alterean.

Emily Barrett

The Blair Partnership

Submission status
Closed
Submission route
Email
Response time
Aims to reply within 12 weeks
Last checked
2 days ago

About

Emily is a literary agent at The Blair Partnership, representing non-fiction for big, mainstream audiences.

Before becoming an agent, she spent a decade working at HarperCollins, Orion and Little, Brown, latterly as Publisher of Sphere Non-Fiction. Books she edited during that time included Sunday Times bestsellers, prize nominees and winners, titles translated into multiple languages and works that sold TV options. This gives her broad insider experience across non-fiction publishing.

Genres

Current AffairsFood & DrinkHealth & WellnessHistorical (Non-Fiction)Narrative Non-FictionOther Non-FictionPoliticsTrue Crime

Looking for

  • non-fiction which is aimed at big, mainstream audiences, written by authors who are experts in their fields or who have established platforms
  • history (broad brushstrokes or specific stories from the past that read as compellingly as fiction)
  • true crime
  • accessible pop science
  • stories with animals at their heart
  • useful cookery that does something new
  • puzzle and humour books
  • books that are seeking to bring readers joy, could improve their health, wellbeing, career or lives in general, and will help readers understand the world today (e.g. books on politics, climate, nature etc)

Not looking for

  • fiction

Agency submission guidelines

Fiction: email your chosen agent directly, including the working title in the subject line. In the email, include a one-line elevator pitch, a short blurb, the target market and genre of your writing, and any competitions or prizes you've won for writing. Attach the first thirty pages of your manuscript and a one-page synopsis in one Word document or PDF. Do not send Pages, Google Docs, WeTransfer or DropBox downloads, and do not post submissions, or they will not be read. Non-fiction: email your chosen agent directly, including the working title in the subject line. Include a one-line elevator pitch, a short blurb, the target market and genre of your writing, and relevant information about you (prizes, social media platform size and engagement, qualifications or career experience). Attach your proposal document and a writing sample in one Word document or PDF. The proposal should be no more than 10,000 words, including why your book is different from what has been published before, why your target market needs your book now, at least three comparable titles, and a writing sample (1-3 chapters). Do not send Pages, Google Docs, WeTransfer or DropBox downloads, and do not post submissions, or they will not be read. Not currently accepting screenplays, short stories or poetry, and only accepting stories written in English. Submit to only one agent. Do not submit material generated wholly or partially by AI.

Agency AI policy

They do not accept material that has been generated wholly or partially by AI.

Links

Clients include

  • Katie Kennedy
  • Dan Bowman
  • Angela Harding
  • Rabbi Moshe Friedman
  • Pascal Hughes
  • Sir Chris Hoy
  • David Kelly
  • Amy Chapman
  • Alfie Steiner
  • Josh Otten

Other agents at The Blair Partnership