Send a Query to Chelsea Hensley at Mad Woman Literary Agency

Before submitting, please make sure you’ve checked my MSWL to ensure we may be a good fit. Submissions for genres and/or categories I’m not looking for will be automatically passed on.

I aim to respond to queries within 12 weeks, but I may fall behind from time to time. However, all queries submitted through QueryManager will receive a response, even if 12 weeks have passed. Please let me know if you receive an offer of representation from another agent or an offer of publication from a publisher, and I will do my best to prioritize your submission.

You are welcome to withdraw and resubmit at any time, but please do not resubmit a previously passed on project to me without having made extensive revisions. Please only submit to one KT agent at a time, but if one of us passes on your work, feel free to submit to another.

Fiction: If I like your query and want to read more, I will request the first 50 pages and a complete synopsis. If I’d like to read more beyond this, I will request the full manuscript.

Nonfiction: Please submit your full book proposal with your query and make sure to include your bio, credentials, social media handles/ analytics, previous publications in major media or books, and any other media, so that I can get a good sense of your platform.

Illustrators: At this time I’m looking exclusively for author/illustrators in the picture book space. When submitting, please include your full picture book dummy as a PDF or as a link—whichever you prefer. Please also include a link to your portfolio.

I’m unable to offer personalized feedback on every query at this time, due to the volume of submissions. Please know a pass from me isn’t necessarily any indication of the quality of your work—I may just believe myself not to be the best fit. Please continue writing and searching for the best agent for you.

Step 1. Tell us about the author

Fill in these author-related fields.



Tell us a little about yourself and any writing credentials you may have.


Have you previously published other books?      
Have you ever been represented by a literary agent before?      

Step 2. Tell us about the book

Fill in these book-related fields.


This agent only represents the genres shown in this list. Selecting an inaccurate genre will result in a rejection. If your book's genre is not shown here, please go to QueryTracker for a list of agents who do represent your genre.
Enter the approximate WORD count of your book. Enter numbers only. Do not include any letters or special characters.

Is this book currently published or has it ever been published before?      

Enter your query letter for this book. (Tips for formatting and pasting text) Do NOT paste images into this field. Pasting large blocks of text can take several minutes. Please be patient.
Pro Tip: Make your query letter shine, get it critiqued for free at qtCritique.com


(If your book is shorter than this (such as a picture book) please include the entire text.) Paste in the first 5 pages of your book, or your full book proposal if your book is non-fiction. (Tips for formatting and pasting text) Do NOT paste images into this field. Pasting large blocks of text can take several minutes. Please be patient.

Step 3. For Artists and Illustrators

Provide illustrations or art samples, if applicable.


Optional: Sign into QueryTracker

A QueryTracker account is NOT required to send a query. If you are not a member of QueryTracker, you can skip this section.
Or join QueryTracker, a free service that helps authors find agents and keep track of queries.

Signing into QueryTracker will link this query to your QueryTracker account, allowing it to be automatically tracked and displayed in QueryTracker.

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Learn more about auto-tracking queries.

Final Step: Submit Your Query

Important: After submitting your query, you will receive a personalized link to a special page that you can visit any time to check your query's status.

If the recipient of your query would like to read more, they will contact you through that page as well as through email.




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