9 Agents Looking for Debut Writers
Where to Query This Week (7.2.25) | Plus, what happens when a big break turns into a dead end
Welcome to Sub Club’s Where to Query This Week!
You know that moment when you think you’ve finally made it, only to watch it all fall apart? Well, so does our guest this week,
! In the candid essay below, she gets honest about finding an agent, losing the agent, and ultimately finding a better fit than she ever imagined.If you need further validation that everyone’s publishing path is more of a maze than a straight line, this one is for you.
My Agent Dropped Me. My Memoir Still Found a Good Home
I got an agent: a big, impressive New York agent. I thought that was the end of my literary struggles and the beginning of my success.
Wrong.
In the summer of 2023, we went on submission with a narrative nonfiction project. Usually, I’m a control freak: I want my hands in everything. But in a rare moment of uncharacteristic chill, I didn’t review the list of editors my agent planned to go out to. I decided to trust the professional. Growth, I told myself proudly.
A couple of months later, I followed up. The agent sent a batch of very nice passes, including one close call that made it to an acquisitions board before being rejected. The rejections were positive and encouraging; I felt like the project just hadn’t found the right match.
However, when I dug into the original list while compiling a second round myself, I discovered several editors I wished we’d gone out to in the first round. Alas, I learned that because another editor at their house had already passed, we’d burned our shot with those imprints. That meant many of the editors with whom I felt most aligned—those with more nuanced and feminist track records—were now off the table. I kicked myself for not vetting the list sooner.
Then came the real heartbreak: My agent didn’t want to go out for another round. Period. Full stop. Worse, they didn’t want to take out my memoir, my pride and joy. They said non-celebrity memoirs were hard to sell, and their confidence was shaken after the initial project didn't sell on the first round (ugh). I was crushed.
I hate querying. The thought of doing it again gave me hives. I dragged my feet for nearly a year. Eventually, I sent out a dozen or so queries, but my heart wasn’t in it.
In the meantime, I turned to contests. An early draft of my memoir made the Long List for the Santa Fe Writers Project Literary Awards. The next draft was a finalist for Trio House Press’s Aurora Polaris Creative Nonfiction Award. I also submitted the book proposal for my narrative nonfiction project to Book Pipeline and was named a runner-up—they’re now helping me find a publisher.
To be honest, I was disappointed I didn't win the Trio House contest, although I knew the manuscript needed another thorough revision. Still, I loved everything I knew about the press. They’re based in my home state of Minnesota, and their Executive Director, Kris Bigalk, sent me a thoughtful, personalized note about how much she resonated with my manuscript and what she thought the revision needed. I appreciated the note, though I didn’t respond at the time—when I’m bummed, silence feels more gracious than a forced “thank you” and people get too much email anyway—but I didn’t forget her words.
In November, I hired a developmental editor and set to work on yet another revision of my memoir. Then, in March, I attended the AWP conference. I wasn’t feeling particularly social, but I had one mission: meet Kris. I methodically snaked through the expo until I found her table and introduced myself. We had a brief but lovely chat. I told her I was working on the revision. She mentioned their upcoming contest—I was already planning to submit, along with a handful of other presses I had on my radar.
A couple of weeks later, I got an email from Kris. “It was great to see you at AWP. I just can't stop thinking about Girl Gone Wild,” she wrote. She wanted to acquire my memoir!
I was delighted to hear from her, but not surprised. Something about us working together had always felt a little fated.
Of course, I did my due diligence on the offer. Pro tip: Join the Authors Guild for affordable help with contract review. I used to be a legal assistant and worked in Hollywood and as a freelance writer for a long time, so I felt confident negotiating my own terms. However, if you're not savvy with legal documents and don't have an agent, you'll likely want to hire a professional. Ultimately, I was happy with where we landed on the deal, and I didn't want to keep looking. I wanted to work with Kris, and more than anything, I wanted my book out in the world.
When it came to the announcement, I wanted a Publisher’s Marketplace deal notice real bad. The press submitted it, but after several days of nothing, I was worried it wasn't going to happen. To make myself feel better, I looked up a few authors I admire who didn’t get PM notices for their debuts and tried to shake it off. In a last-ditch effort, I sent a gentle nudge—an underrated, highly effective tool—and it worked! I let out a little squee when I saw the announcement the next morning. I even ordered a mug with the deal notice printed on it (and one for Kris, too.) It’s my daily manifestation for the book’s success.
Right now, I’m gearing up for the final revision of Girl Gone Wild. It’s surreal that it’s almost done. I’m also working with the press’s designer on the book cover, which I'm finding to be a thrilling and terrifying process. The cover is your book's billboard; it's such a monumental decision, you want to be in love with it. I have butterflies waiting for the second round of mock-ups.
Ironically, where I’ve landed in terms of publishing is this: I’m not sure I want a literary agent right now. I do want a Hollywood manager and agent (I’m currently unrepped for TV and film—call me!). But for books? Maybe I’m a small-press girlie, at least for now. I love the intimacy of working with a small team, mostly one-on-one with Kris. I wouldn’t take kindly to editorial or marketing decisions that don’t feel aligned with my work, which seems more likely at a Big Five publisher.
The only kind of literary agent I want is someone who really gets me, shares similar taste, and appreciates what’s cool about my multifaceted body of work—not someone just interested in a one-off project. (That standard querying advice to focus on a single manuscript has always struck me as absurd.) Ideally, my future agent will seek me out, rather than vice versa, and I suspect that won’t happen until I’ve published at least one or two books.
If all goes well, I’d love to keep publishing with Trio House Press. It would be beautiful to grow with them and become a staple on their list. My hunch is that it would be better to work with a Big Five publisher after I've established myself as a proven entity, when there's less temptation to water down my work—but a good editor could totally change my mind! I want to be prolific, so hopefully there are many chances down the pike. Also, publishing—and the business models for all media—are changing. Maybe a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship with a small press is the perfect answer to the modern publishing industry.
Selling my first book has been a rollercoaster—fun, exhilarating, and at times nauseating—but what I’ve learned so far is this: I know what I want. My instincts are typically wise. And when the front door doesn’t open, sometimes sneaking around to the side entrance leads somewhere even better.
Courtney Kocak is a writer, podcaster, and comedian based in Los Angeles. She wrote for Amazon’s Emmy-winning animated series Danger & Eggs and Netflix’s Know It All podcast. She’s produced a slew of highly-ranked podcasts—including The Bellas Podcast, which debuted at #1 on Apple Podcasts, PayPal’s Never Stand Still, and Girlboss Radio—and currently hosts three of her own: Private Parts Unknown, about love and sexuality around the world, with over 2 million downloads to date, and The Bleeders, about book writing and publishing, and Podcast Bestie, a best friend to podcasters trying to grow and monetize their shows (and a popular Substack). As a writer, her bylines include The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Cosmopolitan, BUST, Bustle, InsideHook, and more. You can find her on Instagram and Twitter at @courtneykocak.
9 Agents Looking for Debut Writers
From literary fiction to genre-bending thrillers, these agents are hungry for fresh voices and actively seeking debut authors.
If you’re querying and want a curated list specially made for your manuscript AND help with your query letter, be sure to check out my Personal Agent List service!
»» Get your own agent list here ««
This part of the column is for paid subscribers only. Paid subscriptions are the only way we fund this newsletter. We are 100% human-made and paid. So if you have the means, please consider signing up for more content like today’s column.
 | A guest post by
|