Sharon Pelletier, Literary Agent Sharon Pelletier is an active literary agent at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. Sharon is currently open to submissions.
Represents: Upmarket fiction, women's fiction, book club fiction, commercial fiction, literary fiction, contemporary fiction, suspense, thriller, mystery, crime, romance, contemporary romance, family saga, LGBTQ+ fiction, multicultural fiction, grounded speculative fiction, narrative nonfiction, journalism, pop culture, celebrity nonfiction, entertainment nonfiction, music nonfiction
About Sharon Pelletier
Sharon Pelletier joined Dystel, Goderich & Bourret in 2013 after editorial work at small presses and as a Barnes & Noble bookseller. She was named senior agent in 2021 and vice president in 2024. Born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, she has lived in New York since 2009.
Her list centers on upmarket fiction of all sorts: smart, complex women's fiction; unexpected suspense and romance; and hearty book-club fiction. She also occasionally takes on compelling narrative nonfiction by journalists, experts, or emerging voices with a promising platform.
Her clients and projects include Charlotte McConaghy (Migrations, Once There Were Wolves, Wild Dark Shore); Amy Gentry (Good as Gone, Last Woman Standing, Bad Habits); Layne Fargo (They Never Learn, Temper, The Favorites); Denise Williams (The Fastest Way to Fall, Technically Yours, Even If The Sky Is Falling); Libby Hubscher (Meet Me in Paradise, If You Ask Me, Play for Me, Heart Marks the Spot); and Megan Collins (The Family Plot and related titles).
Submission Guidelines for Sharon Pelletier
Submitting Your Work to Sharon Pelletier
Before querying Sharon Pelletier
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 Sharon Pelletier's list by reviewing recently represented titles and the agency's current submission guidelines before querying.
If you have recently queried Sharon Pelletier or have experience with this agent, please submit a comment below. Recent response times are always welcome and helpful to other writers.
From the Sharon Pelletier Submission Guidelines:
Queries are accepted only through Query Manager. Do not email queries.
- Fiction: query letter plus the first 20 pages pasted into the form
- Nonfiction: full proposal in the form
- Genre options on the form reflect what she is seeking now; if your genre is not listed, she is not open to it
- Allow about 8 weeks before following up on a query, and about two months on a requested manuscript
- Notify her promptly if you receive an offer of representation on a manuscript she has requested
Dystel, Goderich & Bourret Submission Guidelines
- Query only one DG&B agent at a time; after a pass you may query another
- For Sharon Pelletier, submit only via Query Manager
- No pitches or follow-ups by phone or social media outside planned pitch events
- Novels must be complete before querying
- Do not attach files to a blank or incomplete query; do not use shared-file download links
Sharon Pelletier's Current Wishlist:
Hearty book-club fiction that uplifts while engaging contemporary issues with honesty and nuance. Propulsive contemporary novels that are hilarious without being snarky and insightful without being quiet. Unexpected, elevated love stories with real stakes. Smart, propulsive workplace novels. Juicy women’s fiction outside familiar suburban or malaise-bound twenty-something templates. Suspense with a fresh angle and underrepresented protagonists or settings — setting as character; prefers protagonists pulled into investigation through their profession over PIs or LEOs. Occasional grounded, character-driven speculative with one twist in our world — not hard SF, fantasy, dystopian, or pandemic. Selective nonfiction: voicey reportage with a personal element and platform; emerging voices on pop culture, feminism, sports, and faith.
Query and Submission Hints
- Match the Query Manager genre list exactly; mislabeled submissions may get an immediate pass
- Check her not-for-mes before querying (e.g. historical fiction currently not sought; children’s and YA; hard SF and fantasy; military and political thrillers; pandemic novels; memoir without a strong platform)
- One DG&B agent at a time
- Beware impersonation scams; verify outreach via dystel.com