Brenda Bowen is an active literary agent specializing in children's books and select adult titles.
Represents: Children's, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Juvenile, Adult Fiction, Humor, Cookbooks
About Brenda Bowen
Brenda Bowen is a Senior Agent at The Book Group, representing authors and artists of books for adults, young adults, and children. Her clients include bestselling and award-winning authors and illustrators whose work has received honors such as the Newbery, Caldecott, Stonewall, Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe, Sibert, and Society of Illustrators awards. She represents both established creators and debut authors and artists.
Bowen has extensive experience across publishing as an agent, former children’s book publisher, and author of approximately 45 children’s books. Her own adult novel, The Emergency Book Club, is scheduled for publication by Morrow in winter 2027.
Her interests include bold picture books, lyrical middle-grade fiction, and sweeping historical fiction. She is currently not accepting picture book manuscript submissions, although artists may submit book dummies or portfolios by providing links to their work.
Submitting to Brenda Bowen at The Book Group Agency:
The Book Group accepts electronic queries only at submissions@thebookgroup.com. Writers should review the agency’s team and select the agent they wish to query. Address the query letter to that agent, include the agent’s name in the subject line, and paste the first 10 pages of the manuscript below the query in the body of the email.
Attachments are not accepted, and queries sent directly to agents or to other agency inboxes will be deleted. Writers may query more than one Book Group agent at the same time, but should send a separate email to each and disclose the multiple submission in the query letter.
The agency does not represent theatrical works or screenplays and does not accept queries or materials written by AI. Due to query volume, agents respond only when interested. If there is no response within three months, the submission should be considered declined. Writers who receive an offer of representation elsewhere should notify the agency by email with “offer of representation” in the subject line.
Query and Submission Hints
Not accepting picture book manuscript submissions; welcomes submissions from artists with book dummies or portfolios.