Agent Spotlight: Jennifer Skutelsky

This week's Agent Spotlight features Jennifer Skutelsky of Veritas Literary Agency.

Status: Open to submissions.

About: “Associate Jennifer Skutelsky studied English, Anthropology and Politics in South Africa and acquired her MFA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Her experience as a visual artist and ballet coach informs her devotion to creative expression, which she now channels into writing, reading and editing. She is a fan of dark, Gothic fiction, loves a good story, and is drawn to the distinctive use of voice and language. She has a tender spot for elephants and rhinos.” (Link)

About the Agency:

“Veritas is a full-service literary agency specializing in select literary and contemporary fiction and nonfiction. Founded on the premise that literature is one of the best carriers of truth—both emotional and literal—in the world today, the agency cultivates strong, innovative books that extend the boundaries of thought and expression.

“With active contacts in film, media and foreign markets, we actively pursue the channels that enable a title to reach its widest audience and realize its full potential. Veritas maintains the structure and spirit of old school literary agencies, where a close relationship between author and agent continued through all stages of a writer’s career. By maintaining a selective, manageable list we can ensure that every author and title receives enough energy and resources. Accessibility is always a priority.” (Link)

Web Presence:

Veritas Literary website.

Veritas Literary on Twitter.

Ms. Skutelsky’s website.

Twitter.

Pinterest.

LinkedIn.

What She's Looking For:

Genres / Specialties:

Literary Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Biography/ Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Popular Science,  Popular Culture/ Cultural History, Health and Wellness, History, Natural History, Mysteries/ True Crime, Politics/ Current Affairs, Historical Fiction, Women’s Issues, Science Fiction, Fantasy , Middle Grade, Young Adult. (Link)

From her Bio (as above):

“She is a fan of dark, Gothic fiction, loves a good story, and is drawn to the distinctive use of voice and language. She has a tender spot for elephants and rhinos.” (Link)

What She Isn't Looking For:

Romance (Link).

Editorial Agent?

Ms. Skutelsky is an editor in addition to agent and author and at least one client has mentioned doing revisions with her.

Clients:

There is a list of representative titles on the website.

Ms. Skutelsky’s clients include: Ariane Mandell and Ilima Todd, among others.

Sales:

Unknown.

Query Methods:

E-mail: Yes.

Snail-Mail: No.

Online-Form: No.

Submission Guidelines (always verify):

“Fiction: Please include a cover letter listing previously published work, a one-page summary and the first two chapters.

“Nonfiction: If you are sending a proposal, please include an author biography, an overview, a chapter-by-chapter summary, and an analysis of competitive titles.

“If you are sending a proposal or a manuscript after a positive response to a query, please write ‘REQUESTED MATERIAL’ on the subject line and include the initial query letter.” (Link)

Please see the Veritas Literary website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines. 

Response Times:

“We do our best to review all queries within 4-6 weeks. However, during periods where there is an especially high volume of queries, we may not be able to respond personally. If you haven't heard from us within 12 weeks please assume that your project was not a match for the agency.” (Link)

What's the Buzz?

Jennifer Skutelsky joined Veritas Literary Agency in March of 2012. Her level of interest in middle grade and young adult fiction is unclear, but she is open to submissions and actively building her client list. Veritas Literary has been in business over seventeen years and represents several bestselling authors. 

Worth Your Time:

Interviews:

None found.

Around the Web:

Veritas Literary Agency at P&E ($).

Veritas Literary Agency thread on AbsoluteWrite.

Client Ariane Mandell’s agent story at her blog, Cartesian Way (09/2012).

Client Ilima Todd’s agent story at her blog, Ka’ao: Tell a Fanciful Tale (07/2012).

Contact:

Please see the Veritas Literary Agency website for contact and query information.

Profile Details:

Last updated: 1/10/13.

Agent Contacted For Review? Yes.

Last Reviewed By Agent? 1/10/13.

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Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at agentspotlight(at)gmail(dot)com

Note: These agent profiles presently focus on agents who accept children's and/or teen fiction. They are not interviews. Please take the time to verify anything you might use here before querying an agent. The information found herein is subject to change.