Literary Agent Interview: Mark O’Brien Interview and Query Critique Giveaway

Today, I’m thrilled to have agent Mark O’Brien here. He’s an associate agent at Azantian Literary Agency. 

Hi­ Mark! Thanks so much for joining us. 

About Mark: 

1. Tell us how you became an agent, how long you’ve been one, and what you’ve been doing as an agent.

 

I began my career in the book publishing industry with an editorial internship at Entangled Publishing in August 2015, six weeks after I graduated high school. From there, I haven’t stopped! I interned and assisted at five literary agencies, including Writers House, Stonesong, and Triada US, before working at NetGalley as Sales Coordinator for three years. In September 2024, I joined Azantian Literary Agency as an associate agent. I’m building my client list slowly and with intention. 

About the Agency: 

2. Share a bit about your agency and what it offers to its authors. 

Founded in 2014, Azantian Literary is committed to guiding the careers of both new and established voices in fiction and nonfiction, particularly those who have been historically underrepresented. We’re a growing agency with a boutique, collaborative style and over a dozen agents. We partner with Mushens Entertainment for foreign rights for books for all ages and genres, excluding graphic novels. Foreign rights for graphic novels are handled by Full Bleed Rights. We’re always looking to serve our clients as best as we possibly can. (We’re also nice.) 

What He’s Looking For: 

3. What age groups do you represent—picture books, MG, and/or YA? What genres do you represent and what are you looking for in submissions for these genres? 

In young adult, my first love is contemporary realistic fiction, as well as realistic with a twist. I am also building my list in YA genre fiction, including science fiction and fantasy. 

4.  Is there anything you would be especially excited to seeing in the genres you are interested in? 

As a queer, neurodivergent agent, I’m always excited to see queries from queer, neurodivergent, BIPOC, and disabled creators. 

What He Isn’t Looking For: 

5. What types of submissions are you not interested in?

I am not the best fit for horror, thrillers, picture books, novellas, poetry collections, and stories centering intense violence and/or gore. 

Agent Philosophy: 

6. What is your philosophy as an agent both in terms of the authors you want to work with and the books you want to represent? 

I want to work with voices that refuse to be denied. I find these voices most often come from authors who are marginalized in some way, or (more often) multiple ways. Because of this, I’m a careful agent. I also see myself as a cheerleader for my clients. 

Editorial Agent: 

7. Are you an editorial agent? If so, what is your process like when you’re working with your authors before submitting to editors? 

Yes, yes, and yes! We’ll usually do as many rounds of developmental and/or line edits as it takes to make sure every word counts, and shines, before sending a manuscript out to editors. 

Query Methods and Submission Guidelines: (Always verify before submitting) 

8. How should authors query you and what do you want to see with the query letter? 

Query me through QueryManager following the submission guidelines on Azantian Literary’s website. Include your first ten pages and a bio. 

9.  Do you have any specific dislikes in query letters or the first pages submitted to you? 

I prefer to be addressed as Mark, though I’d absolutely never hold a different salutation against a writer. As long as you’re professional and following my submission guidelines, you’re on the right track! 

Response Time: 

10. What’s your response time to queries and requests for more pages of a manuscript? 

Five minutes to three months. 

Self-Published and Small Press Authors: 

11.  Are you open to representing authors who have self-published or been published by smaller presses? What advice do you have for them if they want to try to find an agent to represent them? 

Yes, I’m absolutely open to established self- and indie- published authors. I recommend these authors ensure they want to pursue traditional publication before sending out query letters to literary agents. Whichever publication path you choose, be intentional about it. 

Clients: 

12. Who are some of the authors you represent? 

I’m still quite new! I represent Faefyx Collington, author of queer nonfiction I couldn’t be more excited about. I’m looking forward to expanding my list! 

Interviews and Guest Posts: 

13. Please share the links to any interviews, guest posts, and podcasts you think would be helpful to writers interested in querying you. 

This is my first—thank you, Natalie! 

Links and Contact Info: 

14. Please share how writers should contact you to submit a query and your links on the Web. 

Send me a query and ten pages through QueryManager here: http://querymanager.com/bookmarkobrien. Follow me on Bluesky here: https://bsky.app/profile/bookmarkobrien.bsky.social. Check out my freelance website here: https://bookmarkobrien.com/ 

Additional Advice: 

15. Is there any other advice you’d like to share with aspiring authors that we haven’t covered? 

As someone who was a querying writer before he became a literary agent: No agent is better than a bad agent. Always research a literary agent, and their affiliated agency, before querying. If you want to pursue traditional publication, ensure any agent you consider is capable of making a well-negotiated traditional publication deal happen. Otherwise, that agent isn’t earning their fifteen percent! 

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Mark. 

­Giveaway Details 

Mark is generously offering a query critique to one lucky winner. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment through June 21st. If you do not want to enter the contest, that’s okay. Just let me know in the comments. If I do not have your email (I can no longer get it from your Google Profile), you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or other social media sites and/or follow me on Twitter  or Bluesky, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. This is an international giveaway. 

Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or email me at natalieiaguirre7@gmail.com 

Note: These agent profiles and interviews presently focus on agents who accept children's fiction. Please take the time to verify anything you might use hime before querying an agent. The information found hime is subject to change.

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

Monday, June 16th I’m participating in the Dad-o-Mite Giveaway Hop

Monday, June 23rd I have an interview with author Michael Spradlin and a giveaway of his MG Threat of the Spider

Tuesday, July 1st I’m participating in the Sparkle Time Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, July 2nd I have an interview with author Nia Davenport and a giveaway of her YA Love Spells Trouble and my IWSG post

Monday, July 7th I have an interview with author Natalie Richards and a giveaway of her MG Survive This Safari

I hope to see you on Monday!