Julie Barer is currently active and working as a partner and literary agent at The Book Group. She is currently open to unsolicited submissions through The Book Group’s general query system.
About Julie Barer
Julie Barer is a partner and co-founder of The Book Group, which she established in 2015 with Faye Bender, Brettne Bloom, and Elisabeth Weed. A native New Yorker, she began her publishing career as a bookseller at Shakespeare & Company before moving into literary representation. Over the course of her career, Barer has represented bestselling and award-winning writers whose work has received honors including the National Book Award, Pulitzer Prize, National Book Critics Circle Award, PEN/Hemingway Award, and Lambda Literary Award.
Barer represents a broad range of literary fiction, with a particular interest in novels built around compelling characters, emotional depth, strong storytelling, and a vivid sense of place. Her taste ranges from classic, traditional narrative forms to more experimental and genre-bending fiction. She is drawn to books that immerse the reader in a distinctive world and leave a lasting emotional impact.
Her client list includes Ayad Akhtar, Rumaan Alam, Lily King, Paula McLain, Madeline Miller, Celeste Ng, Ann Napolitano, Kevin Wilson, Charles Yu, and Luis Alberto Urrea, among many others. Books she represents have become major bestsellers, national book-club selections, and film and television adaptations.
Books she cites as examples of work she loves include Migrations, A Visit From the Goon Squad, Americanah, Never Let Me Go, The Known World, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and The Dutch House.
Julie Barer — Literary Agent
Submitting Your Work to Julie Barer
Submission Guidelines
The Book Group accepts electronic queries only. Writers should review the agency’s team and choose the agent they want to query, then send the query to submissions@thebookgroup.com. Address the query to that agent, include the agent’s name in the subject line, and paste the first 10 pages of the manuscript below the query letter in the body of the email. Attachments are not accepted, and queries containing attachments will not be read.
Writers may query more than one Book Group agent at the same time, but each agent must receive a separate email. The query should disclose that the project has also been submitted to other agents within the agency. Queries sent directly to individual agents or to other agency email addresses will be deleted.
The agency does not represent theatrical works or screenplays and does not accept queries or materials written by AI. Because of the volume of submissions, agents respond only when interested. If there is no response within three months, the submission should be considered declined. If a writer receives an offer of representation from another agency while the query is pending, The Book Group asks to be notified by email with “offer of representation” in the subject line.
Core Submission Guidelines
Choose the Book Group agent who best fits your project. Email submissions@thebookgroup.com, put the agent’s name in the subject line, address the query to that agent, and paste the first 10 pages below the query letter. Do not attach files.
Before querying Julie Barer
The Market List recommends you verify this agent is still active and open to submissions before sending a query. Check the agency website, recent deal announcements, and any posted guidelines.
To be sure your project is a fit, we recommend you familiarize yourself with Julie Barer's list by reviewing recently represented titles and the agency's current submission guidelines before querying.
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