Jane Dystel

Jane Dystel Submission Guidelines

Dystel, Goderich & Bourret accepts unsolicited queries, but submission method varies by agent. Michael Bourret, Jim McCarthy, Lauren Abramo, Sharon Pelletier, Michaela Whatnall, Gracie Freeman Lifschutz, and René Kooiker accept submissions only through QueryManager. Other agents accept queries by email through the address listed on their individual profile pages.

Writers should query only one DG&B agent at a time. If that agent passes, the project may then be submitted to another agent at the agency. Queries should be concise, professional, personalized, and carefully proofread. Include the project title, genre, word count, comparable titles or authors, a brief pitch, and relevant biographical or publishing credentials. The agency also recommends briefly explaining why you chose that particular agent.

For fiction, include the first 25 pages of the manuscript below the query letter. Novels should be complete, polished, and ready for review before querying. For nonfiction, include a proposal and sample chapter. Picture book submissions should include the full text and may include a dummy or sample artwork. Graphic novel writers should include the first 25 pages of the script; author-illustrators should also include 10 illustrated pages. Picture book and graphic novel attachments should be PDFs no larger than 20MB. The agency accepts submissions from authors and author-illustrators, but does not accept illustrator-only submissions.

Do not submit more than one project at a time, send shared-file or download links, submit incomplete query emails, or pitch projects by phone or social media. DG&B aims to respond within eight weeks; if you have not received a response after that time, you may resend the query and note the original submission date.

Core Submission Instructions

Choose one DG&B agent whose interests match your project. Follow that agent’s required submission method—either QueryManager or email. Include a concise personalized query plus the required sample material, and do not query another DG&B agent until the first agent has passed.