Sarah Ballard

About

Sarah is a literary agent at Conville & Walsh, representing fiction and non-fiction.

She trained in editorial at Sceptre, Hodder & Stoughton, then worked as an in-house editor at PFD, notably alongside Pat Kavanagh. In 2008 she co-founded United Agents, where she worked as an agent for sixteen years before joining Conville & Walsh in 2024.

Genres

Agency submission guidelines

Submissions should be sent by email (in .doc or .docx format) directly to the agent to be considered, with contact details listed under agent profiles. Writers should not write to more than one agent; if a book is promising, it will be passed to the person most likely to want to represent it. Postal submissions are not accepted. For fiction, email the first three chapters (or about 50 pages) and a synopsis. The synopsis should be a simplified explanation of the plot in one or two sides listing the theme, setting and characters, from the first to final chapter, rather than a blurb or cover-style teaser. For children's or young adult projects, send the first three chapters or first fifty pages, and a synopsis of the work. Picture book submissions are not currently being accepted. For non-fiction, most books are sold on proposal so the book need not be already written. A thirty-page proposal should include: what the book is about and why it needs to be written and published now; who the writer is and their credentials for writing the book (in the third person); where the book would sit on the shelves, including similar or competing published books; a chapter of sample text (usually taken from an early part of the book, but not the introduction); and an outline of chapters (a page per chapter, written in full prose). For both fiction and non-fiction, a covering letter should also be included giving an account of the background of the book and details of any writing credentials, noting any referral by a trade or personal contact, any prior correspondence with an agent, and whether the project has been or is being seen by other agents or publishers. Material should be typeset so as to be clearly legible, with the writer's name and a contact number and email address included on the first page of the manuscript. Including the title and the writer's name in the file name of the submission is helpful, as many agents read on kindle or tablet.

Links

Clients include

• Camilla Barnes
• Julian Barnes
• BOSH! (Henry Firth and Ian Theasby)
• Jane Borodale
• Emma Bridgewater
• Lindsay Clarke
• Felicity Cloake
• Bridget Collins
• Nicci French
• Nicci Gerrard
• Ben Goldacre
• John Higgs
• Tom Hollander
• Anna Jefferson
• Lara Maiklem

Other agents at C&W Agency

• Carrie Kania

  C&W Agency

  Carrie is a literary agent at Conville & Walsh who focuses on non-fiction. She previously worked in US publishing at Random House and HarperCollins, including as SVP Publisher of Harper Perennial. She co-founded It Books, an imprint dedicated to pop culture, fashion, film, music and celebrity, and later co-founded the independent bookstore and bar The Society Club.

  Genres:Other Non-Fiction

  Open

  Last checked 8 days ago

• Clare Conville

  C&W Agency

  Clare founded Conville & Walsh in 2000 and now serves as Chair of the company. In 2020 she co-founded the independent publishing imprint and production company CHEERIO with author and curator Harriet Vyner, in association with the Estate of Francis Bacon. She co-curated the Curious Arts Festival and sits on the board of the Cob Gallery. Her authors' work has been translated into more than sixty languages, with many adapted for theatre, film and television.

  Genres:Commercial Fiction · Literary Fiction · Memoir · Narrative Non-Fiction

  Closed

  Last checked 4 days ago

• Emma Finn

  C&W Agency

  Emma represents fiction and narrative non-fiction at Conville & Walsh. She is drawn to strong voices and character-driven stories, especially gripping thrillers, atmospheric mystery and novels about families and relationships. She also values editorial work, helping writers shape their manuscripts before they go to publishers.

  Genres:Commercial Fiction · Crime · Food & Drink · Literary Fiction · Memoir +4 more

  Open

  Last checked 8 days ago

• Sophie Lambert

  C&W Agency

  Sophie is a Managing Director at Conville & Walsh, representing a wide range of fiction and nonfiction authors. She began her career as a bookseller and book buyer before working as an assistant at Janklow & Nesbit in New York. She returned to London to start her own list at Tibor Jones & Associates before joining C&W in 2013, where she became a Director and later Managing Director.

  Genres:Commercial Fiction · Food & Drink · Historical (Non-Fiction) · Literary Fiction · Memoir +2 more

  Closed* (conditions apply)

  Last checked 8 days ago

• Susan Armstrong

  C&W Agency

  Susan is a literary agent at Conville & Walsh, representing a broad range of fiction. She enjoys discovering new and original voices, helping debut writers launch their careers, and working with published novelists who want a change in direction. She looks for strong prose, great storytelling, vivid characters and true originality of vision in the writers she represents.

  Genres:Commercial Fiction · Crime · Literary Fiction · Psychological Suspense · Thriller +1 more

  Open

  Last checked 4 days ago