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Agent Spotlight: Peter Knapp

This week's Agent Spotlight features Peter Knapp of Park & Fine Literary and Media. 
.
Status: Open to submissions.

static1.squarespace.comAbout:

“Fueled by the thrill of reading a new story for the first time, Peter works creatively with clients and the PLM team on marketing, branding initiatives and promotions to get great books into the hands of readers. Before joining PLM, he was a story editor at a book-scouting agency working with film clients, and he continues to look for new ways to partner with Hollywood on adaptations and multimedia properties. Find him re-watching Studio Ghibli movies, playing board games with friends, or at PLM to submit a new fiction query—he’s ready to add more authors to his growing client list!  (Link)

About the Agency:

 Representing fiction and nonfiction with a unique, boutique-style approach, Park & Fine Literary and Media was founded in 2005 by Theresa Park. PLM is a full-service agency that manages all aspects of an author’s career with focused personal attention and the highest professional standards. With a robust foreign rights department and dedicated marketing, retail and client promotions, plus deep relationships with film and television entities in Los Angeles, we bring top-tier resources and a wealth of experience to every client, every day.” (Link)

Web Presence:

What He's Looking For:

Genres/Specialties:
Middle grade and young adult fiction, select high-concept adult fiction.

See his Manuscript Wish List for much more information on what he is looking for.

From Mr. Knapp’s Wish List (as of 7/2015-Link defunct):

#MSWL - YA that plays with format
“I will always remember when my mom, saint that she is, shoved THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER into my hands and told me I was grounded until I finished. Okay, she didn’t actually ground me, but she implored me to read it ASAP, and I’m glad shes did: the letters written in Stephen Chbosky’s novel were so deeply personal that they felt like they must’ve been written specifically for me.
“My love of novels that play with format persists to this day. Whether the fan-fiction interwoven througout rainbowrowell’s FANGIRL (yes, I will be buying CARRY ON), the relationship keepsakes documented in Daniel Handler’s WHY WE BROKE UP, the tapes left behind in Jay Asher’s 13 REASONS WHY, or the comics in Sherman Alexie’s THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN, I continue to gravitate toward these books. A recent favorite is Ava Dellaira’s LOVE LETTERS TO THE DEAD—check it out.
“And if you’ve written a book that plays with format, please keep me in mind.”
#MSWL - Great realistic contemporary YA
“Anyone who knows me, knows I love realistic contemporary YA. From Katie Cotugno’s kick-ass HOW TO LOVE to my client willwaltonauthor’s tenderly written, optimistic ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN, great stories about kids facing life’s challenges with courage, compassion and humor always win me over. I particularly love when YA manages to be at once heartrending and humorous, such as SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA and THE DISENCHANTMENTS.”
#MSWL: BITTERSWEET, REALISTIC MIDDLE GRADE
“I have always had a love for bittersweet middle grade. I still remember crying my eyes out while reading WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS, and my childhood copy of SHILOH (which I still keep on my shelf) is so worn-in from rereading that I had to tape the spine. Don’t get me started on WALK TWO MOONS.
“So, I’m excited to find great voices in realistic middle grade fiction. Whether it is Auggie in WONDER, Doug in OKAY FOR NOW, Summer in THE THING ABOUT LUCK, or Thyme in my own client @mlconklin’s forthcoming debut COUNTING THYME, there are certain middle grade voices that are simply unforgettable. They perfectly capture that age where caught uncomfortably between childhood and adolescence, where the world is opening up in ways that are at once exciting and terrifying. In these stories, we see characters as they first truly begin questioning, then challenging the viewpoints they’ve inherited, upending assumptions about themselves, about others, and about the world at large. They make us laugh, they make us cry, and in their very best moments, they have us doing both. I love them, they are how I first came to fall in love with books. If you’ve written a great realistic middle grade with an unforgettable voice, I want to see it!”
#MSWL - Cool YA fantasy (either epic or grounded).
“I want high concept fantasy that feels COOL. Fresh ideas, richly imagined worlds, and magic that feels unfamiliar. Whether it’s the fantastical future in RED QUEEN, the magic academia of Tam Lin, the frightening magic of DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE, or the relationship-driven contemporary fantasy in THE RAVEN BOYS, I like stories that fantasy that either shows me a cool, previously-unknown world or makes our own world feel new again. If you can marry a cool fantasy concept with great, complicated characters, I’m going to be excited!”
SCARY MIDDLE GRADE
I am always on the lookout for scary middle grade, whether straight-up horror, like R.L Stine or THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, more literary adventures with a ghostly twist, like LIESL & PO, or irreverent, humorous middle grade with a horror bent, like THE WITCHES. Anything with ghosts or graveyards or Halloween-vibes is of interest to me. An all-time favorite is THE GRAVEYARD BOOK, a reimagining done really well.”
FUNNY MIDDLE GRADE AND MIDDLE GRADE THAT PLAYS WITH FORMAT
“I am always looking for laugh-out-loud middle grade that play with format–irreverent stories that I’ve loved ever since reading and re-reading Judy Blume’s FUDGE books as a kid. Think DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, THE TAPPER TWINS GO TO WAR, TIMMY FAILURE. These books aren’t afraid to poke fun at their own protagonists, and they often find humor in the small moments, in common misunderstandings, and in the everyday. I laugh my way through them again and again.”
#MSWL: MIDDLE GRADE ADVENTURE SERIES
“Whether it has the humor of Rick Riordan’s work, the spooky comedy of my client Soman Chainani’s SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL series, or the epic sweep of THE GLASS SENTENCE, these are stories with excellent, high-concept premises and lots of action. They have edge-of-your-seat, what’s-going-to-happen-next plotting that makes you cancel your weekend plans so you can tear through the entire series at once, or, if the series is still ongoing, has you stalking your local book rep on the off-chance they received an early shipment of the next installment. If you’ve written a great middle grade adventure with series potential, I’d love to see it!”
#MSWL: BITTERSWEET, REALISTIC MIDDLE GRADE
“I have always had a love for bittersweet middle grade. I still remember crying my eyes out while reading WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS, and my childhood copy of SHILOH (which I still keep on my shelf) is so worn-in from rereading that I had to tape the spine. Don’t get me started on WALK TWO MOONS.
“So, I’m excited to find great voices in realistic middle grade fiction. Whether it is Auggie in WONDER, Doug in OKAY FOR NOW, Summer in THE THING ABOUT LUCK, or Thyme in my own client @mlconklin’s forthcoming debut COUNTING THYME, there are certain middle grade voices that are simply unforgettable. They perfectly capture that age where caught uncomfortably between childhood and adolescence, where the world is opening up in ways that are at once exciting and terrifying. In these stories, we see characters as they first truly begin questioning, then challenging the viewpoints they’ve inherited, upending assumptions about themselves, about others, and about the world at large. They make us laugh, they make us cry, and in their very best moments, they have us doing both. I love them, they are how I first came to fall in love with books. If you’ve written a great realistic middle grade with an unforgettable voice, I want to see it!” 


What He Isn't Looking For:

Poetry, screenplays, non-fiction, picture books, paranormal romance.

Editorial Agent?

"I return an edit letter outlining my thoughts on the manuscript: what I love, what I think it’s achieving and trying to achieve, how I think it might do this better. I try to ask questions, and I try to give some specifics while leaving ample room for the author to outsmart me and surprise me in revisions. Inevitably, they do." 

Clients:

Mr. Knapp’s clients include: Daniel Aleman, Soman Chainani, Julia Drake, Adalyn Grace, Ayana Gray, Sara Holland, Lucy Keating, Will Walton, among others.

 


Query Methods:

E-mail: Yes (only).
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: No.

Submission Guidelines (always verify):

Please specify the first and last name of the agent to whom you are submitting, as well as the category and genre of your submission (i.e.: “Abigail Koons – Adult Nonfiction” or “Pete Knapp – YA Fantasy”) in the subject line of the email. Send your query letter and accompanying material to the email address above. All materials must be in the body of the email, as we are unable to open attachments. Due to the volume of email queries we receive, we will only respond if we are interested.

For adult fiction submissions, please include a query letter and approximately the first 25 pages of your work. For YA & children's fiction submissions, please include a query letter and the first chapter or approximately the first ten pages of your work. For non-fiction submissions, please send a query letter, proposal, and sample chapter(s). We do not review poetry or screenplays. 

See the Park & Fine Literary and Media website  for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines. 

Query Tips:

“What I want established in a query letter is: who is the character, what is the conflict, what are the stakes, and why is the character uniquely qualified to be our hero?” (Link)

See this interview at I Write for Apples for more great query information.

Response Times:

While Park Literary’s official policy is “no reply means no,” Peter aims to respond to all queries within 12 weeks.
  

What's the Buzz?


Peter Knapp maintains a small, successful list of clients and has been an agent since January 2013. I recommend following him on Twitter @peterjknapp and his website for current query info and wish list information. 

Worth Your Time:

Interviews and Guest Post:
Q&A With Peter Knapp at Literary Rambles (02/2018).
Peter Knapp and Emily Bain Guest Post at Literary Rambles (06/2017).
Peter Knapp and Melanie Conklin Guest Post at Literary Rambles (02/2016).
Query Questions with Peter Knapp at Michelle 4 Laughs (05/2015).
A Cafe Chat with Peter Knapp, Agent with Park Literary, by Lindsay Bandy at Eastern Penn Points (10/2014).
Query.Sign.Submit. with Peter Knapp at I Write for Apples (11/2013).
FIRST FIVE FRENZY with Pete Knapp of The Park Literary Group at Chasing the Crazies (09/2013).
7 Questions For: Literary Agent Peter Knapp at Middle Grade Ninja (06/2013).
Interview One – Peter Knapp at Bethany Hensel’s blog (11/2012).
Interview Part Two – Peter Knapp at Bethany Hensel’s blog (11/2012).

Around the Web:

Peter Knapp at #MSWishlist., His Manuscript Wish ListAgentopia: Peter J. Knapp, 


Contact:
Please see Park Literary & Media and Mr. Knapp’s site for contact and query information.

Profile Details:
Last updated: 5/12/2020.
Agent Contacted for Review? Yes
Last Reviewed By Agent? 9/16/2020.
***
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 profiles feature agents who accept children's and/or young adult 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.











































17 comments:

Mauricio Abril said...

A great and comprehensive intro to Mr. Knapp. Thanks so much!

Kristin Lenz said...

Thanks, Casey! My reading likes are so similar to Peter's - it'd be fun to talk books with him.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Great spotlight. Too bad Peter doesn't like high fantasy. Thanks, Casey!

mshatch said...

I know someone who might be interested in this agent. Thanks!

Lydia Kang said...

So glad you keep up with these. Great resource!

Rajiv Sankarapillai said...

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Blog hopping,stumbled upon your wonderful blog !
Take some of your valuable time and visit mine too please; your valuable comments appreciated !
Happy blogging!

Rajiv
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Jocelyn Rish said...

These are so helpful - I wish they would magically appear for every single agent out there. :-) But seriously, we really appreciate the hard work that goes into these.

Romance Reader said...

Hi Casey, Hi Natalie, I quite fancy that mist on Bronte moor - strikes me a intriguing.

Maria RR

Donna K. Weaver said...

Holy cow, but he looks young! I'm getting old. lol

Beth said...

This is a great spotlight. Just reading through his wish list gave me at least three good ideas for a book. (If only my typing fingers could keep up with my brain.)

Unknown said...

Thanks Casey! This is really helpful--I'll be adding him to my list of agents to query!

Rajiv Sankarapillai said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rajiv Sankarapillai said...

Hi Natalie, many thanks for your comment on my blog post about Burj Al Arab.

I have posted some new pics of Burj Al Arab.
Kindly visit again and write your comments.

Thanks a lot, best of luck !

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www.magicalpresent.blogspot.com
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Sajidah said...

Casey, an update: Peter's with New Leaf Literary now.

Anonymous said...

Hi Natalie, another update: Pete just announced on his website that he's moved back to Park Literary. Here's the announcement: http://petejknapp.com/post/148741459048/park-literary-media
and here's his profile at PLM: http://www.parkliterary.com/who-we-are/peter-knapp/

Raina Xin said...

Hi Natalie, another update: Pete just announced on his website that he's moved back to Park Literary. Here's the announcement: http://petejknapp.com/post/148741459048/park-literary-media and here's his profile at PLM: http://www.parkliterary.com/who-we-are/peter-knapp/

Natalie Aguirre said...

Thanks for the update. I will make a note on this blog post soon of the change.