Query Submission

Your query will go to Kristin Nelson | Nelson Literary Agency

I am always honored to be included on a writer's submit list. Thank you for querying me!

Please query either Joanna or me, but not both. Our accounts are linked. If you query both (either concurrently or one after receiving a pass from the other), QueryManager will automatically flag all your submissions as repeats.

Please rest assured that we share queries with each other, so a pass from one of us is a pass from both of us. Please wait at least six months before querying us again for the same project, and query again only if the project has been substantially revised. Thanks very much.

Here's what I'm currently looking for:

• Literary/commercial novels that tackle timely issues and uncomfortable or complicated relationship dynamics and leave the reader grappling long after the last page is read (Little Fires Everywhere, Such a Fun Age)

• High-concept, character-driven novels with one foot squarely in genre (Wool, Bird Box, Station 11)

• Absolutely delightful and emotionally engaging novels that can be read over and over again because experiencing that world and those characters is a joy (Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, Less, Crazy Rich Asians, The Kiss Quotient)

• Character-driven novels in the thriller, speculative, or science fiction and fantasy realm that illuminate the world we live in through the lens of an imagined world (The Fifth Season, Ancillary Justice, Gone Girl)

• Historical novels that feature a narrative voice and story that is under-represented in history or a story never before told (Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, The Downstairs Girl, The Ventriloquists)

• Young-adult novels that pack a serious or a delightful emotional punch delivered in a contemporary setting, #ownvoices, or in a past, future, or imagined world

• I am not currently looking at submissions for middle-grade novels.

Please do not send me the following:

• Memoir, nonfiction, screenplays, short-story collections, poetry, or material for the Christian/inspirational market

Step 1. Tell us about the author

Fill in these author-related fields.

First Name: (required)

Last Name: (required)

E-Mail Address: (required)

Biography: (required) Tell us a little about yourself and any writing credentials you may have.

Website Address: (if you have one)

Blog Address (if you have one)

Twitter Handle (if you have one)

Have you ever been represented by a literary agent before? Yes No

If this query is a referral, who referred you?

Have you previously published a novel by a major publisher? If so, please include title(s) & publisher.

If you've had prior agent representation, with whom?

How did you hear about Nelson Literary Agency?

Step 2. Tell us about the book

Fill in these book-related fields.

Title: (required)

Genre: (required) 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.

Word Count: (required) 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? Yes No

Query Letter: (required) Tips for formatting and pasting text 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

The First 10 Pages of Your Book (or full book proposal if non-fiction): (required)
(If your book is shorter than this (such as a picture book) please include the entire text.) Tips for formatting and pasting text Paste in the first 10 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.

Similar Books: List some books that are similar to yours. (500 characters or less)

Optional: Sign into QueryTracker

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Final Step: Submit Your Query

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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.

Your query will go to Kristin Nelson | Nelson Literary Agency

Step 1. Tell us about the author

Step 2. Tell us about the book

Optional: Sign into QueryTracker

You are signed into QueryTracker with username . This query will be linked to that account and auto-tracked in QueryTracker.

Final Step: Submit Your Query

You are signed into QueryTracker with username .
This query will be linked to that account and auto-tracked in QueryTracker.