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You might not yet know how or where you would like to publish your book, but it’s important to explore your options. Many writers initially intend to get a deal with a literary agent with the goal of traditional publishing. This is not the solution for everyone, and may not be the solution for you. However, one of the reasons it can go wrong for so many writers is because we don’t take the time to research the agents we are pursuing. Often, we get excited to reach out to an agent because they represented a famous author, or a writer we know personally. But that doesn’t mean they’re interested in publishing the kind of book we’re writing.
This week, I’m giving you a peek into my pitching package and doing some of the legwork for you. The publishing landscape can be especially intimidating for neurodivergent and disabled writers. I’ve compiled a list of ten literary agents with a special interest in exactly this type of work right now.
One more thing before we dive in: this list is (obviously) not exhaustive and is only a small fraction of my agent research process. You’ll notice that I focus more on agents who are taking submissions in memoir and/or nonfiction because that’s what I coach, but several of these agents only take fiction queries. I came across many agents in my research who were looking for memoir but did not particularly mention neurodivergence or mental health, so I decided to stick to agents committed to neurodivergent writers in all genres. I have no affiliation with any of the agents listed. They all appeared to be taking submissions as of the date I published this post.
- Jennifer Chen Tran is an agent with Glass Literary Management with over a dozen years of experience in the industry (in various publishing houses and literary agencies). She is seeking both fiction and nonfiction from marginalized voices. Per her Manuscript Wish List, her nonfiction interests include: “…hidden narratives about an unseen aspect of the world, riveting stories about overcoming adversity, and health, wellness, financial peace, and spirituality by BIPOC, neurodiverse, and underrepresented creatives.” You can learn more about her and her submission guidelines here.
- Charlotte Wenger has several years of editorial and publishing house experience, now at the Prospect Agency. She’s largely focused on children’s, YA, and author-illustrator books, but her primary adult nonfiction interests are memoir and biography. She has a special interest in stories about social justice and amplifying voices that have not been heard, especially BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and people who are neurodiverse and/or disabled. You can learn more about her submission guidelines here.
- Maria Vicente is a senior agent at P.S. Literary Agency. She is seeking books in adult nonfiction, with a special interest in mental health topics. This would mean if you’re writing a self-development book or a deeply researched book about the mental health system with elements of memoir, this might be the better fit. A straight cover-to-cover narrative memoir, however, might be less up her alley. You can read more about her submission guidelines and interests here.
- Lauren Abramo is the VP and Subsidiary Rights Director at Dystel, Goderich, & Bourret LLC. She does, however, maintain a small client list of well-accomplished authors. Two of her many adult nonfiction interests per her Manuscript Wish List are “Nonfiction about the intersection of the healthcare industry and marginalized populations” and “Accessible reportage on contemporary social issues, especially inside perspectives on communities that are often neglected.” She’s also interested in middle grade fiction by neurodiverse authors. More info can be found here.
- JL Stermer is the founder of and agent at a relatively new agency called NEXT LEVEL LIT. She has years of experience in the publishing industry and plenty of well-known clients. She is seeking memoir with an interest in mental health, feminist issues, social justice, and human rights. Queer, neurodivergent, and BIPOC writers are encouraged to submit. More info can be found here.
- Julie Gourinchas is an agent at Bell Lomax Moreton largely seeking fiction writers with a very specific list of interests you can learn more about here. She is particularly interested in writers typically underrepresented, including disabled, neurodiverse, trans, nonbinary, queer, and BIPOC writers. When it comes to nonfiction, per her agent page, “she is keen to read in the narrative and ‘big ideas’ spaces, particularly in the realms of politics, history, and the social sciences.”
- John Baker can also be found at the Bell Lomax Moreton Agency and has a reputation for representing traditionally underrepresented and neurodiverse authors. He is currently seeking speculative fiction, including adult and YA fantasy, but you can read more specifics on his agent page here.
- Alexandra Weiss started her literary career in 2016 (fun fact: the same year as I did!) in book publicity and marketing, but became an agent in 2021. She’s committed to diverse stories (fiction and nonfiction, particularly those by neurodiverse, genderfluid, disabled, and other marginalized writers. She’s interested in various fiction, graphic novels, middle grade, but only interested in memoir if it is a hybrid with a nonfiction book (straight, narrative memoir would not be a good fit). You can read more of the specifics here.
- Stefanie Molina-Santos exclusively seeks clients who have been underrepresented in publishing. She can be found at Ladderbird Literary Agency and while she is primarily seeking picture books, middle grade, YA, and adult genre fiction, she has some specialty interests in adult nonfiction as well. Note that stories centering around suicide, self-harm, or abuse are not for her (unless simply included in backstory, and should still include a trigger warning). For more details read more here.
- Tara Gilbert is another agent strictly in the fiction space but is dedicated to serving writers who are body diverse, neurodiverse, POC, LGBTQ+/QUILTBAG, and disabled. She is an Associate Literary Agent at KT Literary with interests in several areas of genre fiction, middle grade, author-illustrators, and YA. For more specifics, take a look at her wishlist here.
Please remember to adhere to all submission guidelines before submitting a query and/or proposal. It might seem tedious, but it will save you so much grief in the long term. If you’re looking for guidance with this process or with finding more agents, reach out for a free 30-minute call with me.
Featured photo by Tima Miroshnichenko.
Hanna Etu 