Books that explore intersectional and marginalized voices with dynamic characters, compelling relationships, and absorbing settings.
Not accepting picture books, graphic novels, novels-in-verse, and adult projects from new clients.
Beth Phelan has been working in publishing since 2010 and is a senior literary agent at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency since 2017. She is a winner of the CBC Diversity Outstanding Achievement Award and Publisher's Weekly Notable Person of the Year Reader's Pick. She founded #DVpit, a pitch event for marginalized creators, and DiverseVoices, Inc., a nonprofit organization supporting marginalized book creators.
Please note that I am only actively seeking to consider projects of MG and YA fiction (and/or just the right nonfiction project for those age categories) at this time. Although I sometimes sell picture books, graphic novels, novels-in-verse, and adult projects, I am not accepting those from new clients and reserve those sales for my current client list. Genres: - Contemporary - Fantasy - Magical realism - Speculative - Romance - Light horror - Thriller/mystery I am particularly looking to work with authors from marginalized communities (BIPOC, queer/trans/enby, religious minorities, disabled folks including neurodivergent, etc). I am not a good fit for: - Books about school shootings - Self harm - Disordered eating - Animal cruelty - Anything promoting copaganda - Material generated by AI Please include content warnings if any of the above are even incidentally mentioned and definitely content warnings for anything about suicide. I am not interested in working with any authors who still support/enjoy JK Rowling or don't see the issue with book bans or the genocide of Palestinians by the Israeli state. I'm looking to be swept away by new worlds, dynamic characters, compelling relationships, and absorbing settings. I feel deeply, and I want books that meet me there. I'm in particular interested in championing intersectional, marginalized voices, pushing boundaries, and seeing if we can shake things up a bit. Submission Method: Use the form on QueryManager. This is the primary method of querying. However, in cases where accommodations due to disability are needed, email queries are accepted with your query letter and first 10 pages pasted in the body of the email. For your subject line, please put your book title and the category and genre of the work you are submitting, i.e. [TITLE]: [Category] [Genre].
Last verified: March 31, 2026
High Line Literary Collective
Ultra Literary
Focused Artists
New Leaf Literary & Media
Response time: ~10 weeks