Writers House was founded in 1974 and is one of the largest full-service independent agencies in the world. I’ve had the privilege of working with Steven Malk and his wonderful list of authors and illustrators over the past five years and am excited to be building my own list.

I’m primarily looking for authors and illustrators of Picture Books, Middle Grade, Young Adult, New Adult, and Graphic Novels. I am also open to select Adult projects, currently by referral only. I'm actively seeking stories that reflect diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, as well as underrepresented voices and perspectives.

Picture Book Author-Illustrators

I'm looking for talented author-illustrators of picture books. From heartwarming to humorous, I'm eager to see unique storytelling combined with visually compelling artwork.

Some favorites: The Skull by Jon Klassen; Say My Name by Joanna Ho, illustrated by Khoa Le; We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade; Big by Vashti Harrison; We Are Definitely Human by X. Fang; Everyday Bean by Stephanie Graegin; The Café at the Edge of the Woods by Mikey Please; Sundust by Zeke Peña; Pokko and the Drum by Matthew Forsythe.

Middle Grade

Middle-grade fiction holds a special place in my heart. I'm on the lookout for high-concept, imaginative tales, relatable characters, and themes that resonate with young readers. From contemporary stories to fantasy and science fiction, I'm open to a wide range of genres. Give me your dragons, spaceships, magic schools, and kid-detectives!

Some favorites: The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill; The Conjureverse series by Dhonielle Clayton; The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day; The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera; The Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend; Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston; Front Desk by Kelly Yang; City Spies by James Ponti; Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell; The Incorruptibles by Lauren Magaziner.

Young Adult

As with middle grade, I am especially drawn to fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal. I love immersive worlds, unique magic systems, motley crews, and planet-faring adventures.

Recent favorites include: Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao; We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds; Legacy of Orisha series by Tomi Adeyemi; Skyward by Brandon Sanderson; The Aurora Cycle by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff; Wilder Girls by Rory Power; The Legendborn Cycle by Tracy Deonn; Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid.

All time favorites: The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot; A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray; The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld; The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer; The Secret Circle by L.J. Smith; Enchantress from the Stars by Sylvia Engdahl; the Grishaverse books by Leigh Bardugo; and anything by Sarah Dessen.

Graphic Novels

I’m especially eager to expand my list in the graphic novel space. I grew up reading manga (still do!) which has informed my love of the graphic novel genre from compelling slice of life to page-turning action and adventure. Visually distinctive and compelling storytelling is a must. Some favorites include: This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki; the Heartstopper series by Alice Oseman; Anzu and the Realm of Darkness by Mai K. Nguyen; the Lightfall graphic novels by Tim Probert; the Lumberjanes graphic novels by ND Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, and Gus Allen; Bog Myrtle by Sid Sharp; anything by Kay O’Neill.

Other Favorites

This section wouldn’t be complete without some of my childhood favorites: The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper; Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series; Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy; any Nancy Drew book; anything by Meg Cabot, Madeleine L’Engle, or Anne McCaffrey; and way too many more to include here.

And for good measure, here are a few film/TV favorites, too: The Owl House; Amphibia; She-Ra and the Princesses of Power; Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts; Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia; Encanto; Lost In Space (the Netflix reboot); Pan’s Labyrinth; KPop Demon Hunters. If you can comp your work to one of these, consider me interested!

Adult

I’m currently only open to very select adult projects, as my primary focus is in the children’s space. I have omnivorous taste in adult fiction, though as with MG and YA, I am particularly drawn to the speculative.

Recent favorites include: When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill; The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal; The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune; The Stormlight Archive series and Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson; The Expanse series by James S. A. Corey; The Southern Reach series by Jeff VanderMeer; The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst; A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab; A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark.

My tastes were informed by a healthy diet of: Jane Austen, Anne McCaffrey, Larry Niven, Charlaine Harris, Melanie Rawn, Michael Crichton, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (specifically the Pendergast series), and of course JRR Tolkien and Robert Jordan.

Finally, here are some favorite shows I’d be excited to see as comps: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Lost, Schitt’s Creek, Severance, and Star Trek.

If your project sounds like it might be a good fit, I’d love to see it! But I’m also open to being surprised–so don’t count me out if your project doesn’t quite fit my current MSWL.

Submission Guidelines

Please send a query letter via the online form at querymanager.com/courtneydonovan

• I only accept queries via Query Manager. If you need an accommodation, please email me at cdonovansubmissions(at)writershouse.com. Queries sent by mail will not be considered.

• You may only query one agent at Writers House at a time. If I pass, you're welcome to query another agent. Additionally, please only send one project at a time.

• I reply to all queries, though my response time may vary. Please do let me know if you receive an offer of representation from another agent at any point.