Agent Spotlight: Suzie Townsend

This week's Agent Spotlight features Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary & Media.
Status: Open to submissions

About: “Prior to joining New Leaf, Suzie graduated film school, earned her Masters of Education, taught high school English, and coached a swim team. In her spare time, she read everything she could, which prompted her move to publishing. She got her start as an intern at FinePrint Literary Management where she was hired as an assistant before making the move to literary agent. She’s been part of the team at New Leaf Literary & Media since its inception in 2012.
"Suzie represents all brands of children’s and adult fiction. She loves women’s fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoir, and debut fiction. On the children’s side, she is interested in select YA and MG. Suzie loves strong characters and voice-driven stories that break out of the typical tropes of their genres, and she’s always looking for unique new voices in stories.” (Link)
About the Agency:
"New Leaf Literary & Media is a full service management and representation firm that will be with you before and beyond the sale." (Link)Web Presence:
New Leaf website.
New Leaf Facebook.
New Leaf Twitter.
New Leaf Pinterest.
Publisher’s Marketplace page.
Confessions of a Wandering Heart (Old blog).
Twitter.
AgentQuery, QueryTracker.
What She's Looking For:
She represents all brands of adult and children's fiction and non-fiction. She's specifically looking for women's fiction, debut fiction, and narrative non-fiction. Suzie loves strong characters, unique and diverse voices, and stories that break out of the typical tropes of their genres. (Via email)From Her Manuscript Wish List:

"SUZIE IS LOOKING FOR: Women’s Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Young Adult and literary Middle Grade. She’s especially looking for inclusive and diverse stories with new and unique voices in all genres and age groups.
"In Women’s Fiction, she’s looking for upmarket bookclub fiction, historical that explores cultural heritage particularly untold non-European historical events, contemporary fiction that exposes a new light on a topical issue, or that features quirky, dysfunctional families. She also loves magical realism in the vein of Sarah Addison Allen or Alice Hoffman. She’s also especially interested in Psychological Suspense featuring strong and complicated protagonists who have dark secrets.
"In Romance, she’s a fan of strong characters with agency who are proactive participants in their own stories. She enjoys when the heroes/heroines act against their stereotypes and surprise her while still being swoonworthy. Some of her favorite historical romance authors are Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn, and Courtney Milan. In contemporary, she loves high concept trope driven stories by authors like Christina Lauren and Jill Shalvis, and she’d love to a great and dark romantic suspense series like Karen Rose and Elle Kennedy.
"In SFF in both the Adult and YA spectrum, Suzie loves strong characters and voice-driven stories that break out of the typical tropes of their genres. She’s a huge fan of expansive world building and atmospheric settings. She’s excited about stories rooted in history, mythology and legends, especially those that are lesser-known or underrepresented in traditional publishing.
"In contemporary YA, she’s particularly looking for authentic teen voices and raw emotional stories that will make her laugh, cry, and swoon, as well as novels that tackle social justice issues with nuance and empathy. Some of her YA favorites are The Sun is Also a Star, I’ll Give You the Sun, All the Bright Places, Before I Fall, Where She Went, Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda and The Hate U Give
"And in Middle Grade, she’s looking for literary and character driven stories with poignant prose, whether it’s historical, contemporary, magical realism, or even fantasy. In addition to the novels she’s worked on, some of her favorites are Savvy, When You Reach Me, Summer & Bird, Lost in the Sun, The Thing About Jellyfish,Brown Girl Dreaming, Inside Out and Back Again, The Girl Who Drank the Moon, and Wolf Hollow. She’s also an animal lover and a sucker for beautifully written emotional stories that involve animals like A Dog’s Way Home and Pax.
"Suzie loves novels with a commercial hook, compelling storytelling, and beautiful writing, and she’ll follow a character that she loves anywhere. She’s excited to add more writers of diversity (including, but not limited to, all ethnicity, sexual orientation, mental and physical health, and socioeconomic status) to her list."

You can find more about what she is looking for from her AgentQuery and Publishers Marketplace pages.
What She Isn't Looking For:
Screenplays, poetry, picture books, illustrators. (Link)
Editorial Agent?
“I only sign writing that I'm so in love with that it keeps me up at night. I'm hands on and very editorially inclined. I read and edit, read and edit, read and edit, until it's as perfect as I can make it. A book I sold just recently, I had read it multiple times before we went on submission. And each time I read it, I loved it just as much as I did the first time.
“I enjoy brainstorming and working with authors, bouncing ideas off each other. This means my authors and I need to share the same vision for the project and who are as committed to putting in the hard work on the project as I am.” (Link defunct)
Pet-Peeves:
"My pet peeves include diabolical monologues, romance without plot or character development, and damsel in distress protagonists." (Link)
Clients: There is a list of clients on the agency website and Ms.Townsend's Publisher Marketplace Page. They include Victoria Aveyard, Cassandra Clare, MaryKate Connolly, Heather Kassner, Natalie Lloyd, Jennifer Ryan, among others.
Query Methods:
E-mail: Yes (only).
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: No.
Submission Guidelines (always verify):

• "Send query to query@newleafliterary.com. Please do not query via phone.
• The word “Query” must be in the subject line, plus the agent’s name, ie – Subject: Query, Suzie Townsend. Please also include the category (ie, PB, chapter book, MG, YA, adult fiction, adult nonfiction, etc.)
• You may include up to 5 double-spaced sample pages within the body of the email
• NO ATTACHMENTS, unless specifically requested
• Include all necessary contact information
• You will receive an auto-response confirming receipt of your query

We only respond if we are interested in seeing your work" (Link)
Please see the agency website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.
Response Times:The agency only responds if interested.
Query Tips:
“Queries are on average about 250 words. A strong one is going to introduce me to a character and a set up, (the conflict or hook), and leave me wondering what happens next. It’s tough, and it requires as much attention and revision as the manuscript probably did, but it is possible.” (Link)
Response Times:
Ms. Townsend only responds if she's interested.
What's the Buzz?
Suzie Townsend became an agent mid-2009 and is now the Vice President of New Leaf Literary. She has an impressive client list and started more than a few authors’ careers.  Suzie is popular among aspiring authors and her colleagues and clients are quick to praise her.  Her dedication to books and authors is apparent in everything she does.
Follow her on Twitter to learn more and get a feel for her personality and agenting style.
Worth Your Time:
Interviews and Guest Posts:
Susie Townsend, Taylor Haggerty, and Victoria Lee Guest Post at Literary Rambles (03/2019)
Susie Townsend Podcast at 88 Cups of Tea (11/2018).
Susie Townsend & 10 Questions Podcast at Write or Die (07/2018).
Elly Blake and Susie Townsend Guest Post at Literary Rambles (02/2017).
Query Writing Workshop on YouTube at Lily Meade (07/2016).
How to Pitch Your Book to a Literary Agent on YouTube at Lily Meade (07/2016).
Susie Townsend on Query Etiquette at Color Me a Kidlit Author (10/2016).
A Day in the Life of a Literary Agent at Pub Crawl (02/2015).
Lit Chat Interview with Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary at Lit Stack (08/2012).
Crits for Water Interview with Agent Suzie Townsend at Not an Editor (04/2012).
The Novel Road Interview: Suzie Townsend (08/2011).
Interview with Suzie Townsend Literary Agent at Wannabe Lit Agent (05/2011).
Blog Stuff:
Ms. Townsend used to blog at Confessions of Wandering Heart. There are too many great posts for me to list, including some great critique series. Please check the links in the sidebars and read through the archives. 
Contact:
Please see the New Leaf Literary and Ms. Townsend's Publisher's Marketplace page for contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last updated: 6/4/2020.
Agent Contacted For Review? Yes.
Last Reviewed By Agent? 6/4/2020.
***
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 agent profiles presently focus on agents who accept children's 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.

Guest Blogger Karen Collum: Lady in Waiting

 

Last month I had the honor of picture book author Karen Collum's first interview!  This month I have the joy of sharing a guest post by her that will resonate with more than a few of you.  Enjoy!

Lady in Waiting

It has taken me many years to build up the courage to say the words, “I am a writer”. Three picture books into my career (all of which are currently being published) and I’m thinking of changing my spiel. ‘Writer’ conjures up delightful images: words and warmth, solitude and similes, paper and peacefulness. The reality of my life is so very different. Hence, my new response to the question, “So, what do you do?” is simple and honest.

I am a waiter.

 

Not the kind of waiter that brings your Caesar salad (minus the olives) or refills your raspberry lemonade. No, I am the check-my-email-three-hundred-and-seventy-two-times-a-day, quick!-run-to-the-letterbox-the-postman’s-here kind of waiter. I may be a writer, but I seem to spend most of my life waiting.

 

At first, it was waiting to hear back from publishers. Carefully written cover letters would be signed in my neatest and most writerly handwriting, before snuggling in tight next to the double-spaced, spell-checked, sparkling manuscript. And of course, I’d triple check that I did indeed have a stamp on the stamped self-addressed envelope tucked inside.  Then the waiting began.

 

I soon discovered that the publishing process moves slightly slower than a geriatric snail. Days, weeks, months went by. A quick response came in two months, the average was around six. Often it was longer. Inevitably, the now lonesome SSAE would appear in my letterbox and the wait would be over. Surely it would be different once I got a ‘yes’ from a publisher.

 

That beautiful day came when an acceptance email arrived, settling gently into my inbox without a sound. I squealed, jumped, twirled and skipped around the house until I finally calmed down enough to ring the publisher, as requested. What joy! What bliss! What excitement! The wait was over, wasn’t it?

 

Wrong.

 

Eight months since that email and I am still waiting for the final contract.  The illustrator has been commissioned, the release date has been set but it has taken all this time for the bits and pieces to come together, my contract included.

 

Waiting, waiting, always waiting.

 

For acceptances, for contracts, for that first glimpse of illustrations.

 

For release dates, for launch parties, to hold my book in my hands for the very first time.

 

Right now I have four manuscripts in various publishing slush piles and seven manuscripts with agents. I’m still waiting.

 

I could rail against the industry, long and loud, and complain about the inefficiencies of the system, but it won’t achieve anything, other than feeding that ever-hungry negativity beast that dwells within all of us.  And an industry-bashing writer is never a good look, in my opinion, especially as it’s the very industry I hope will embrace me, support me and encourage me in the years ahead.

 

So how do I handle waiting? Here are my top ten lady (and man) in waiting survival tips:

 

1.    Connect with other writers both online and in real life. They will commiserate, support and encourage like no others. Plus, they let you vent.

 

2.    Attend workshops and conferences and writer’s events in your area. Upskilling yourself is never a waste of time.

 

3.    Submit to publishers who accept multiple submissions. This varies from publisher to publisher and country to country, so make sure you do your homework.

 

4.    Look for writing opportunities that are outside your comfort zone. Contribute to a blog, enter a short story competition or write that vampire story you’ve been dreaming of. (OK, I was just kidding about the vampire thing...)

 

5.    Don’t contact the agent or publisher before the specified waiting time is over. If it says the average response time is six months, then be gracious and allow seven or eight months at least. In my experience, being pushy doesn’t help.

 

6.    Don’t lash out on your blog or Twitter or Facebook. Agents and publishers will often check you out online before they decide to take you on. Share your experiences, by all means, but don’t name names or say anything you might later regret.

 

7.    Organise your writing area and develop a system for keeping track of submissions. That way, when publishers come knocking on your door, you’ll be able to lay your hands on your finished manuscripts in a heartbeat. (Did I mention optimism is also a good strategy?)

 

8.    Plan who you’re going to send your submission to next. Have the cover letter already written and ready to go.

 

9.    Accept that waiting is part and parcel of being a writer. You don’t like it. I don’t like it. Now, let’s move on.

 

10.    Keep on writing. Write, write and write. And just when you think your insides are going to implode from the stress of waiting, yep, you guessed it – write some more.

 

For every wonderful day of celebration in my writing journey, there have been a hundred-fold days or more of waiting. As a lady in waiting, I have no control over how long it takes publishers and agents to get to my precious manuscript, but I do get to choose how I spend those waiting days, weeks and months. Every job has its down-side. Waiting is ours.

 

No-one said being a writer was easy, and waiting is nothing but hard. So here’s my final piece of advice (mainly to myself, but you’re welcome to take it too):  Suck it up, Princess.

 

Oh, and happy waiting.

Writing / Research Tip Tuesday #26

Need some motivation to meet your daily writing goals?  Try Write or Die by Dr. Wicked.  Choose a consequence level and start typing away.  Just don't stop for too long!  Read about the application and how it works here. 

When you're done playing with that, please send in a tip!.  I've run out again. Happy Tuesday!

Revision, Changing the Way You Write

If you didn't already know, I'm revising. It's what's on the brain. A couple days ago, I tweeted this, "Now that I know what revision is REALLY like, I suspect I'll be first drafting differently. Did anyone discover/do the same?"

Everyone who replied said they they did, and I felt like I'd reached an unexpected milestone. 

I'm learning a lot from revision. If you've been running from it like I have (I'll admit it, I have), I encourage you to dig in and push yourself to do it.  Even if it's a manuscript you don't expect to pursue publication with.  Why?  Because this tearing apart, restructuring, rewriting, tightening, tweaking, etc. I'm doing on my MS is informing my writing more than all the first-drafting I've ever done. 

I'm astounded. 

So, all you veterans out there.  Did this happen for you as well?  What have you learned from revision?  Any words of wisdom?  Please share! If you're busy revising like I am, what are you learning?  What has the experience been like for you?

Omit Needless Words & Tighten Your Writing Part III

 

Part III in my tighter writing series.  If you haven't read Part I and Part II, please do. 

REDUNDANCIES:

Remember those redundant adjectives?  I wanted to return to that and address redundant phrases / expressions because it's not always the modifier that needs to go. There are a lot of ways to be redundant. 

Examples:

The reason is because I like you.

Becomes:  The reason is, I like you... OR Because I like you.

Each and every one of your words should count.

Becomes:  Every word should count.

He nodded his head and reached for a pen with his hand.

Becomes:  He nodded and reached for a pen. 

Looking back in the past, I realized it was me who introduced them for the first time.

Becomes:  Looking back, I realized I introduced them.

I tried to warn her in advance that the weather conditions were likely to be quite severe. 

Becomes: I tried to warn her the weather might be severe. 

This is a good example where I might use a complimentary "that" as a beat ("I tried to warn her that...").  I also exchanged "were likely to be" for "might" to tighten further.  

Here is great list of redundant expressions (pleonasms)that will show you just how prevalent they are. 

***

On a similar note, make sure you're also on the look out for sentences where you just plain repeat yourself.  If two sentences give us the same information, even if they're worded differently, chances are one of them can go.  I see this (and do this) a lot in transitions from internal thought to dialogue.

A quick example:

Wow, was he reading Jane Eyre?  I snatched the book from him.  "Are you reading Jane Eyre?"

You could take the internal thought off all together (which I would do if you're trying to shed word count) or replace it with something less repetitive.

Could become:  Was I seeing this?  I snatched the book from him.  "Are you reading Jane Eyre?"

***

SUBTLE REDUNDANCIES, or SPECIFYING THE OBVIOUS:

The other thing I wanted to expand on is specifying something to the point of subtle redundancy.  Like using the word "there" to reemphasize where your character is, or in the above sample where I specified it was the character's head that was nodding or hand that was reaching, there are a lot of instances where you can be redundant without realizing it. 

Examples:

1)  In the garage, she walked over to the tool bench to grab a hammer before heading over to get in the car. 

This could be a lot tighter.  Look at the base words.  We want the reader to know she's in the garage, grabbing a hammer, and getting in the car.  We don't need the small movements or specifications. 

Becomes:  In the garage, she grabbed a hammer and got in the car. 

If she was skipping or running, that'd be worth specifying but if nothing out of the ordinary is happening we know she's walking around.  We don't need to know the hammer was on the tool bench unless it's important.  And just like that, twenty-two words becomes twelve. 

2) Sarah really wanted to see what was happening outside.  She turned toward the window and looked down and out toward the scene.  The gardener was yelling at a cat!

Again, we don't need the movements, and we know she'll be looking outside at a scene if she looks out a window. 

Becomes: Sarah wanted to see what was happening.  She looked outside.  The gardener was yelling at a cat!

You could keep mention of the window but it's one of those things that's sort of obvious if we know Sarah is inside.  It all depends on scene setting, really.  When tightening like this, do make sure you're tweaking things, adding conjunctions, stronger words, etc. to adjust the flow and cadence.  You risk sounding stilted if you don't account for cut words.

Compare this to the original sentence: Sarah looked outside to see the commotion.  The gardener was yelling at a cat!

It all depends on your style, the flow, and the information we've already been given.  Sometimes you need these details just for the sake of pacing. That's okay!  Just make conscious decisions and you'll be golden.

***

Thoughts? Questions? Examples?  Leave your smarts in the comments!

Interview with Agent Intern & Aspiring Author C.A. Marshall

Hi everyone!  Remember Cassandra from a couple week ago?   She provided a fun guest post about pen names.  If you missed it, please check it out.  As promised, I've brought her back for an interview.  Let's see what she has to say about agents, interning, queries, and writing!

Hi Cassandra! Could you start things off by telling us a little about yourself?
 

Hi Casey!  I'm an aspiring author, agent intern, unemployed and completely broke, and an avid tea drinker.

You intern for a major NYC agent. How did the opportunity come about?
 

Just after I lost my job last year, I saw a post on an agent blog asking if any of the readers wanted to join them as an intern.  I figured I had all this time now so I applied.  I heard they had something like 150 applicants and I didn't think I had a chance at all but when I got the call and she asked me to be her intern I was totally excited.  

What has the experience been like?
 

I learn new things everyday.  I know that's a bit of a cliche, but it's true.  I can ask the agent about anything and they will explain it to me.  The agent is completely helpful and encouraging and thats one of the major reasons I love working with them.  If you ever have a chance to be an intern, do it. It's so worth it.

In your time as an intern, is there anything you’ve learned about agents or agenting that has surprised you?
 

Being an agent is anything but easy.  Successful agents must be very very passionate about what they do.  I myself can spend over half my day reading industry blogs and keeping up with Twitter and other social media, and by the time you add in reading queries and partials/fulls, my whole day is gone.  Agents have to do all that plus go to meetings, have lunches with clients and editors, manage current clients, do pitches and submissions, and a ton of other stuff too.  Add in a husband/wife and/or kids and most agents have five to six full time jobs that they manage to cram into their day.  And that's not including household duties, shopping, personal care, and conferences/book fairs.  Agents totally work hard for their %15 and deserve a whole lot more.

What are the most common mistakes you see in the queries you review?
 

One of the major ones is not including sample pages.  Make sure you read the submission guidelines for every agent you query.  If they ask for pages, please include them.  It takes a while for your query to make it's way to the top of the pile and if we have to ask for pages, your resent query gets put back at the bottom.  It's a huge time waste for both of us.  

Another mistake is the use of attachments.  Never include attachments unless asked to.  I don't know any agency that opens unsolicited emails and many of them delete all emails with attachments without even opening them.  Always embed your sample pages in the body of the email following your query.

What else have learned from your time in the slush? Any tips for those querying? 

If you have an MA or MFA, make sure your query has only one paragraph about you and make sure it's a small one.  I don't know if MA/MFA holders are just particularly proud of themselves or they think it's going to mean an automatic request for pages, but most of the time the entire query is about the author and his/her hobbies and barely mentions the book they wrote.  

On the other hand, if you don't have any qualifications or publishing credits don't fret.  We will still read your pages and give you just as much a chance as the other authors.  You don't have to include a paragraph about yourself at all if you don't want to.  In a way it's a blessing because you'll have only one thing to talk about: your book.  And that's the one thing we really care about.  

You’re an aspiring author as well as an intern. Where are you with your own writing? Would you like to tell us a little about your current work(s)-in-progress?
 

I've got one MG book completed that i've been querying for a while.  No bites yet, but I did get a few really helpful feedback emails from the agents that have seen it.  It's a first novel anyway and I didn't really expect it to sell as first books rarely do. 

In the meantime, i've been working on a YA book about a girl who has to decide if she wants to be a grim reaper when she dies in thirty days.  It's written in the style of Gayle Forman's If I Stay, one of my favorite books.  More information about both books are on my website.

What else would you like to share about your experience as an intern and a writer?
 

I'll tell you a funny story:  I tend to read queries into the wee hours of the morning.  Just after I started as an intern it was around 3 a.m. and suddenly all the emails in the query box disappeared.  Of course I freaked out, thinking I had done something and the agent was going to fire me and in that overfreakedout state I had the brilliant idea to call the agent.  At 3 in the morning.  They were incredibly gracious for being woken up in the middle of the night and explained that the system had been having problems for a while and that I needed to calm down.  In the end, we switched servers and things have been pretty good since.  

You received your Masters in Creative Writing in England. I’m so jealous! What was the experience like? How has it informed and affected your writing?
 

I actually wrote up a post about what it was like that you can read here ( http://camarshall.blogspot.com/2009/08/mighty-ma.html ) In short, it was the best thing i've ever done, even if I will be paying off student loans until I'm 80.  I met some real quality people and had the most amazing adventures.  It was so very worth it.

It deffo had an impact on my writing.  I actually started out in the poetry section as that was the focus of my undergrad dissertation and what I used to get accepted to the UK university in the first place.  I asked to switch to fiction and they let me and I haven't written a poem since. 

I also write with a British accent sometimes.  I don't know why or how that happens, but it does and I don't notice it.  Thank goodness for critique partners and editor friends! 

Where can readers follow your journey as an intern and aspiring author?
 

There's my website, camarshall.comhttp://camarshall.com/ and a blog at camarshall.blogspot.com and also i'm on Twitter constantly, twitter.com/thatwemightfly

I'm slowly adding internship goings-on into the blog, so check there if that's what interests you.

If you're on twitter, be sure to follow these hashtags to get the most out of the literary circles there: #thingsishouldnotseeinaquery #queries #askagent #YAlitchat #pubtip #writechat Tweetdeck is awesome for following hashtags as you can have a column dedicated to each one.

Thank you so much for giving us your time. Do you have any closing remarks?
 

Only that you should never give up, never stop writing.  It only takes one agent to say yes to your work.

Also, I encourage any of your readers that have any specific questions to shoot me an email at camarshallwrites@gmail.com and i'll try to help as best as I can, even with your queries.  Due to legal concerns though, I cannot read or help with your manuscripts.

Great interview, Cassandra!  I love the advice about not giving up.  And the story about waking the agent up at 3 a.m. is classic.  Oops!  Good luck to you on your journey to publication!

Agent Spotlight: Jim McCarthy

This week's Agent Spotlight features Jim McCarthy of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC.
Status update on 12/30/2025: Jim is open to submissions.

About: "Jim McCarthy interned for Dystel, Goderich & Bourret while studying urban design at New York University. Upon graduating, Jim realized he would much rather continue working with books than make the jump (as he had originally intended) to the field of city planning. Eighteen years later, he remains at DG&B as a VP and agent. As an avid fiction reader, his interests encompass both literary and commercial works in the adult, young adult, and middle grade categories. He is particularly interested in literary fiction, underrepresented voices, fantasy, mysteries, romance, anything unusual or unexpected, and any book that makes him cry or laugh out loud. In addition to fiction he is also interested in narrative nonfiction whether it be memoir, historical, science, pop culture, or just a darn good polemic." (Link)
About the Agency:
"Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC is a dynamic literary agency boasting an impressive client list and a sterling reputation. Led by Jane Dystel, who founded the company in 1994, our agents are smart, hardworking, compassionate, and focused on their authors’ success. We are a full-service enterprise known for our business savvy and integrity.
"We don’t just sell books. We build careers." (Link)
Web Presence:
DGLM website.
DGLM Facebook.
QueryTracker.
AgentQuery.
What He's Looking For:
Genres/Specialties:
Middle grade, young adult, literary fiction, commercial fiction, literary women’s fiction, underrepresented voices, mysteries, romance, paranormal fiction, anything unusual or unexpected, narrative nonfiction, memoir, and paranormal nonfiction. (Link defunct)
Additional genres listed on his  QueryTracker profile.
From the agency website:
Children's Nonfiction: "Jim says...On Saturdays when I was growing up, my family would pile into the station wagon and head off to the library. One of my earliest memories is of my oldest sister sitting in the kids’ section and reading Babar to me. Our quest, as a family, was always to find our new favorite books. I have never really stopped that search. No matter how many good, or great books I read, I always have faith that I’ll come across something that I like as much or more than my current favorite.
"Those moments of discovery are what have kept me reading as much as I always have. Whether it was the time a teacher gave me a copy of The Hunchback of Notre Dame as a gift, when I happened across a copy of Bee Season, or when I began reading The House of Leaves, these somewhat revelatory instances are among my most cherished memories.
"For me, the most exciting aspect of working at DG&B is the chance that I may have another one of these moments, and that this time I can help in some way to get that book published."From 
From His Manuscript Wish List:

"I'm always looking for fresh voices--whether that means authors from underrepresented communities, new takes on old tropes, something that hasn't been seen before, or all of the above. I love a great humorous novel, but I'm also not afraid of anything that's extremely dark. I'm always on the lookout for great fiction of any stripe but do gravitate towards YA and the fantastical--still, that doesn't mean I'm not very open to realistic adult fiction and anything in between.

"At this exact moment, I would particularly love to find fantasy or sci-fi in non-Western settings, sagas of family or friendship in the vein of Mary McCarthy's THE GROUP or J. Courtney Sullivan's MAINE, queer stories of any kind (particularly if yours has an asexual, non-binary, or intersex lead), and a super fun mystery.

"I'm probably not your go-to for political or medical thrillers or police procedurals or stories involving time travel (with very rare exceptions). And while I love YA fantasy, I have a strange aversion to stories about fae/faeries."

What He's Not Looking For:
Plays, screenplays, poetry, picture books. (Link)
Editorial Agent?
“I tell people that I would never sign on a project that I wouldn’t be willing to send wide as is, but at the same time, I have never sent a project out as is. I love the editorial stage, and I want to make sure that material is in its best possible shape before editors have a chance to consider.” (Link)
His Advice to Writers:
"If you think you can give up writing, then give it up. If you can't ... if you know that no matter how much stress or rejection or frustration you face, that you can never stop writing? In that case, never give up. Publishing is too hard to face if you aren't in it for the right reasons. But it's not too hard to break into if it's what you need to do." (Link Defunct)
Clients:
A list of his clients is available on the website.
Mr. McCarthy's clients include:
Abigail Savitch-Lew, Adrienne Tooley, Bassey Ikpi, Cam Montgomery, Caroline Richmond, Christine Virnig, Claire Booth, Cliff Burke, Cristin Terrill, Daniel Black, Diana Urban, Emma Clancey, Eric Gansworth, Fonda Lee, Gae Polisner, Ismee Williams, Jake Arlow, Jessica Spotswood, Joy McCullough, Juliet Blackwell, Katrina Kwan, Kosoko Jackson, Laura Creedle, Laura Silverman, Lauren Spieller, Libby Cudmore, Livia Blackburne, Loan Le, Mar Romasco Moore, Michael Arceneaux, Michelle Rowen/Morgan Rhodes, Nicole Melleby, Olivia Abtahi, Rasheed Newson, Rebecca Mix, Remy Lai, Richelle Mead, Robin Talley, Saundra Mitchell, Shawntelle Madison, Tanya Boteju, Tehlor Kay Mejia, Tess Sharpe, and Victoria Laurie among others.

Query Methods:
E-mail: Yes.
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: Yes, https://querytracker.net/query/JimMcCarthy.
Submission Guidelines (always verify):
Query Tracker: Fill out the online form with a query letter; Paste 20 pages of your manuscript in your query. No attachments. Only query one agent at a time.
See the agency website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.
Response Times:
The agency's stated response time for queries is 8 weeks. If you do not hear back within the stated timeframe, feel free to resend (Link). Mr. McCarthy has very quick response times ranging from hours to a couple weeks for queries and just days to a month or so for requested material. 
What's the Buzz?
Mr. McCarthy is top notch. He has fabulous clients and sales, a great work ethic, fast response times, a terrific sense of humor, and his clients really seem to love him.  I've heard nothing but good about him and Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC..
Worth Your Time:
Interviews and Guest Post: 

Agent of the Month Part 1 and Part 2 at Writing and Illustrating (01/2021)
Podcast Interview with Jim McCarthy at Middle Grade Ninja (9/2020).

Literary Agents Answer Your Burning Questions, Part 3 at The Nasiona (06/2019).
Jim McCarthy and Remy Lai Guest Post at Literary Rambles (05/2019).
7 Questions for Literary Agent Jim McCarthy at Middle Grade Ninja (09/2017).
Interview with Literary Agent Jim McCarthy at Amy Newman (08/2014).
Contact:
Please see the Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC website for additional contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last Updated: 12/31/2024.
Agent Contacted for Review? Yes.
Last Reviewed By Agent? 1/21/2025.
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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 an agent. The information found herein is subject to change.