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Sharlene Martin, President
Sharlene Martin, Literary Manager/Producer
Sharlene Martin began her career after college by going to work for American Airlines as a flight attendant and then working her way up to one of twelve recruiters in the USA hiring flight attendants in the NY, NJ, CT area. She is credited with hiring some of the very first male flight attendants for AAL. In 1984, shortly after the birth of her first child, she founded Helping Hands, the first nanny placement agency in America, and shortly thereafter was named Entrepreneur Magazine’s Homebased Entrepreneur of the Year. That led to the Harvard Business School using her agency, Helping Hands, as a case study for their students in entrepreneurism.
Born, raised and schooled in Connecticut, she was later recognized with the title of Entrepreneur of the Year by the Connecticut Chamber of Commerce. She was also honored and presented with the Spirited Woman Award in New York City in 1987 by Sherry Lansing for supporting women in the workplace. Sharlene sold her company when she moved to California in 1990 and spent several years at various key creative positions in the entertainment industry while raising her two children. In 2003, after a meeting with a screenwriter/author (who later became her husband!) she was encouraged to form her own literary agency---Martin Literary & Media Management.
She chose to primarily represent adult nonfiction, a genre she continues to love to this day, although Martin Literary & Media Management has a team of eight who represent all popular genres of books.
Sharlene has represented some of the top true crime books in publishing and conducts her business with a strict policy that any crime-related book she represents must always be told to benefit the victim, never the perpetrator.
Many of Sharlene's authors have had their books boosted as serial reprints in prestigious publications such as Readers' Digest, People Magazine, WHO, and the London Times. Other client appearances include 60 Minutes, The TODAY Show, The View, Fox and Friends, Good Morning America, The Early Show, 20/20, 48 Hours, Discovery Channel, Inside Edition, The 700 Club, ET, The Insider, ABC Nightline, Dr. Phil, Anderson Cooper 360, CNN, HLN, Discovery ID and Fox News and the former OPRAH show.
She is actively doing business with major film and TV companies for adaptations of her clients' books, and shares the MLM Book to Film-TV Rights Catalog with key people in the entertainment industry on a quarterly basis. It’s also updated with new sales weekly at www.MartinLit.com/film-tv.
Sharlene is a member of the Producers Guild of America (pga), and has adapted books from MLM clients including one of the top Hallmark Hall of Fame's acclaimed movie, Front of the Class, starring the late
Treat Williams, Patricia Heaton and James Wolk.
Some of her producing credits include:
*Executive Producer of Lifetime’s movie, The Pregnancy Project, which garnered the two top
Imagen Awards, for Best Primetime Movie/Special and Best Actress (Alexa Vega). Currently streaming
on HULU.
*Co- Creator/Producer of the reality series, DEADLY SINS for Discovery ID. Ran six seasons.
*Co-EP for the season of specials, EPIC MYSTERIES for Discovery ID.
*Executive Producer with Outpost Entertainment for A&E’s documentary OJ: Guilty in Vegas.
*Executive Producer for Apple TV+ straight to series one-hour scripted highly acclaimed mystery, HOME BEFORE DARK, directed and executive produced by Jon M. Chu (WICKED-2024), based on her client, Hilde Lysiak, a 14-year-old crime reporter and publisher of the Orange Street News, and author of the Scholastic Branches six book series, Hilde Cracks the Case.
*Executive Producer on Secrets of a Marine’s Wife for Sony Television at Lifetime.
She is currently in development on a number of projects based on her clients books and enjoys collaborating with screenwriters, producers, directors and production companies. See full credits at www.IMDB.com (Sharlene Martin (1) )
Additionally, she is co-author with her husband, bestselling author Anthony Flacco, on the books Publish Your Nonfiction Book (Writer's Digest Books) and Literary Fails: Totally (sic)!
Publishers, editors, writers and entertainment execs consistently express their joy in working with someone who is such an avid fan of great writing and an enthusiastic guardian and representative of her clients' work. She employs this personal touch in all her business relationships and credits it with her proven record of success.
Follow Sharlene on Twitter: @MartinLitMgmt
Jen Newens, Vice President, Senior Literary Manager
Children’s, MG/YA, Kid's Graphic Novels, and Adult Nonfiction
At different phases of her publishing career, Jen has been an author, editor, and publisher, giving her experience in all sides of the business. She is the former publishing director at West Margin Press, an Ingram Content Group company. There, she acquired a wide range of different genres.
A subject matter expert in food and drink titles, Jen spent two decades as a cookbook editor and writer (she even went to culinary school!). She’s experienced in working with celebrity chefs, business owners, cooking brands, and food bloggers, as well as accomplished home cooks.
In her role as Vice President, Jen applies her 360-view of the publishing business to MLM, seeking out fresh, original voices and developing exciting new talent. On the children's side, Jen is interested in picture books with sharp writing and compelling messages; MG/YA stories that resonate with the challenges faced by today’s youth; and graphic novels with quirky narration and original art. In the adult nonfiction, Jen is keen to find original takes on popular topics, books that reveal a riveting personal story, and books with a health and wellness slant.
The following are on Jen’s current wishlist, but she’s always open to hearing new ideas.
Childrens/MG/YA/Graphic Novels
• Books that portray historically excluded voices, disability, neurodivergent characters, LGBTQ topics
• Author/illustrators with strong storytelling skills and a clear vision
• Quirky and humorous stories
• Cat content (she’s crazy for cats)
Adult Nonfiction
• Cooking
-New takes on current trends
-Chef books (especially underrepresented groups)
-Food Bloggers with Unique Stories
• Drinks (mocktails and the NA lifestyle; fresh takes on wine and cocktails)
• Health, Wellness, Diet, and Chronic Illness
• Lifestyle topics
• Self-help
Please submit queries here: http://QueryManager.com/JenNewens
Follow her on Twitter @JenNewens
Lindsay Guzzardo, Senior Literary Manager - Adult Fiction
Through tenures at Amazon Publishing, Guideposts Books, and Penguin/Signet, Lindsay Guzzardo acquired and edited numerous bestselling titles to fantastic customer and trade reviews, particularly in commercial fiction, women's fiction, and romance.
Now a Literary Manager of adult fiction, Lindsay applies her comprehensive market knowledge and keen editorial instinct to identify and nurture exciting new talent for MLM.
She will consider any adult fiction with a clear, marketable, compelling hook, and strong voice. Her personal tastes align with the following wish list, but she would never shut herself off to The Next Big Thing!
Lindsay is also interested in working with proven genre writers (i.e. previously published, award-winning/nominated, placement in contests, strong platform, etc.) from the elevator pitch onward. Bring her your pitches and she will help direct you which one to pursue, or she can provide you with one to flesh out into a proposal.
She loves:
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Fiction that elevates diverse/marginalized voices
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WWII-era fiction
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Retellings of classic stories (either modern retellings or classic stories told from a different character’s perspective)
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Beach reads
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Fiction exploring family dynamics and relationships (particularly mothers/daughters and sisters)
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Amish romance/fiction
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Cozy, charming, small-town romance/fiction
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Rich, evocative historical fiction
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Fiction featuring historical figures
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European-set fiction, any era and tone
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Dark psychological and domestic suspense
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Family dramas that interweave past and present
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Gorgeous, lyrical literary fiction
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Wholesome, clean fiction and romance
Please submit to Lindsay via Query Manager: https://querymanager.com/query/Lindsay_Guzzardo
Note: Periodically, she pauses incoming queries to tend to her current queue.
Follow her on Twitter: @LindsayGuzzardo
Read interview with Lindsay here: https://darlingaxe.com/blogs/news/book-broker-lindsay-guzzardo
Alicia Brooks, Senior Literary Manager
Adult Nonfiction and Fiction, YA Nonfiction and Fiction
Alicia Brooks began her publishing career over twenty five years ago as an editorial assistant at Penguin USA (Dutton/Plume). She advanced to an assistant editor position at Nan A. Talese/Doubleday where she worked with groundbreaking authors, including Margaret Atwood, Pat Conroy, and Ian McEwan. She then became an editor at Picador/St. Martin's Press where she edited over 40 hardcover titles and several trade paper original titles, including Good Morning America Book Club Pick Noelle Howey's Dress Codes: Of Three Girlhoods--My Mother's, My Father's, and Mine, Nega Mezlekia's award-winning Notes from the Hyena's Belly, and Jaclyn Moriarty’s FEELING SORRY FOR CELIA, an ALA Best Book of the Year and YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.
She became a literary agent at The Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency in 2019. Her client list included categories such as Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction from writers with diverse backgrounds, Self-Help, Pop Culture, Literary Fiction, Fantasy, Book Club Fiction, YA Fiction, Horror, and Historical Fiction.She represented Boyah J. Farah, author of the earth-shattering memoir AMERICA MADE ME A BLACK MAN (Harper/Nominated for the NAACP Image Award and NPR Best Book of the Year), renowned author Nahid Rachlin, author of the novel MIRAGE (Red Hen Press), Kathleen S. Allen, author of the YA Gothic Horror novel THE RESURRECTIONIST (Roaring Brook) Jennifer Sherman Roberts' THE VILLAGE HEALER'S BOOK OF CURES: A Novel (Lake Union/Named an Editors' Choice by the Historical Novel Society and Named a First Reads Editors' Pick by Amazon) and Sofia Romero, author of the linked story collection WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WHO WE ARE (Blackstone/Shortlisted for the Massachusetts Book Award for Fiction)
Her wishlist for Martin Literary Management includes the following:
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Narrative Nonfiction from writers with diverse voices
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Memoir with big concepts
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Self-Help
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Pop Culture
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Social Justice
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Literary Fiction
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Book Club Fiction
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Jewish Fiction and Nonfiction
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Historical Fiction
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Horror
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Romance
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YA Fiction and Nonfiction
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Thrillers
Alicia graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College with a B.A. in English and Philosophy. She has a Master’s Degree from Columbia University in the Teaching of English Grades 7-12. She was raised in Los Angeles and now lives in Manhattan with her writer husband Michael Londra and their cat Tut Baby.
Your query should include a brief synopsis, comparison titles, an author bio, and contact information. Please do not include sample pages of your work. If there is interest, your manuscript or proposal will be requested.
Queries can be emailed to: Alicia@MartinLit.com
NO Query Tracker, please.
Follow her on Threads or Instagram @aliciabrooks323
Kristen Terrette, Literary Manager
Kristen is a literary manager excited to build her list featuring titles in young adult, new adult, fantasy, thrillers/mysteries/suspense, romance, women's fiction, horror, literary fiction, historical fiction, contemporary, non-fiction, all faith-based books, and she is also looking for more illustrators.
She has a BA in Early Childhood Education and MA in Theology and Religious Studies which led her into children’s ministry for many years. Eventually, her lifelong love of books and authors drew her back to her original dream of entering the publishing world. Kristen is a multi-published, award-winning author and freelance writer. She’s held such positions as the Blog Manager for a national women’s ministry and the Social Media Manager for a publishing house. All these components landed her a spot in the coveted Writers House Intern Program. There, she received valuable hands-on agenting and publishing experience which she brings into her position. She was also named an ECPA Emerging Leader in 2023 and went through a precious mentorship during 2024 to further her understanding of the Christian Publishing landscape.
Kristen has long been a voice for diversity. She’s written extensively on topics of racial reconciliation and unity and has been a facilitator of groups around these topics in her church. In all her focused genres, she welcomes books with BIPOC or disabled main characters and diverse friendships. She believes books change people in all the best ways and that every child should see themselves in the pages.
Kristen's Accepts these genres:
Young Adult (All subgenres except Sci-fi): My background in writing YA and extensive reading in this genre has given me a great love and understanding of it. Grab my attention within the first couple of pages. Send me books with first loves, unique friendships, interesting and/or challenging family dynamics, and hard-hitting subject matter (race relations, suicide, abuse, divorce, etc.) but leave me with a satisfying (not necessarily happy!) ending.
I, generally, like friends-lovers tropes, am a little tired of most contemporary YA stories (so it better be fresh!), and I like witches or dark, rogue magic and characters over Fae and court intrigue. I will always love dragons, but would need a new take here, and do you have a unicorn story? I'm game to see it!
Thrillers/Suspense/Mystery: Send me the smart, tough, and brave lady crime solvers. I love serial killers. I love small towns and big cities. I love relatable and quirky characters. If I can’t figure out what’s going to happen next or what the ending will be, you’ve gotten my attention. (Note: I am less into straight police/procedural fiction unless there's a strong hook.)
Horror: Creep me out. Make me scared to read the story at night. Give me a book that explores death- the process of, grim reaper, death personified... If folk-horror is a thing that sounds like it could fit your book, send it. Have a ghost story? I'd rather it be like 'The Ghost Whisperer' versus a romance with one. Vampires? Werewolves? Great! But it better be fresh! No slasher-film style stories please- these don't read well for me. Is your story a thriller with a touch of horror/speculative elements? Send it.
Contemporary: Voice will be what gets me here. Also, everyday life stories that aren't set in the US or England.
Romance: I am currently open to all subgenres of this category. Surprise me.
New Adult: I love college stories! And humorous young twenties. Send me these!
Women's Fiction: I am picky in my tastes here. I tend to lean to lyrical stories here, but I'm open to all. I LOVE diverse stories here too! I love new structures, interesting and surprising POVs. Send me all and I'll take a look.
Historical Fiction: I'm interested in the Civil War to present day time periods, little known parts of WWII that haven't been explored, the Viking era, and Native stories from around the world.
Literary Fiction: I'm picky here... But I'll give anything a shot. Surprise me.
Faith-Based/Inspirational Fiction and Nonfiction: I love a good redemption or forgiveness story, a historically accurate saga, a clean and beautiful, yet realistic love story, or a memoir that has me crying and laughing within the span of a few pages. Surprise me with the beauty of God’s grace. I also want to see more bible studies and devotionals. :)
True Crime (Nonfiction): I'm obsessed with true crime. If you've got a story, tell me about it...
Illustrators: I am open to seeing your artwork! Query me with your portfolio!
Fantasy: My tastes definitely lean toward romance here (Romantsy). And while I do love some Lord of the Rings (the soundtrack was played at my wedding!), I'm currently not looking for high fantasy. Like my tastes in YA fantasy, I'm tired of the court intrigue storyline, or princess needing to save the realm.
Non-fiction: Send me memoirs, culture, celebrity, parenting, and psychology books. If you have an interesting idea, send it. My tastes vary greatly here. (Please have a strong platform and/or authority to speak on the subject if you are sending me a NF submission.)
What I'm taking a break on:
Middle Grade (All subgenres except Sci-fi): I heart Middle Grade! But, I need to take a break on MG submissions for now. I will look at Middle Grade projects at conferences or as referrals.
Picture Books: Picture books are an important part of establishing a love for literature at an early age. However, I need to take a break on PBs for the moment. I will look at Picture Book projects at conferences or as referrals.
Overall Preferences: Settings I'd love to see: Reservations, underpopulated areas in the US, anywhere other than the US or England... I love books with unique structures or retellings, time lapses, dual POVS when warranted, industry-standard word counts (!), and hooks/stakes shown within the first 5-8 pages.
I am not a good fit for Science Fiction (even in YA), books with any political agenda, extremely foul-mouthed characters, sick-lit or cancer books, books over 100k words, and books with gratuitous sex scenes.
To see Kristen's listing on #MSWL, click here.
To see Kristen's website, click here.
If your manuscript is ready, please submit to Kristen via Query Manager here.
Anthony Flacco, Editorial Consulting, Book Proposals, co-Authoring, Ghostwriting
Anthony Flacco is the author of five nonfiction books and five historical novels, including the New York Times bestseller Impossible Odds: The Kidnapping of Jessica Buchanan and Her Dramatic Rescue by SEAL Team Six. His book, Tiny Dancer: The Incredible True Story of a Young Burn Victim’s Journey from Afghanistan is an international bestseller. Anthony holds an MFA in screenwriting from the American Film Institute. He is a winner of the Walt Disney Studios Screenwriting Fellowship and spent a year writing for the Touchstone Pictures division.
Anthony is available to work with writers who need his expertise in getting to the finish line of publication of their book. Contact him directly for a free consultation and quote for his stellar assistance in your work.
He is a member of the Writers Guild of America. www.anthonyflacco.com.
2023-2025 Interns
Keagen Brooks-Torres is an intern assisting president and literary manager/producer Sharlene Martin of Martin Literary and Media Management. She is currently a sophomore at Seattle University pursuing a BA in English Literature and a minor in Writing Studies. Keagen has enjoyed working as a student editor for the Seattle Undergraduate Research Journal, as well as taking creative writing classes.
Keagen has always loved reading and writing and can usually be found outdoors reading everything from poetry to nonfiction to magical realism. She looks forward to continuing to surround herself with the joy of literature.
Nick Friesen is an editorial intern assisting Literary Manager Lindsay Guzzardo. He is currently a junior at Seattle University, double majoring in creative writing and film studies. Nick started reading at a very young age and has yet to stop! Throughout his youth, he spent hours upon hours reading and writing his own fantasy novels and short stories.
Today, that passion for the fantastic is still alive, but his tastes have changed slightly. He typically reads a wide range of nonfiction, poetry, and novels of all sorts.
Davaisha Stukes is an intern assisting Literary Manager, Kristen Terette. She graduated with a B.S in Psychology and is now using her degree to craft epic fantasies with deeply flawed characters. She is an avid concert-goer, aspiring polyglot, and amateur DnD player. When she isn't trying to guess a novel's plot twist, she can be found admiring nature.
Rachel Waldrop is an editorial intern assisting Literary Manager Kristen Terrette. She is a senior majoring in creative writing and minoring in psychology. She attends Berry College in Rome, GA and plans to graduate in Fall 2023. Post-graduation, she hopes to pursue a career as an editor for a publishing house or literary journal.
In her free time, Rachel loves to write humorous Young Adult novels and short stories. She also loves to read both YA and Middle Grade books of all genres, particularly contemporary, romance, and fantasy. Her favorite authors include Sarah Dessen, B.B. Alston, and Leigh Bardugo.
Rory Collins (she/her) is an intern assisting Senior Literary Manager Jen Newens. She is a student at Barnard College of Columbia University pursuing a BA in English and Human Rights. Rory has always been an avid reader as heart and enjoys reading genres from fantasy to nonfiction all year round (especially the works of Sally Rooney).
When not working or at school, Rory can be found sitting with her cats, drinking many chai lattes, or probably curled up in the corner of a bookstore.
Cate VanNostrand is an editorial intern currently assisting junior literary manager Mara Cobb. Cate is a college junior majoring in English and History at the University of Memphis, where she spends most of her time studying technical writing, Ancient Rome, and Latin. Having been raised by two avid readers, she's managed to read at least 200 books every year since grade school.
When she's not studying, you can find Cate writing faith-infused novels, drinking too many chai lattes, or binge-reading fantasy novels like there's no tomorrow. Her favorite authors include Nadine Brandes, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Stephen Lawhead.
Caroline Watters is an intern for Senior Literary Manager Alicia Brooks; she graduated with honors and a B.A in English from Lafayette College where she wrote a TV series for her senior thesis. Caroline is an avid reader, lover of all things animal, and an actress! Her favorite genres include fantasy, literary fiction, and memoirs. She is looking forward to contributing to the world from which her first love comes.