agents at dmla

Donald Maass, President

Donald Maass founded the Donald Maass Literary Agency in New York in 1980. His agency sells more than 150 novels every year to major publishers in the U.S. and overseas. He is the author of The Career Novelist (1996), Writing the Breakout Novel (2001), Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook (2004), The Fire in Fiction (2009) and The Breakout Novelist (2011). He is a past president of the Association of Authors’ Representatives, Inc.

Query via email at info@maassagency.com and include a synopsis and first five pages pasted into the body of the email; no attachments.

More about Donald Maass here.

Writer Unboxed interview Part I

Writer Unboxed interview Part II

Twitter: @DonMaass

Jennifer Jackson, Vice President

Jennifer Jackson joined the Donald Maass Literary Agency of New York City in 1993. Growing up reading science fiction and fantasy led naturally to a concentration in that genre, which she continues to champion. She went on to pioneer the expansion of the agency into the areas of romance and women's fiction, and is developing her list in the mystery and suspense genres, as well as YA fiction. Her current roster includes New York Times best-selling fantasy writer Jim Butcher, Hugo Award winning science fiction author Elizabeth Bear, USA Today best-selling author Anne Bishop, Nebula and Hugo finalist Cherie Priest, and RITA Award Winner Shelley Bates. Previously, she worked as a bookseller for Waldenbooks, and also for Forbidden Planet, the retail division of London's Titan Books.

Query via email at query.jjackson@maassagency.com and include a synopsis and first five pages pasted into the body of the email; no attachments. For more information, please visit http://www.jenniferjackson.org

Twitter: @arcaedia

Cameron McClure, Agent and Rights Director

Cameron McClure joined the Donald Maass Literary Agency in 2004, and handles the agency's foreign and film rights as well as her own growing client list. Prior to this she worked as an assistant agent for Curtis Brown. She represents mostly fiction, and is especially looking for projects that combine genre style plotting with literary quality writing. She's also interested in seeing literary fiction, mystery and suspense, urban fantasy (fantasy and SF set on earth), and projects with multi-cultural, international, environmental, and GBLT themes. She's drawn to non-fiction that reads like fiction, and that explores subcultures or topics that haven't quite broken into the mainstream.

E-mail her at cameron.mcclure@gmail.com with the query letter and first 5 pages pasted into the body of the e-mail.

More about Cameron McClure here and here.

Twitter: @BookCannibal

Stacia Decker, Agent

Stacia Decker joined the Donald Maass Literary Agency in 2009. A former editor at Harcourt and Otto Penzler Books, she began her career at Farrar, Straus & Giroux after earning an MFA in nonfiction writing at Columbia University. She represents noir, crime fiction, thrillers, literary fiction, literary suspense, and cross-genre fiction with speculative elements.

***Note: Stacia is closed to queries ***

For rights inquiries, email her at sdecker@maassagency.com

Twitter: @StaciaDecker

Katie Shea, Agent

Katie Shea joined the Donald Maass Literary Agency in 2011. She was previously an agent with the Johnson Literary Agency. She specializes in fiction and memoir, especially women’s fiction and commercial-scale literary fiction. She is also seeking memoir, narrative non-fiction, food, pop culture, health and lifestyle, and realistic YA. She is most interested in coming-of-age stories and stories of unique relationships. Some of her favorite authors include: Joan Didion, Mary Karr, Michael Cunningham, Alice Sebold, and Jean Kwok (Girl in Translation). She is a graduate of Marist College.

To query, email Katie at kshea@maassagency.com with query, a synopsis, and the first five pages pasted into the body of the email, no attachments please.

Twitter: @AgentShea

Amy Boggs, Agent and Contract Manager

Amy Boggs joined the agency in 2009. She is looking for fantasy and science fiction, especially urban fantasy, paranormal romance, steampunk, YA/children's, and alternate history. Historical fiction, Westerns, and works that challenge their genre are also welcome. She is seeking projects with characters who are diverse in any and all respects, such as (but not limited to) gender, race, ethnicity, disability, and sexuality. She is not looking for thrillers, women's fiction, or picture books. She is a graduate of Vassar College.

To query, email Amy at aboggs@maassagency.com with query, first five pages, and short synopsis pasted into the body of the email.

Twitter: @notjustanyboggs

Jennifer Udden, Agent

Jennifer Udden joined the DMLA in 2010. She represents speculative fiction, urban fantasy, and mysteries, as well as historical, contemporary, and paranormal romance. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College and previously worked in nonprofit arts fundraising. She can be reached at judden@maassagency.com.

Twitter: @suddenlyjen