, Mikki Kendall, Ellen Klages, Kirby Larson, Margo Lanagan, Rosina Lippi, Alison Goodman, Justine Larbalestier, John Bemelmans Marciano, Melina Marchetta, Jaclyn Moriarty, Marissa Meyer, Catherine Gilbert Murdock, Garth Nix, Tiffany Pham, Alissa Quart, Jon Skovron, T.J. Stiles, Scott Westerfeld, Colin Woodard, among othersQuery Methods:
E-mail: Yes.
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: No.
Submission Guidelines (always verify):
Ssend your query letter to info(at)jillgrinbergliterary(dot)com and attach the first 50 pages (fiction) or proposal (non-fiction) as a .docx file. (Link)
See the Grinberg Literary website for detailed instructions and complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.
Response Times:
Ms. Grinberg attempts to respond to all queries but cannot always do so given the volume of queries she receives.
What's the Buzz?
Ms. Grinberg is a long-established agent with an impressive clientele and track record. Her clients seem quite happy under her representation and are quick to praise her. She’s noted to have a nice rejection letter and continues to respond to most submissions.
Worth Your Time:
Interviews:
None that I could find online.
Around the Web:
Jill Grinberg and the Art of the Query at the SCBWI Western Washington Newsletter (10/2013).
Jill Grinberg on Her Editorial Process at the SCBWI Western Washington Newsletter (10/2013).
Jill Grinberg Literary Management Rights Guides at Graal (2011 to Current).
Contact:
Please see the Grinberg Literary Management website or Ms. Grinberg's Publisher's Marketplace page for contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last updated: 5/7/2020.
Agent Contacted for Review? Yes
Last Reviewed By Agent: 5/13/2020
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Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at natalieiaguirre7(at)gmail(dot)com
Note: These agent profiles presently focus on agents who accept children's/teen fiction. They are not interviews. Please take the time to verify anything you might use here before querying. The information found herein is subject to change.
15 comments:
Hmm, this is very interesting, thanks for digging up all this information. With clients such as Garth Nix and the like, I'm shocked she's not a member of AAR. But her track record does seem to speak for itself.
Other than the web presence, she seems right up my alley!
I just can't get excited over agents who only accept snail mail. AND no web site. How ancient is she?
It's not just that it's inefficient, but it's a sort of snobbery: "WE don't do that sort of thing..."
This would be like dealing with my aging Auntie Mabel, sorry.
Fran, a lot of veteran agents have full lists and don't need the influx of submissions that comes with having a large web presence. If you don't have a specific reason to want to query her, just focus on those with the web presence and visibility you're looking for.
Submission guidelines updated 01/08/10.
Just emailed her at the "info" address and got back an autoresponse saying that they received it. That's pretty cool. I like that. No wondering if it got lost in the nexus.
It's my understanding that Richard Abate, formerly of WMA/Endeavor, is now at Grinberg. Anyone know for sure?
I'm not sure, Anon. I don't think so. There's a Dec deal listing on PM that has Richard Abate as being with 3 Arts Entertainment. QueryTracker has him listed there as well.
i got to this from your most recent post. Thank you
Received this lovely feedback from a client:
"Would like to give Jill Grinberg and her associate Cheryl Pientka a five star rating. They are outstanding agents and negotiated a lovely publishing contract for us with Disney Hyperion. Could not ask for better representation."
These agent spotlights are great for those querying. Thanks! I wanted to add an update here. The agency Publisher's Marketplace page reads:
"Please send your query letter to info@jillgrinbergliterary.com and attach the first 50 pages (fiction) or proposal (non-fiction) as a .doc file. All submissions will be read, but electronic mail is preferred."
Thanks Eric!
Hi Casey ~ You have a wonderfully helpful site. Just wanted to let you know, the links to her website are dead.
Thank you, Carol. It's due for an update!
Does anyone know her current response time? I know on here it says 1-6 weeks, but it seems she's taking longer now.
I just sent her a query with a doc. file attached.
Then I got a response saying to attach a docx. file!
Looks like the old links are wrong, the Publishers' Marketplace info is correct.
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