Elise Howard
ClosedDeFiore and Company·US
Agent profile summary
- Represents
- fictionnarrative non-fiction
- Looking for
- Query Letter, Synopsis, First Five Pages
- How to submit
- Online Form
Needs verification·Last verified: 3 May 2026
Elise Howard is a literary agent at DeFiore and Company based in US. Their list focuses on fiction and narrative non-fiction. Currently closed to submissions, with responses usually within Four weeks. Submissions via Online Form. For current guidelines, check the agent's own submission page linked below.
Age Categories
Adult, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Children's, Picture Books
Response Time
Usually responds within Four weeks
Notable Clients
Masuma Ahuja, Avi, Tracey Baptiste, Kelly Barnhill, Sara Farizan, Kelly Jensen, Nova Ren Suma
Notes
Previously the founding publisher of Algonquin Young Readers and SVP at HarperCollins Children's Books. Has edited books that won the Newbery Medal twice and the Edgar Allen Poe Award for best juvenile novel twice. Not looking for adult genre fiction.
Other agents at DeFiore and Company
DeFiore and Company
Open
RepresentsLiterary fiction, commercial fiction, women's fiction, fantasy, science fiction, romance, mystery, young adult, pop culture, select non-fiction
Looking forShe seeks compelling stories with clear concepts, fresh voices and emotional heart that grab readers from the first page. She is especially interested in emerging writers and underrepresented voices, looking to develop long-term relationships.
How to submitEmail a brief query letter containing information about your book, your bio, and the first five pages in the body of the email. Include the word 'query' and your book title in the subject line.
Recently verified
DeFiore and Company
Open
RepresentsFiction, non-fiction
Looking forShe gravitates towards fiction with memorable characters, captivating voices, and original plotting, and relishes a great page-turner as much as a literary masterpiece. She is intrigued by a wide range of nonfiction, from narrative to practical, especially focusing on lifestyle, parenting, women's issues, and memoirs that exhibit quirky perspectives. She does not work with science fiction, horror, romance, or paranormal novels.
How to submitPlease email at Caryn@defliterary.com, using the word 'Query' and your book's title in the subject line. Please include a brief, compelling description of the book in the email, along with a short bio, and for fiction and memoir, please include the first five pages of the manuscript in the body of the email. Attachments will not be opened unless requested.
Recently verified
DeFiore and Company
Open
RepresentsFiction, non-fiction, memoir, popular culture, pop science, sports, self-help, inspiration, cookbooks, humor, lifestyle
Looking forDeFiore responds favorably to projects that demonstrate real storytelling talent with strong narrative drive and mastery of voice. In non-fiction he favors memoir, popular culture, pop science, sports, self-help and inspiration, cookbooks, humor and lifestyle. In fiction he seeks all sorts of novels except romance or western, for both adult and young adult readers.
How to submitSend a persuasive e-mail to Querybrian@defliterary.com indicating the kind of book you are writing, a brief description of the book's contents, anything about your life experiences that will make readers take notice, and demonstrate creativity, confidence, and precision in the prose.
Recently verified
DeFiore and Company
Open
RepresentsNon-fiction
Looking forLaurie strives to maintain an eclectic list that spans history, science, nature, sports, adventure and the outdoors, health and wellness, self-improvement, investigative journalism, big ideas, women's studies, pop culture, food, technology, the traditional past and speculative future, and the offbeat. She is very interested in working with people of color and those from historically marginalized communities who are writing on these topics. She also represents a select group of artists.
How to submitSend a brief email describing you and your project to Laurie@defliterary.com. Please include the word "query" and your book title in the subject line. Attachments will not be opened unless requested. Submissions do not need to be exclusive.
Recently verified
DeFiore and Company
Open
RepresentsNovelists, memoir, narrative nonfiction, celebrity books, academic nonfiction, journalism, commercial fiction, literary fiction
Looking forLisa represents novelists and memoirists with narrative urgency, dramatic tension, multi-faceted characters, and a transporting sense of place, as well as experts, celebrities, academics, and journalists writing across nonfiction categories.
How to submitEmail the first ten pages of the manuscript or proposal to lgsubmissions@defliterary.com in the body of the message. No hard-copy submissions and no attachments.
Recently verified
DeFiore and Company
Open
RepresentsNon-fiction, memoir, narrative non-fiction, prescriptive, christian, sports
Looking forShe is passionate about stories that must be told and is drawn in particular to authors whose faith engages the wider world. Chris represents books across a broad spectrum of nonfiction including memoirs, narrative, prescriptive, Christian, and sports, and works with authors to develop books that are appealing and accessible to a broad audience.
How to submitSubmit query letter including a brief summary of your project, short description of why you're writing it, any specific credentials, and first five pages for fiction only via the online form.
Needs verification
Agents with overlapping taste
New Leaf Literary and Media
RepresentsChildren's fiction, adult fiction, women's fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoir, debut fiction, young adult, middle grade
Looking forShe loves women's fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoir, and debut fiction. On the children's side, she is interested in select Young Adult and Middle Grade. She 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.
How to submitVisit agent's website for details
Recently verified
Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC
Open
RepresentsMiddle grade, young adult, upmarket adult fiction, grounded fantasy, adult romance, narrative non-fiction, graphic novels, picture books
Looking forMichaela is most strongly interested in finding middle grade and young adult projects of all genres, upmarket adult fiction, and grounded fantasy. They are also open to select adult romance, narrative nonfiction for both children and adults, graphic novels, and picture books. Specifically seeks sibling stories.
How to submitSubmit only via Query Manager. Include full query in body, first 25 pages for fiction or proposal with sample chapter for nonfiction. For picture books, include full text and dummy or sample art if available. Query only one agent at the agency at a time.
Recently verified
Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC
Closed
RepresentsChildren's fiction, picture books, middle grade fiction, young adult fiction, commercial fiction, literary fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoir, middle grade non-fiction, graphic novels
Looking forOffbeat projects that break the mold, with particular interest in queer and BIPOC literature and writers. He wants to read something that moves him and connects on an intellectual, emotional or spiritual level. He specifically wants to see more middle grade fiction and nonfiction, and graphic novels.
How to submitSubmit only via Query Manager. Include query letter in body and first 25 pages of manuscript for fiction or proposal with sample chapter for nonfiction. For picture books, include full text and dummy or sample art if available. For graphic novels, include first 25 pages of script plus illustrated pages if author or illustrator.
Recently verified
Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC
Closed
RepresentsLiterary fiction, commercial fiction, fantasy, mystery, romance, narrative non-fiction, memoir, history, pop culture, children's non-fiction
Looking forJim 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. He wants to see more children's nonfiction.
How to submitSubmit to Jim McCarthy only via Query Manager at https:// queryManager.com or JimMcCarthy. Include query letter in body with first 25 pages of manuscript for fiction or proposal with sample chapter for nonfiction.
Recently verified
The Seymour Agency
Open
RepresentsPicture books, cookbooks, middle grade, young adult, science fiction, fantasy, horror, suspense, contemporary fiction, upmarket women's fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir
Looking forJennifer Wills is a literary agent at The Seymour Agency. She is interested in a wide range of picture books and cookbooks, especially author-illustrators of sweet and wacky picture books and cookbooks with health-conscious, budget-friendly, or celebrity-chef recipes. In fiction she is interested in middle grade and YA with a sci-fi/fantasy, horror/suspense, or contemporary bent, and upmarket women's fiction with a sense of humor. In nonfiction she welcomes narrative nonfiction and memoir. She wants a great hook, a distinct voice, and work that can make her laugh out loud or ugly cry.
How to submitQuery Jennifer Wills through her official Seymour QueryManager link: https://querymanager.com or query or JenniferWills. The current Seymour profile also lists jennifer@theseymouragency.com as a contact email, but the public query route is QueryManager.
Recently verified
Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc.
Open
RepresentsFiction, narrative nonfiction
Looking forDoug has been an agent at Sterling Lord Literistic since 2003. His list consists of fiction and narrative nonfiction for all ages, ranging from literary to commercial work.
How to submitSubmit through Sterling Lord Literistic's submissions page and choose only one SLL agent to query. The agency says it can only respond if interested in seeing more material.
Recently verified
Browse by genre
This profile was last verified on 3 May 2026. PairPi tracks UK literary agents' submission guidelines against their own websites. If you spot something wrong, please email hello@pairpi.com.