has nearly two decades of experience in the publishing industry. She cut her teeth in New York working at esteemed literary agencies such as Writers House and Harold Ober Associates, where she developed an eye for compelling, emotionally resonant stories, honed her editorial skills, and soon grew adept at contract vetting. She quickly gained expertise in subsidiary rights management, with focuses on audio rights, foreign rights, and permissions. After relocating to Minnesota, Kelly joined Llewellyn Worldwide as their Contracts Manager across all three imprints and then moved to Quarto Publishing Group USA where she led the contract department. She has worked as a freelance editor with various publishers and is a teaching artist at the Loft Literary Center. Kelly’s career came full circle when she realized her true passions was advocating for authors. She is now a literary agent at KT Literary and is actively building a client list. I wish, I wish, I wish… In the Children’s space I am seeking Young Adult across all genres, including Fantasy, Dystopian, Mystery/Suspense, Thriller or light horror elements, Contemporary if it has a super strong hook. For Adult I’m seeking Fantasy, Romantasy, Science-fiction (including near-future), Dystopian, Urban fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Cozy fantasy, Cozy anything, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, genre mash ups of all kinds, Rom-coms. I am also selectively acquiring Nonfiction on occult topics such as magick, witchcraft, tarot and other esoteric topics and modalities. Generally my taste leans more commercial and propulsive, but I love, love, love books that are deeply weird and contemplative and quirky and a little bit literary, too, so please do send those my way! Character development is always going to reign supreme for me; I need characters I care about (which doesn’t mean they have to be likeable, they just have to be worth investing in). I love cinnamon roll boys, girls who dgaf, difficult choices with lasting repercussions, non-romantic relationships explored with depth (friends, siblings, parents). fresh magic systems, lived-in worlds, and books that hurt my feelings. I love found family, I love characters who can’t stand each other, I love people doing bad things for good reasons and people doing good things for bad reasons. If you can make me laugh and make me cry in the same story, you’ve got me. I am especially interested in #ownvoices and inclusive narratives and working with creators who are from traditionally marginalized communities, including but not limited to Indigenous, Black, POC, LGBTQIA+ folx and any and all intersections thereof. I’ve expanded on my interests within each category below. Young Adult I dearly love fantasy, science-fiction, speculative, and other magical elements in YA stories. Even better if mixed and matched with other genres. YA historical fantasy? Yes, please. Alternate universes, fictional worlds, your very own hometown with a secret or sinister twist. If the world-building is original and intricate, if you’re either dismantling existing tropes or executing them exceptionally well, if your characters are complex and come alive on the page then what are you waiting for? Send me your query. Let’s talk about romance in YA. I prefer romance in my YA to be an undercurrent (even an urgent one) but not the main point. Something needs to be going on in universe and in your characters’ lives beyond their love story. Instant love is not for me; I appreciate when characters grow together over the course of a book. Attraction can happen instantly, but intimacy takes time. I am selective about YA contemporary. A strong voice is vital, and again, I love to see a complex web of relationships beyond just romantic (though romance can be included): especially friendships and family relationships. More often than not you need to break my heart or make me fall head over heels in love with your characters in order for me to be the right agent to rep a contemporary boo