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Agent Spotlight & Agent Spotlight Updates

  • Agent Spotlights & Interviews have been updated through the letter "H" as of 5/11/2023 and many have been reviewed by the agents. Look for more information as I find the time to update more agent spotlights.

Agent Spotlight: Marie Lamba

This week's Agent Spotlight features Marie Lamba of the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency.
Status: Open to submissions, actively building her client list.
marielambaAbout: Marie Lamba (www.marielamba.com) is author of the young adult novels What I Meant… (Random House), Over My Head and Drawn, of the picture book Green Green: A Community Gardening Story(Farrar Straus Giroux), and of the upcoming picture book A Day So Gray (Clarion). Her articles appear in more than 100 publications, and she's a frequent contributor to Writer’s Digest.  Marie has worked as an editor, an award-winning public relations writer, a book publicist, and has taught classes on novel writing and on author promotion. ” (Link)
About the Agency:
The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency is a New York City-based full-service literary agency founded in 2001 and named one of the top 25 literary agencies in the country by Writer’s Digest. The agency represents children’s literature for all ages – picture books and middle-grade and young adult novels – but also represents high-quality adult fiction and non-fiction in a wide range of genres. JDLA is proud to represent illustrators, as well as screenwriters for both television and film, including Emmy and Peabody Award-winning writers and illustrators. What sets JDLA apart from other agencies is our holistic approach to managing every aspect of an author’s career to make the most of their project's potential.” (Link)
Web Presence:
JD Lit Website.
Author website/blog.
Twitter.
Facebook.
Manuscript Wish List
LinkedIn.
QueryTracker.
What She's Looking For:
Genres/Specialties:
Picture books, middle grade and young adult fiction and non-fiction, general fiction, and women’s fiction.
From the Website:
I'm currently seeking middle grade and young adult fiction and non-fiction, especially with diverse points of view, or a STEM tie-in. I also want general adult fiction and women’s fiction. I’d love to find an original women's novel that would inspire the next smart and funny chick flick. I want memoirs with strong voices and unique, inspiring stories (especially foodie memoirs, or ones with a celebrity or pop culture connection). I also represent a select number of established illustrators and picture book authors. I’d love a fresh non-gory ghost story for any age. I’m fascinated with hidden treasures, artifacts and with discovering ancient civilizations right beneath our feet. I’m a huge fan of folklore and fairy tales, and, while I wouldn’t want a retelling, I always enjoy those elements woven into a story in a unique way. Overall, books that are original, moving and/or hilarious are especially welcome.” (Link)
What She Isn't Looking For:
I'm NOT interested in Christian fiction, adult non-fiction, horsey books, genre science fiction or high fantasy (though I am open to speculative elements, especially in middle grade fiction), erotica, category romance (though romantic elements are welcomed in novels), or books that feature graphic violence.” (Link)
Editorial Agent?
Yes, as needed.
Quotables:
Some favorite titles on my reading shelf include Searching for Caleb by Anne Tyler, Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffeneger, The Once and Future King by T.H. White, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, Shug by Jenny Han, and Dogzilla and Hallo-weiner by Dav Pilkey. For more insight into my tastes, check out the books I’ve authored, as well as the works of the authors I represent, and visit marielamba.com for my Agent Monday blog posts.” (Link)
Clients:
The agency represents over 200 clients, including a PEN Award-winner and a Newbery Honor Medal winner. A list of selected clients can be found on the agency website. 
Ms. Lamba’s clients include: Carmella Van Vleet, Tracey Baptiste, Erin Teagan, Harmony Verna, Gregory Frost, among others.
Query Methods:
E-mail: Yes (only).
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: No.
Submission Guidelines (always verify):
Please email a query to marie.jdlit@gmail.com. Put "Query" in the subject line of your email, and please send the first twenty pages in the body of your email (no attachments), along with a one-paragraph bio and a one-paragraph synopsis within your query letter. Memoir authors, please also follow this format. Established picture book authors and/or illustrators, please email your query with your bio and the complete picture book manuscript pasted into the body of the email. Illustrators, if I am interested in seeing your work, I will contact you in response to your query about submitting your artwork for consideration.” (Link)
Query only one agent at the agency at a time. 
See the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines. 
Query Tips:
“In the query, if you don’t include my name, if you address the query To Whom It May Concern, or you misspell my name, things start off on a bad foot right away. If your letter is riddled with misspellings and grammatical errors, I’m going to be really turned off (if you can’t pull off one page, how are you going to write an entire book?). And if you show off a bad attitude in your query, saying things like ‘I know you agents don’t really care and I’m pretty sick of trying to get your attention,’ or ‘If you know what’s good for you, then you’d better write back to me right away,’ then there is no way I’m going to want to work with you.” (Link)
See the interviews below for more query tips and preferences.
Response Times:
She responds to all submissions that follow the guidelines, but her time period for doing so varies widely depending on her workload.
What's the Buzz?
Marie Lamba began agenting July of 2011 and is actively building her client list. She has been very selective so far.
You can find her on Twitter and her blog where she talks about her books, writing and, occasionally, agenting things.
Worth Your Time:
(Agent) Interviews and Podcasts:
Podcast with Marie Lamba (YouTube) at Middle Grade Ninja (08/2021)
Interview with Marie Lamba of the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency at MiG Writers (05/2012).
Q&A with literary agent and author Marie Lamba - Part 1 at An Englishman in New Jersey (03/2012).
Q&A with literary agent and author Marie Lamba - Part 2 at An Englishman in New Jersey (03/2012).
Interview with Literary Agent Marie Lamba at All the Write Stuff (02/2011).
Blog Stuff:
Ms. Lamba has a blog on her author website. She has an Agent Monday post where she often spotlights other agents.
Contact:
Please see the Jennifer DeChiara website for contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last updated: 4/26/2019 Updated 5/13/2020 as to submission status
Agent Contacted For Review? Yes.
Last Reviewed By Agent? 4/30/19.
***
Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at natalieiaguirre7@gmail.com

Note: These agent profiles and interviews presently focus on agents who accept children's fiction. Please take the time to verify anything you might use here before querying an agent. The information found here is subject to change.



















































13 comments:

Barbara Watson said...

I'm investigating agents right now, so I appreciate these weekly posts! Thanks, Casey.

Lydia Kang said...

Wow, a talented writer and an agent? That's great. :)

Old Kitty said...

I've not commented before on your lit agents' features posts as I'm not at that stage of querying yet but I do appreciate the query tips - so thank you! Take care
x

Natalie Aguirre said...

Sounds like a great agent for the right person. That's awesome that they represent illustrators too.

Donna K. Weaver said...

Awesome info. Thanks for the heads up.

Martha Ramirez said...

What a great spotlight! Thank you, Casey. Lots of good links too. You sold me:) I love that she is a writer and has empathy for us. Shows she cares.

Stina said...

I just LOVE the agent posts. It's amazing how many writers are become agents (but I guess not too surprising).

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Science fiction is all I write, but I know some illustrators who might be interested.

Theresa Milstein said...

Thanks for the info. I might send over my shiny new query. Thanks!

Beth said...

With her writing background, she sounds like a wonderful agent. And given the terrific agency she's working for, I'm thinking of contacting her!

Mary Ann Domanska said...

This is a great blog site! And I definitely plan on submitting my novel to Marie Lamba! Thanks for interviewing her.

Thermocline said...

Man, I'm still running behind on these. Three weeks overseas messed me up. Thanks for the Spotlight!

Unknown said...

Sounds like a great agent for the right person. That's awesome that they represent illustrators too.
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