Jessica Killingley

Submission status: Closed
Submission route: Email
Response time: Not stated
Last checked: 7 days ago

About

Jessica is the Managing Director of The bks Agency, which she co-founded.

She spent twenty years working in marketing for Hachette UK and Penguin Random House, running award-winning campaigns for authors such as John Grisham, Stephen King and David Mitchell. She is also a Master-certified coach who works with high-achieving women in senior roles.

What they represent

Looking for

business, psychology, science, medicine, tech and smart thinking from authors who are experts in their field, with strong platforms and engaged audiences
women's health and any of the above areas considered specifically through a neurodivergent lens
original, high-concept, speculative/literary adult fiction
science fiction (anything from near future dystopia to full blown Space Opera)
an old-school hardboiled detective story with a twist
anything with very dark, very dry humour

Not looking for

fantasy/romantasy

Clients include

John Grisham
Stephen King
David Mitchell
Michael McIntyre
Stephen Fry

Agency submission guidelines

Fiction: a synopsis, the first three chapters or 50 pages, and a brief bio. Non-fiction: the pitch, a bio, an overview of structure, and a sample chapter. Submissions should be sent to the individual agent, and material should not be sent for genres an agent does not list. Only one agent at the agency should be submitted to at a time. Covering letters, proposals or writing samples must not be written by AI (though AI use for grammar support or research is acceptable). Joanna: submit to joanna, for crime and thriller fiction, and expert-led non-fiction on health and wellness; she does not represent experimental literary fiction, speculative fiction, science fiction, fantasy, young adult or children's.

Agency AI policy

They do not accept submissions that have been written by AI, though AI use for grammar support or research is acceptable.

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