alterean.

Kirsten Lang

Zeno Agency Ltd

Submission status
Open
Submission route
QueryTracker
Response time
Aims to reply within 12 weeks
Last checked
Yesterday

About

Kirsten is a literary agent at Zeno Agency Ltd. She joined Zeno in 2024, having previously worked at another literary agency and as a bookseller at Foyles in Charing Cross.

Kirsten holds a BA in English from Edinburgh Napier University and a Masters in Children's Literature from Reading University. She currently focuses on selling Zeno's translation rights.

Genres

Contemporary FictionCrimeFantasyHorrorLiterary FictionOther Non-FictionRomanceRomantic FantasyThrillerTrue Crime

Looking for

  • scottish voices, especially something from the North East, they are Aberdonian and would love to help a writer from this space emerge
  • water horror, as they say they grew up in Aberdeen and so are always looking for horror inspired by the sea or the landscape of Scotland, bonus points if it has anything to do with an oil rig
  • workplace horror like Camilla Grudova's Children of Paradise or Calvin Kasulke's Several People are Typing
  • romance, especially young and contemporary, bonus points if it's set in Scotland and written by someone who has lived here
  • romantasy, less elves, more out of the box, looking for something that expands on the genre
  • a good crime thriller, well written, especially given their dissertation on terrorism
  • they have also enjoyed serial killer novels and fake true crime novels like Penance by Eliza Clark
  • A Studio Ghibli-esque fantasy, luscious landscapes, brilliant characters, a powerful story
  • fanfiction writers, with a past history of writing fanfiction or an ongoing fanbase

Agency submission guidelines

The agency accepts fiction submissions by email (except where noted otherwise) that fit its current requirements. What to send: the first three chapters (or an equivalent segment of around 50 double-spaced pages), a synopsis, and a covering letter. Formatting: chapters should be sent as attachments in.doc,.docx or PDF format, in a legible font no smaller than 12pt, double spaced, with pages numbered. The name, email address and a contact number should appear on the title page. The text of the submission should not be pasted into the email body; only attachments in the requested formats will be considered. Word count: adult novels of less than 75,000 words are not accepted. Children's fiction should be no less than 50,000 words. Synopsis: should be a simple explanation of the story from chapter one to the end, not proposed cover copy, and should not run over two pages. Covering letter: should include an elevator pitch and a few lines about the writer and their writing career to date. Mention should be made if another novel has previously been sent to Zeno. Submissions should not be sent again if a previous submission was declined. Submissions by post are not accepted. Subject line should read 'SUBMISSION [title of novel] by [name]'. Only one agent should be submitted to at a time. Per-agent method: John Berlyne accepts submissions by email. Stevie Finegan accepts submissions via QueryManager only.

Links

Clients include

  • Shaina A. Cordas
  • Shepard DiStasio
  • Sumayah Kazi
  • Leigh Kennedy
  • Rebecca Richardson
  • Nora Rose
  • Letty Sharpe
  • Max Walker

Other agents at Zeno Agency Ltd