Jessica Killingley
- Submission status
- Closed
- Submission route
- Response time
- Not stated
- Last checked
- 2 days ago
About
Jessica is the Managing Director of The bks Agency.
She spent 20 years in marketing roles at Hachette UK and Penguin Random House, running high-profile campaigns for authors including John Grisham, Stephen King and Stephen Fry. She also ran a coaching and consultancy business, and is a Master-certified Coach who works with high-achieving women in senior roles. She began running the agency full-time in October 2023.
Genres
Looking for
- business, psychology, science, medicine, tech and smart thinking from authors who are experts in their field, with strong platforms and engaged audiences
- projects on 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)
- horror
- an old-school hardboiled detective story with a twist
- anything with very dark, very dry humour
Not looking for
- fantasy/romantasy
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 any material, whether it’s a covering letter, proposal or writing sample, written by AI.
Links
- Websitethebksagency.com/about
- Submissionsthebksagency.com/submissions
- Emailhello@thebksagency.com
Clients include
- John Grisham
- Stephen King
- David Mitchell
- Michael McIntyre
- Stephen Fry
Other agents at The BKS Agency
James Spackman
James is a literary agent at The bks Agency. He began his career on the Bloomsbury Publishing Graduate Scheme before moving into sales and marketing roles at Bloomsbury, John Murray and Hodder & Stoughton, where he helped create bestsellers with authors including JK Rowling, Stephen King and Freddie Flintoff. He later became MD of Watkins, a division of Osprey Group, and is now Publisher of Pursuit, Profile Books' cycling imprint. He also coaches book trade professionals in presentation skills and is the author of How to Pitch a Book.
Genres:Commercial Fiction · Fantasy · Mystery · Narrative Non-Fiction · Science Fiction +1 more
ClosedLast checked 2 days ago
Jason Bartholomew
Jason co-founded The bks Agency after two decades working in publishing rights in New York and London. He was Rights Director at Hachette UK across Hodder & Stoughton, Headline Publishing Group, Quercus Books, and John Murray Press, and later became Publishing Director of Quercus US. He is also CEO of the cultural communications agency Midas, which provides PR, social and marketing services for arts and publishing clients.
Genres:Biography · Business · Commercial Fiction · Current Affairs · Fantasy +8 more
ClosedLast checked 2 days ago
Joanna Kaliszewska
Joanna is the Rights Director at The bks Agency, as well as developing her own list as an agent. She began her career in rights at Aitken, Stone and Wylie, then spent 20 years at Hachette, latterly as Head of Rights for John Murray Press. There she worked with authors including Fiona Mozley and Mick Herron. Her literary taste is broad, spanning literary fiction, reading group fiction and crime procedurals.
Genres:Commercial Fiction · Crime · Health & Wellness · Thriller
OpenLast checked 2 days ago