Joanna Swainson

Submission status: Open
Submission route: Email
Response time: Assume no reply = no after 8 weeks
Last checked: 15 days ago

About

Joanna is a co-founder of Hardman & Swainson and represents both fiction and non-fiction.

She trained as a reader and in-house editor for Christopher Little, where she met Caroline. Before that she ran a copywriting and editing business after studying French.

What they represent

Looking for

complex, larger-than-life characters, characters they can root for and who can give them insights into worlds and situations unfamiliar to them
novels where the setting is almost a character in itself
earthy stories
crime and thrillers at both ends of the commercial / literary spectrum
a good ghost story and accessible speculative fiction, as well as a bit of horror, especially folk horror
fiction threaded with humour
narrative non-fiction, especially history (and prehistory)
nature writing, writing which evokes the landscape
folklore

Clients include

Emma Nesporova
Michelle Adams
Noelle Albright
Jon Bounds
Paul Braddon
Elizabeth Brooks
Mark Broomfield
Meg Cabot
Mike Cormack
Helen Cox
Oskar Cox Jensen
Jeremy Craddock
Sara Crowe
Lisa Cutts
Stuart David

Agency submission guidelines

The agency represents a range of fiction and non-fiction, but does not represent TV/film scripts or poetry. Submit to one agent only. Fiction: send a short covering email, a one-page synopsis, and the full manuscript. Name the chosen agent in the cover email. Non-fiction: send a covering email outlining the book, why it has a place on the bookshelf, and why the writer is qualified to write it, along with a proposal and a sample chapter or the whole work if completed. All sample material should be included as an attachment along with the query in one submission. Where to send: submissions@hardmanswainson.com, not individual agents' email addresses. Nina Leon: uses QueryTracker only, submissions should go via https://QueryTracker.net/query/NinaLeon

Other agents at Hardman & Swainson

Caroline Hardman
Hardman & Swainson
Caroline co-founded Hardman & Swainson and represents a growing list of critically-praised, up-and-coming and bestselling authors. Caroline was previously an agent at the Christopher Little Literary Agency and The Marsh Agency, specialising in translation rights. Caroline has a strong understanding of global trade publishing. Caroline studied English Literature at the University of Leeds, gaining a first class BA and an MA with distinction.
Genres:Commercial Fiction · Crime · Current Affairs · Health & Wellness · Historical Fiction +6 more
Open (conditions apply)
Last checked 15 days ago
Hannah Ferguson
Hardman & Swainson
Hannah is a literary agent at Hardman & Swainson, representing fiction and non-fiction. She grew up above her family's bookshop in the Midlands and later studied Creative Writing at Goldsmiths. She began her career as an intern at The Marsh Agency, staying for seven years before becoming an agent and selling her first author, Ali McNamara. She joined Hardman & Swainson in 2014.
Genres:Commercial Fiction · Crime · Literary Fiction · Narrative Non-Fiction · Thriller +1 more
Open
Last checked 15 days ago
Nina Leon
Hardman & Swainson
Nina is an agent at Hardman & Swainson, representing authors across a broad range of genres, with a particular focus on romantasy, young adult, upmarket and contemporary romance.
Genres:Contemporary Fiction · Romance · Romantic Fantasy · Young Adult
Open
Last checked 15 days ago

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